Edited and Published by R.P. BenDedek with permission from Dr. Tony Keys'. This article is a heavily edited excerpt from Dr. Key's book: 'Growing Future Leaders'

Part B

Five Personality Types in Organizations

by Dr. Tony Keys

In Part A. We looked at 'The Alienated Followers; The Conformist Followers and The Pragmatist Followers', and saw how each type of follower approaches their job and what they bring to an organization.

Today we will look at the final two types of people who work for and within an organization, and what they bring into their relationship with that organization.

D. Passive Followers

'Passive Followers' represent the lowest percentage of any organization - between five and ten percent.

These followers lack initiative, a sense of responsibility, require constant direction, look to the leader to do their thinking for them and have no desire whatsoever to create change in an organization.

They support the status quo by simply doing nothing.[/list]Kelley's research shows that passive followers are in actual fact responding to the leader's expectation of them. Often followers in churches and non-profit organizations are passive simply because the pastor or leader does not expect anything of them.

The leader is quite happy to do everything themselves and to be the lone charismatic superstar who single-handedly brings about the much-needed transformational change. They forget that leaders only bring about at best twenty percent of any change. Followers do the rest.

• Passive followers need a very strong incentive from the leader; to be delegated responsibility and empowered to undertake tasks before they will actually do anything.

E. Exemplary Followers

'Exemplary Followers' represent between five to thirty percent of followers.

The leader-member exchange (LMX) rate for 'Exemplary Followers' is very high. This high quality relationship allows for more interesting assignments and greater responsibility, lifting their performance and job satisfaction. Exemplary followers are self-managed followers.

Exemplary followers know that the life of the organization requires give-and-take. They know that if they are going to drink from the 'organization well', they must help replenish it.

Exemplary followers remain fully accountable for their actions while relinquishing to the leader some autonomy and authority. They have a dichotomy of implementing and challenging the leader's ideas by being critical, innovative and independent thinkers whilst remaining supportive of the leader.

Exemplary followers are willing to be mentored or coached by the leader and at the same time are willing to teach the leader. Exemplary followers are willing to lead from behind, breathing life into the transformational leader's vision or even vision into the transformational leader's life.

In the headquarters of Herman Miller's Corporation, there is a sculpture by Allan House, an American Indian artist, called "The Water-Carrier." It has this inscription written at its base:

• "The tribal water-carrier in this corporation is a symbol of the essential nature of all jobs, our interdependence, the identity of ownership and participation, the servant-hood of leadership, the authenticity of each individual."

The water-carrier in the American Indian culture held one of the most important and respected positions in tribal life as they were looked upon as the sustainers of the tribe. The water-carriers were seen as the locus, centre or source of achievement for the tribe because from their efforts of carrying water a necessary resource was provided to support the work and life systems of the tribe. The tribe's vision of survival depended upon the commitment, dependability and resourcefulness of these water-carriers. Because they sacrificed their personal concerns for the tribe's needs, they were highly honored by the tribe.

As we consider the role of the important water-carrier in tribal cultural, we see that followership is not blind obedience. Rather it is active participation whereby the followers recognize their unique roles and responsibilities and willingly apply their talents in order to achieve the organization's mission and vision.

We often only think of the cost of leadership and yet followership costs a great deal too, sometimes even more than leadership. We see clearly from the role of the water-carrier that an effective follower such as a disciple of Christ sacrifices many things including financial reward, status and fame in order to achieve the organization's goals.

Like the water-carriers in a tribe, good followers become the catalyst of achievement in an organization because of their commitment, resourcefulness, co-operation and pro-active participation.

Followers in a positive environment gain a favorable image of themselves as they serve others in pro-active ways, receiving respect and honor, as did the Indian water-carrier. Their identity and their confidence mature and they go on to be leaders within the organization.

Exemplary followers are courageous followers.

Unlike the passive followers, they assume responsibility for their own behavior and its impact upon the organization.

Unlike conformist followers, they feel comfortable about drawing the leader's attention to any action the leader might be doing that would or could hurt the organization's direction.

Exemplary followers seek out the needs of the organization and actively find ways to serve those needs, unlike pragmatist followers who are always looking out for themselves.

Exemplary followers courageously support their leader through the difficult stages of transformational change rather than displaying the alienated followers' cynical attitude to change.

May God Bless You and your leadership.

Pastor Anthony Keys
Brisbane, Australia.
Email: trinitylead@uq.net.au
Copyright 2011
The Trinity Institute of Leadership Inc.

Growing Future Leaders - The Enormous Potential of Followers - Published 2006 by CRS Publishing, Unit 9, 147 Marshalltown Rd, Grovedale, Victoria 3216, Australia.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the NKJV Holy Bible

Dr. Tony Keys' Articles - Writers Journal K.C.

Christian Books on Leadership Various Authors

Pastor Tony Key's professional career includes extensive experience in leadership positions in non-profit organisations, ministry, education, industry and churches.

He has been actively involved in a vast range of leadership roles, which includes experience as the Director of two Christian tertiary education centres, Church Pastor, Assistant Principal of a non-profit Christian School, Factory Manager, Youth Worker, Crusade Co-ordinator, and an administrator for a theatre company.

He has travelled extensively throughout Australia and the world, preaching and ministering in churches as well as conducting leadership seminars for churches, bible colleges, missionary and not-for-profit organisations and meeting in a consulting role with church leaders.