The Difference Between a Good and a Bad Follower at Work

Submission, often referred to as “the other side of leadership,” is an important factor in career success. It means finding value in someone else’s vision, following it, questioning and challenging it, but also ultimately supporting it, even if you don’t agree with it. The follower asks questions, listens well, and offers guidance and perspective. They speak up, but don’t turn down a job if their own idea isn’t supported or if they aren’t given the opportunity to lead.

Discussion followers rarely, if ever, exist in many workplaces. In addition, the term “follower” is often used in a disparaging sense, making it a title that some wish to avoid as it implies weakness. Thus, the talk about creating an attractive work environment is focused on leadership. This is not necessarily wrong; bosses have a big impact on the workplace, productivity and team culture. But you and your colleagues matter too. The team’s success belongs to everyone, and anyone can make or break that success.

In Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to be the best…and learn from the worst, Bob Sutton writes about a study that revealed the impact of the “bad apple” on a team. This could be a person who doesn’t get involved or doesn’t get their job done (a slacker), someone who is often negative or critical (a depressant), or someone who is disrespectful and insensitive to others (a jerk). Just one slacker, downer, or jerk on a team can reduce productivity by 30-40% compared to teams that don’t have one.

Think back to the various jobs you have had. What kind of follower were you? Were you competent, consistent, and did you offer support to your colleagues and boss? Were you passive or maybe you preferred to fly unnoticed? Did you put on a good face at work but share snarky comments about management at happy hour? You may have been known as an independent thinker who questioned authority but didn’t take it personally when your suggestions were ignored.

These questions indicate the traits of good and bad followers. The difference between the two matters because being a great follower and working with other people creates a better work environment for everyone.

Subscriber types

Not surprisingly, research on followers is sparse. Followers don’t get much attention. However, Robert Kelly’s Follower Model is useful. It was published in the late 1980s but is still considered one of the best known. He identifies five types and defines them based on independent/dependent thinking and passive/active behavior.

• Aloof Followers: Although these people think independently, they do not take the initiative to act. They are often cynical and show disgruntled acceptance.
• Sheep: This group does exactly what they are told, has little involvement in the work, and often cannot figure things out on their own.
• Yes People: Livelier than sheep and often more productive, they are not particularly creative. Some leaders like people who give consent. They do their job and don’t ask questions.
• Survivors: These people will not actively challenge the leader or blindly agree. Rather, they will sit on the fence and then act when it suits them.
• Effective Followers: They think for themselves, fulfill their responsibilities, and challenge leaders with respect. While they may be the leader’s right hand, some leaders dislike them because they intelligently question strategy.

Effective Followers are ideal: they are resilient to change, can deal with ambiguity, and are willing to deal with conflict. They build relationships within the organization, up and down, and communicate effectively with everyone. They also question authority, which can upset others. But given that they are open to feedback, they will back off their questions if necessary. This is because “they are committed to an organization and a purpose, a principle or a person outside of them.”

Focus on developing the skills you need to follow effectively

Acceptance of followers really starts with ourselves. Make an honest assessment. What kind of follower are you? Assign yourself a type and determine how much you contribute to the team. Look for your strengths and your positive influence first. Recognize that you need to keep doing or doing more. You may have the power to build relationships with people outside of your immediate team, but you don’t do it as often as you’d like. Having strong connections up, down and across the organization is valuable. It might be something you start doing more often.

Then evaluate one or two skills you need to develop to be a better follower. You may find it difficult to speak and share ideas or disagree with others. This indicates the development of communication skills or productive conflict resolution. Or maybe your boss annoys you and you let that annoyance distract you from your day or it affects how you interact with others. Learn emotion management skills to help you redirect your attention to more productive activities.

What needs to happen in most organizations is to discuss, shape and support the way of following at work. The word “follower” should be normalized to ensure its acceptance and recognition. You can do this by building the right set of skills and recognizing qualities in others. By encouraging the positive connotation of following and learning the skills that make followers successful, workplaces can become the satisfying professional spaces that everyone craves.