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CHAPTER 7: FOLLOWERSHIP 203
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Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw This habit encompasses the previous six—it is the
habit that makes all the others possible. “Sharpening the saw” is a process of
using and continuously renewing the physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects
of your life. To be an effective follower or an effective leader requires living a bal-
anced life. For example, John Barr founded Barr Devlin, an investment bank that
specializes in utility mergers. He’s also a writer who has published four volumes
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of poetry. Larry Ricciardi of IBM, introduced earlier, is an avid traveler and
voracious reader who likes to study art, literature, and history. He once spent
18 months learning everything he could about the Ottoman Empire just because
he “realized he knew nothing about the Ottoman Empire.” He also likes to read
tabloids in addition to his daily fare of The Wall Street Journal. On business trips,
he scouts out side trips to exotic or interesting sites, and he likes to take adventur-
ous vacations with his family and friends. Ricciardi loves his job, but he also loves
exploring other aspects of life. 25

Sources of Follower Power

Another issue of concern is how followers gain and use power in organiza-
tions. Formal leaders typically have more power than followers do. Neverthe-
less, effective followers participate fully in organizations by culling power from
the available sources. Even the lowest-level follower has personal and position-
based sources of power that can be used to generate upward infl uence, thereby
impacting the organization and establishing a mutually benefi cial relationship
with leaders. Personal sources of power include knowledge, expertise, effort,
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and persuasion. Position sources of power include location, information, and
access.

Personal Sources
A knowledgeable follower has skills and talents that are a valuable resource to
the leader and to the organization. Such a follower is of real value, and his or her
departure would be a loss. Knowledge is a source of upward infl uence. In addi-
tion, a follower who has a demonstrated record of performance often develops
expertise and in this way can influence decisions. A record of successes and a

history of contributions can garner expert status for followers, from which fol-
lowers can derive the power to influence operations and establish themselves as a

resource to the leader. The power to influence is also associated with the effort put
forth by a follower. By demonstrating a willingness to learn, to accept diffi cult or
undesirable projects, and to initiate activities beyond the scope of expected effort, a
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follower can gain power in an organization. Tim Chapman was hired by Spartan
Motors during his senior year of high school. By age 20, he was the head electrical
engineer, troubleshooting and consorting with key vendors. “I guess I’m willing to
learn,” says Chapman. 28
Followers can also use persuasion as a source of personal power. Persuasion
refers to the direct appeal to leaders in an organization for desired outcomes. In
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addition to being direct, speaking truthfully to a leader can be a source of power
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for effective followers. Rob Hummel, head of international post-production at
Dreamworks SKG, once promoted an employee who was known for being “dif-
ficult” because he always challenged his superiors. The fact that this follower

was willing to speak truthfully to higher-ups based on his own knowledge and
creative brilliance gave him increased power. Power doesn’t always come from
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