Leadership Coaching for Giving Feedback to the Boss – The Job of Effective Followers

Follow The Leader

Are you working in a company or law firm where followers properly manage their power? Do senior team members help the CEO or Managing Partner to be a better leader? Does your company or law firm have leader-follower relationships that built on mutual trust and respect?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our company culture encourage followers to give necessary feedback to leaders at the top?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent followers encourage creating collaborative work relationships with leaders where ongoing feedback is required.

Do followers in your organization feel empowered to manage their boss? Are you Are you able to create a socially intelligent workplace where leaders and followers are energized by developing trusting leader-follower relationships?

The Job of Effective Followers

The sooner we recognize and accept our powerful position as followers, the sooner we can fully develop responsible, synergistic relationships in our organizations.According to Ira Chaleff (The Courageous Follower, 2003), there are three things we need to understand in order to fully assume responsibility as followers.

1. Understand our power and how to use it. As followers, we have far more power than we usually acknowledge. We must understand the sources of our power, whom we serve and the tools we have to achieve the group’s mission. We have a unique vantage point as follower or team member, but we have to know that and use it.

2. Appreciate the value of the leader and the contributions he or she makes to forward the organization’s mission. We need to understand the pressures upon the leader that can wear down creativity, good humor and resolve. We can learn how to minimize these forces and contribute to bringing out the leader’s strengths for the good of the group and the common purpose.

3. Work toward minimizing the pitfalls of power by helping the leader to remain on track for the long-term common good. We are all witness to how power can corrupt, and it takes courage and skill to speak up. We can learn how to counteract the dark tendency of power. Feedback to the leader is necessary for the new leadership styles to be effective.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an inspiring leader and or a valuable follower. You can become a leader or follower who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged and aligned with the vision and mission of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching and career coaching clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.