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When followers become toxic.

Lynn R Offerman1

  • 1George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. lro@gwu.edu

Harvard Business Review
|January 16, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Leaders can be misled by followers through persuasive majorities, flattery, or ambition. To maintain authority, leaders must encourage debate, seek honest feedback, and uphold strong values.

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Area of Science:

  • Organizational Behavior
  • Leadership Studies
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Leaders, despite their positions, are susceptible to influence and manipulation by their followers.
  • This vulnerability can lead to poor decision-making and erosion of authority.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the various ways followers can lead leaders astray.
  • To provide actionable strategies for leaders to mitigate these risks and maintain effective leadership.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative analysis of leadership dynamics and follower influence.
  • Examination of case studies and theoretical frameworks on leader-follower relationships.

Main Results:

  • Leaders can be swayed by united follower opinions, misled by flattery, or have their authority usurped.
  • Charismatic leaders are particularly vulnerable to flattery and isolation from reality.
  • Unscrupulous followers can diminish a leader's power, turning them into a figurehead.

Conclusions:

  • Leaders must actively foster dissent, seek critical feedback, and establish clear values to counteract negative follower influence.
  • Organizational tools like 360-degree feedback and executive coaching can aid leaders in discerning truth.
  • Authentic leadership and clear communication of values serve as a defense against manipulation.

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