Leadership Coaching for Managing the Boss – Becoming a Better Follower

Becoming a Better Follower

Are you working in a company or law firm where members of the executive team are good followers? Do senior team members help the CEO or Managing Partner to be the most effective leader? Does your company or law firm have leader-follower relationships that are open, honest and build trust?

One of the most powerful questions one can ask is “Does our organizational culture encourage followers to give open and honest feedback to the organization’s leader?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent leaders encourage building work relationships with followers where there is open communication and feedback is appreciated.

Do leaders in your organization empower followers to manage their boss? Are you a leader who models open communication by creating a workplace culture and climate that is built on openness and trust? Are you able to create a high performance workplace where leaders and teams are energized by developing leader-follower relationships?

Managing the Boss

It is difficult to appreciate the pressures on the leader unless you have had that position.  While ego-strength is a quality to be desired in a leader, it can easily be reinforced and deformed into ego-driven. The pressures at the top need to be managed. Responsible followers can help leaders stay on track and manage their decision-making processes in the right direction. Responsible and effective followers have an important role in order to maintain the desired partnering dynamics.

Many executives do some of these things quite naturally. But often the executive team members are hesitant to speak up when the leader makes mistakes, whether they are made from the best of intentions or the worst. After all, “She’s (or he’s) the boss.” Although we’ve grown beyond an authoritarian leadership model where followers have no accountability, we haven’t yet developed a model for responsible participation at the follower level for the new leadership styles.

Teaching is another example in which there is a symbiotic relationship: you can’t have an effective teacher without responsive students. Teachers and students form a learning circle around a body of knowledge or skills. Leaders and followers form an action circle around a common purpose. You can’t have effective leaders without responsive followers.

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 or a good follower. You can become a leader 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.