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A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership

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A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership
A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership
Janice Newsome
Walden University
April 2, 2014
Abstract
I will discuss personal follower and leader interactions with two individuals that I have worked with over the last five to seven years. I selected these individuals because of my relationship with them and their leadership capabilities. Secondly, I admire and model after both of them. Finally, I selected these individuals because they believe in me and have invested in my professional and personal development. I will discuss their leadership style in context with course materials and illustrate how I am able to be an effective follower under their leadership. I will also discuss the leadership qualities that make them highly effective leaders.
A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership
Trust is the most important factor in most relationships, professional and personal. It is very easy to follow someone that you trust, even when there are differences of opinion. I have worked under the leadership of two dynamic leaders for the last five to seven years. The first is my boss, Karen Schrock, President & CEO of Adult Well-Being Services. The second individual I selected is my Pastor, James Minnick. I selected Karen and James because of my relationship with them. They are both highly effective leaders that I admire for their ability to lead under pressure, manage difficult people and situations, accomplish what needs to be accomplish and remain positive. They believe in me and have invested in my professional and personal development. I strongly concur with the statement leaders are only as good as the people who follow (Johnson, 2011). Bjudstads defines followership as the ability to effectively follow the directives and support the efforts of a leader to maximize the organization (Bjudstad, 2006). An effective follower is one who is enthusiastic, self-reliant, and



References: Bjugstad, K., Thach, E. C., Thompson, K. J., & Morris, A. (2006). A fresh look at followership: A model for matching followership and leadership styles. Journal of Behavioral & Applied Management, 7(3), 304–319. Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from the Business Source Complete database. Gupta, S. (2011, July). Leadership that delivers results. Siliconindia, 14(7), 34-35. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from Business Source Complete. Retrieved from the Walden University library database. Johnson, B. (2011, September). Good followership. Training Journal, 32–36. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the Walden Library databases. Kelley, R. E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66(6), 142–148. Retrieved March 15m 2014, from the Walden Library databases. Walumbwa, F. O., Lawler, J. J., & Avolio. B. J. (2007). Leadership, individual differences, and work-related attitudes: A cross cultural investigation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 56(2), 212-230. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from the Business Source Complete database.

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