Volume 4 | Issue 12 | 2021

Corresponding Author Affiliation*:  The George Washington University, USA

Abstract:

Followers have typically been overlooked compared to leaders in an organizational setting but are a huge component of team success. A coach would not get “100 career wins” without the hard work of the team members on the field playing the game. A performer would not have the prosperity of a sold-out tour without the dedication of his fans. Followers are present in every group setting and are integral to the success of the team. They also play a part beyond supporting and following the leader. Followers’ engagement, relationships, and well-being directly affect the organization and leader.  This paper will further explore the meaning of a follower and leader, examine the follower-leader interaction and its effectiveness in a team, and the overall value followers contribute to team success. In addition, this paper will reveal the critical success factors to maintain healthy follower-leader dynamics, it emphasizes the important role of practicing mindfulness, creating assertive communication and engagement channels, creating a motivating, and learning organizational culture, and boosting critical thinking and brainstorming activities to generate new pathways to boost organizational innovation. This case analysis will further help illustrate how the behaviors of the followers can shape leadership style and exhibit the importance of team recognition to create a healthy follower-leader relationship.

Keywords: Team leadership, Team dynamics, Followership qualities, Transformational leadership, Organization culture, Motivation, Organization change