NATURE EMPOWERMENT FOLLOWERS

Transcription

1 The Nature of Empowerment of Followers Rae Liebenstein 10/20/2014 1

2 It is the leaders job to push their followers and empower them. The definition of empowerment is to give official authority or legal power (Mariam-Webster). Empowerments definition represents full trust and confidence in another s ability, which does not come easy to some. To empower someone requires great effective ethical behavior & communication, a long-term plan, and a positive attitude. A leader, as we have learned, is someone that is an example for others. A leader embodies all characteristics most citizens strive for: respect, courage, loyalty, honest, and a positive attitude (Maxwell, 2007). There are many more qualities a great leader works to represent but one of the most important is the ability to gain followers and pass their reign/knowledge onto others. A leader must mold followers in the right direction and also when inquiring one s team must look for positive leadership traits to grow leaders not only as followers. In our text, 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership, John C. Maxwell says, Leaders naturally align themselves and follow leaders stronger than themselves (Maxwell, p.78). This quote states how being a leader is a chain reaction and followers are still leaders. Leaders find others with the same goals and values as themselves and naturally align one another in a hierarchy to achieve success. From my research, Leadership and Empowerment: How Strategic Planning Relates to Followership, they found a strong relationship between long-term planning and how it affects the attitudes of the followers. Followers tended to be more willing and positive with a long-term plan. Followers seemed to react better when the leader sought the followers input and worked hard to keep their involvement. Followers said, while not only should the leader seek input from the followers and make a long term plan but they should also make an effort for the followers feeling empowered to stay involved, use their strengths, seek a good 2

3 working relationship with the leader, take the initiative, stand up for what they feel is right, and be supportive in that order (Brumm & Drury, 2013). This research states how leaders should be willing to accept a level of discomfort. They will be brought news, value, and new ideas from their empowered followers, and the leaders have to keep the bigger picture in mind to fulfill what is right for the organizations goals. These core concepts will be key when developing an inner circle (Maxwell, 2007). As a leader you must have people closest to you, which you connect, communicate, and continuously develop relationships with. Transformational Leadership and Followers attitudes: The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment, discusses the importance of transformational leadership and how it encourages a positive attitude. Employees reacted positively to someone that held themselves with control (choice and impact) and a compelling vision. If an employee feels an affective commitment to their job he or she will be more empowered as a follower (Castro & etc., 2008). Leaders must recognize the psychological empowerment needs of each individual to create positive behavior and attitudes in the employees. The mindset of having a higher purpose (Castro & etc., 2008) will impact the follower by choice and intellectually stimulate them to work harder and provide meaning to the employee s presence. Instilling this mindset is the leaders job by using transformational leadership. Transformational leadership involves the creation of an emotional attachment between leader and follower (Castro & etc., 2008). This attachment would help shape new visions, aspirations, and priorities of followers (Castro & etc., 2008). This type of leadership style is very effective with employee s satisfaction, attitudes, and performance. This relates back to The Law of Connection and how the 3

4 leader must create personal connections and develop meaning to ones team or organization (Maxwell, 2007). As discussed earlier what truly empowers followers is a leader with a long-term plan, positive attitude, and ethical behavior and communication. It is said that leaders are examples, if leaders did not act morally and ethically who would? It takes one ethically effective leader to create another. Ethical Leadership and Followers Moral Judgment; The Role of Followers Perceived Accountability and Self-leadership expresses that knowing how your followers make ethical decisions is important as well as implicating self-ethical leadership, which is exemplifying ethical behavior and pushing them to practice by choice. Instilling a certain influence in the follower can be effective but certainly requires the followers willingness to participate. This article found that ethical leadership would be more effective as a dual system; transformational ethical leadership. The Law of Empowerment enforces intrinsic motivation while producing meaning and impact to the follower s life. I believed I had a good understanding of what empowerment of followers was but as I read further I noticed a consistent correlation. I did get similar answers of how empowerment was related to followers but what stuck out was the repeated concept of leaders as examples. The most important quality a leader should have is to be an example others can live by; to follow the law, act ethically, positive outlook, etc. If a leader can achieve this goal they will be able to gain followers of good character and grow their organizational relationships, goals, and performance. I understood from my findings that to gain and empower followers you must first be able to evaluate yourself in an honest respectful light. It always starts with bettering yourself and conveying outward. The 4

5 bottom line in leadership isn t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance in others (Maxwell, 2007). 5

6 Work Cited Barroso Castro, C., Villegas Perinan, M., & Casillas Bueno, J. (2008). Transformational leadership and followers' attitudes: the mediating role of psychological empowerment. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 19(10), doi: / Brumm, C. A., & Drury, S. (2013). Leadership that Empowers: How Strategic Planning Relates to Followership. Engineering Management Journal, 25(4), Maxwell, J. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you (Rev. and updated 10th anniversary ed.). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Steinbauer, R., Renn, R., Taylor, R., & Njoroge, P. (2014). Ethical Leadership and Followers' Moral Judgment: The Role of Followers' Perceived Accountability and Self leadership. Journal Of Business Ethics, 120(3), doi: /s x Weichun, Z., Sosik, J. J., Riggio, R. E., & Baiyin, Y. (2012). Relationships between Transformational and Active Transactional Leadership and Followers' Organizational Identification: The Role of Psychological Empowerment. Journal Of Behavioral & Applied Management, 13(3),