You have been asked by your manager to present at this year’s annual Dynamic Leadership conference. The subject of your presentation is on followership and how it contributes to effective leadership in a business context.
The basic outline for this presentation will include three sections: Section 1: Followership Defined
Section 2: The Leader-Follower Interaction
Section 3: Traits of Leadership and Followership
For this week’s Assignment, you will complete and submit Section 2 of the PowerPoint presentation. In addition to the slide content, you should also include text in the speaker notes section of each slide that would serve as the script you would use to deliver this presentation to a group of people. As you prepare your presentation and script, be sure to cover all items outlined for Section 2, including the incorporation of references to appropriate academic sources, such as those found in the Learning Resources or those in the Walden Library.
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Review, as needed, the following resource, which includes links to helpful information about using Microsoft PowerPoint:
Walden University Academic Skills Center. (n.d.). Microsoft PowerPointLinks to an external site..
Return to your Module 2 Assignment Template (PowerPoint presentation) to complete Section 2 of your presentation.
Section 2: The Leader-Follower Interaction
Analyze how followers can influence the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders.
Hint: Your analysis should consider how followers empower or enable leaders’ behaviors (for good or bad).
Illustrate how followers can effectively communicate and collaborate with a leader whose style is not consistent with what they desire or with a leader they do not admire.
Propose at least three strategies for how leaders can better empower and support followers in meeting their goals.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this section of the PowerPoint presentation, we will discuss the leader-follower interaction and its impact on effective leadership in a business context. We will analyze how followers can influence the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders, examine how followers can effectively communicate and collaborate with leaders whose styles may not align with their preferences, and propose strategies for leaders to empower and support their followers in meeting their goals.
Answer:
The effectiveness of leaders can be significantly influenced by their followers. Followers possess the power to either enable or disable leaders’ behaviors, ultimately shaping the outcomes of their leadership. Followers can empower leaders’ behaviors by providing support, actively participating, and demonstrating commitment to the leader’s vision and goals. On the other hand, followers can also hinder leaders’ effectiveness by resisting change, undermining their authority, or creating a negative work environment.
To illustrate how followers can effectively communicate and collaborate with leaders whose styles may not align with their preferences or whom they do not admire, it is crucial for followers to engage in open and honest communication. They should express their concerns, ideas, and expectations in a respectful and constructive manner. By actively voicing their opinions and offering alternative viewpoints, followers can contribute to a more inclusive decision-making process and help leaders understand the perspectives and needs of their followers, even when their styles may not initially align.
In order to better empower and support their followers in meeting their goals, leaders can implement the following strategies:
1. Provide clear expectations and objectives: Leaders should clearly communicate the expectations and objectives of tasks or projects to their followers. This helps followers understand their role, responsibilities, and the desired outcomes. Clarity in expectations promotes accountability and motivation among followers.
2. Foster a culture of trust and collaboration: Leaders should create a work environment where trust is nurtured and collaboration is encouraged. Trust allows followers to feel safe in expressing their opinions, asking for help when needed, and taking risks. Collaboration promotes teamwork, creativity, and innovation, enhancing followers’ sense of ownership and motivation.
3. Offer coaching and development opportunities: Leaders should invest in the growth and development of their followers through coaching, mentorship, and training programs. By providing resources and opportunities for skill enhancement, leaders empower their followers to expand their capabilities, reach their full potential, and achieve their goals.
By implementing these strategies, leaders can empower and support their followers, fostering a positive leader-follower interaction that contributes to effective leadership in a business context.
