LEADERSHIP
Leadership Followership
By Dr . Kellen Kiambati
It is common to see corporate leaders vary their behaviors depending with the subordinates that they supervise . Each subordinate engagement leads to a unique relationship and each of them has an implication on decision making and participative leadership . Participative leadership involves the use of various decision procedures that allow other people some influence over the leader ’ s decisions . There are different decision procedures at their disposal for use :
Autocratic Decision : This is a situation where the corporate leaders make a decision alone without consulting others to receive their opinions or suggestions . The subordinates have direct influence on the decision the he or she makes . Consultation : Here the corporate seeks the views and ideas of his subordinates but may not necessarily involve them in the final decision that he takes . Joint Decision : Here the decision making is equal because corporate leaders thoroughly discuss and decide together as a team . After the decision is made the leader has no influence over the final decision than all other team members . Delegation : The corporate leaders usually provide teams with the freedom to make decisions however , under a predetermined framework and prior approval may or may not be required before the decision can be implemented . Participative leadership offers a variety of potential benefits which are dependent on type of participants , level of influence that they have and the context within which they are operating . Some of the benefits are highlighted here-under :
High quality decisions : When corporate leaders involve their subordinates in decision making , they are likely to fill in the knowledge and information lacked by the leader as long as the leaders are willing to cooperate in finding a good solution to problems . There is a disclaimer here though , that the sharing of knowledge will happen depending with the level or extent to which the subordinates trust the leader and see the process as legitimate and beneficial to them . There must be deliberate measures to ensure all team players are incorporated and all impediments to participation such as time , policies etc . are cleared out of the way .
Decision Acceptance : Corporate leaders should ensure that there is ownership so as to raise levels of motivation to do successful implementation of the same . Participation also provides a better understanding of the nature of the decision problem and the reasons why a particular alternative was accepted and others rejected . Subordinates are also sure from the beginning of the implications and consequences of the decisions hence reducing anxiety , fears and increasing legitimacy .
Satisfaction with the Decision Process : When corporate leaders allow subordinates voices to be on the table before the actual decision is made , they are likely to feel a sense of dignity and significance . The likely result is more perception of procedural justice and stronger satisfaction with the decision process . There is need to ensure the voices of subordinates find their way to the decision itself so that there is commitment to implement the decision . Failure to do so will make subordinates feel like they were manipulated to support a decision but not necessarily the most desirable .
Knowledge transfer : The subordinate ’ s exposure to complex decision making can easily result to development of skill and increased confidence in future assignments . That said , the exposure should be structured to ensure intentional coaching and encouragement from the leader as the decision processes are taking place .
In conclusions , the leader ’ s attitude towards subordinate is usually determined by whether they are perceived to be competent and loyal , or incompetent and untrustworthy . The assessment of competence and dependability is based on
interpretation of the subordinate ’ s behavior and sufficient or deficient performance .
If the performance is deficient , the guidelines to correct are as follows : Collect data on the performance problem or deficiency and as the data collection is taking place , avoid attribution biases ; Provide corrective feedback promptly and describe the deficiency briefly in specific terms ; Explain the adverse impact of ineffective behavior ; Stay calm and professional ; Mutually identify the reasons for inadequate performance ; Seek possible remedies from the person affected by the poor performance ; Express confidence that the person can improve ; Express a sincere desire to help the person ; Reach agreement on specific action steps ; and Summarize the discussion and verify agreement ! ■
Kellen Kiambati holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the Kenya Methodist University and a PhD in Business Administration . She is a member of the IHRM Kenya . She can be reached via :
Kellenkiambati @ gmail . com .
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MAL 45 / 21 ISSUE