Page 217 - leadership-experience-2008

CikguOnline
CikguOnline
Consider This!

Getty Images Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our

deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure
around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory . . . that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission
to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Source: From the 1994 Inaugural Speech of Nelson Mandela.

of their positions in the organization. They do not try to avoid risk or confl ict.
Rather, effective followers have the courage to initiate change and put themselves

at risk or in conflict with others, even their leaders, to serve the best
interest of the organization.
Action Memo
Characterized by both mindfulness and a willingness to act,
effective followers are essential for an organization to be effective.
As a leader, you can also be an effective
They are capable of self-management, they discern strengths and
follower. You can think independently and
weaknesses in themselves and in the organization, they are com-
critically instead of blindly accepting what
mitted to something bigger than themselves, and they work toward
your superiors tell you. Rather than dwelling
for solutions.
competency, solutions, and positive impact. Effective followers are far
on the shortcomings of others, you can look
from powerless—and they know it. Therefore, they do not despair in
their positions, nor do they resent or manipulate others. This chapter’s
Consider This provides highlights from a speech given by Nelson Mandela
that underscores his meaning of effective followership.
Demands on the Effective Follower
Effective followership is not always easy. The discussion of courage and integrity
in Chapter 6 applies to followers as well as leaders. Indeed, followers sometimes
experience an even greater need for these qualities because of their subordinate
position. To be effective, followers have to know what they stand for and be
willing to express their own ideas and opinions to their leaders, even though this
13
might mean risking their jobs, being demeaned, or feeling inadequate. Effective
followers have the courage to accept responsibility, serve the needs of the orga-
nization, challenge authority, participate in change, and leave the organization
when necessary. 14

The Courage to Assume Responsibility The effective follower feels a sense of
personal responsibility and ownership in the organization and its mission. Thus,
the follower assumes responsibility for his or her own behavior and its impact

198