Sunday, May 24, 2009

Book: "The Courageous Follwer": Dynamics..by Ira Chaleff (3)

Page 13: The Common Purpose and Core Values - Any organization is a triad consisting of leaders and followers joined in a common purpose. The purpose is the atomic glue that binds us. It gives meaning to our activities.

  • Followers and leaders both orbit around the purpose; followers do not orbit around the leader.

Page 13: If the purpose is not clear and motivating, leaders and followers can only purse their perceived self-interest, not their common interest. The process of clarifying purpose can mobilize a group, heal painful rifts, and help the group steer through treacherous passages. It is a critical act of strong leadership and courageous followership.....Clarifying core values validates the purpose and determines how we will and how we won't pursue it.....A common purpose pursued with decent values is the heart of the healthy leader-follower relationship.

Page 13: The Paradox of Followership -We are responsible. Whether we lead or follow, we are responsible for our own actions and we share responsibility for the actions of those whom we can influence.

Page 14: Followers have great capacity to influence the relationship....Just as a leader is accountable for the actions and performance of followers, so followers are accountable for their leaders....If we amplify our leaders' strengths and modulate their weaknesses, we are the gem cutters of leadership, coaxing out its full brilliance. If we amplify our leaders' weaknesses, we may stress existing fracture lines in their characters and these fracture lines may become fatal flaws. Followers who are closest to a leader carry pivotal responsibility; they markedly shape the tone and outcomes of a leader's tenure.

Page 19: If we are to be effective partners with leaders, it is important to remember that as followers we possess our own power, quite apart from the reflected power of the leader.


Because of the importance of "Following" to the topic of Leadering and Succeeding-in-the-Box, I've chosen to write the excerpts on the book in multiple posts. The first posting can be read by clicking below while all others are at later date.

http://leadingwellbyreadingwell.blogspot.com/2009/05/book-courageous-follower-by-ira-chaleff.html

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