APPENDIX
I HAVE MENTIONED TEACHING courageous followership several times in this book. I owe the reader more information on courageous followership for several reasons.
The metaphor of the guide dog that I use is an excellent, but incomplete, model for some applications of Intelligent Disobedience. The guide dog is in no danger of recrimination or retribution for displaying Intelligent Disobedience. In fact, it faces potentially unpleasant consequences only if it obeys a command that it shouldn’t.
When you or your employees or your children or students exhibit Intelligent Disobedience, it may not be immediately well received. The authority being questioned has not been trained in responding to Intelligent Disobedience the way the guide dog’s handler was prepared for it.
The courageous follower examines ways in which a trusted relationship can be developed with leaders that will support speaking candidly and acting with integrity. It offers many examples of language that could be used in a variety of situations to get the leader’s attention, communicate your point with impact, and preserve the relationship. Trying to replicate that material in this book would have weighed it down too much.
Practicing or teaching Intelligent Disobedience does not require the knowledge contained in The Courageous Follower. They are very different books, written in service to a common theme of better human relationships, better organizations, and a better world. But the practice of Intelligent Disobedience can be enhanced by a knowledge of courageous followership.
Anyone working in a hierarchy is faced with challenges that occur between those at different levels of the hierarchy. The Courageous Follower offers strategies for supporting leaders well and converting hierarchical relationships into productive partnerships.
To further clarify the subject of followership for those who are new to it, the word follower is not used as a personality description. Follower refers to a role we all play at various times. In medium-sized and large organizations, we often play both a leader role and a follower role.
The book is organized around the principle that followers and leaders both serve the mission of the organization. It examines how they can each do so with strength, offering a model of courageous follower behaviors that has been tested and validated by a generation of researchers interested in followership.
The model consists of five classes of behavior that constitute courageous followership. Briefly, they are:
The courage to assume responsibility—to take action to forward the mission regardless of whether one receives orders or not
The courage to support the leader—to give priority to the leader’s direction if it is forwarding the mission and consistent with basic human values
The courage to challenge the leader—to candidly question the leader’s assumptions, plans, or behaviors if these are inconsistent with the mission and the values
The courage to participate in transformation—to support the leader’s efforts to improve his or her leadership and to work at improving your own performance and behavior in relation to the leader
The courage to take a moral stand—to refuse to participate in an activity viewed as immoral and to take corrective action where possible
Some of the behaviors carry risk, which is why courage is needed. The book examines courage, where it comes from, and how to develop it. This enables courageous follower behaviors to be displayed regardless of whether they are encouraged by the group’s leaders.
The book also addresses those in the leader role. It shows why they and the organization are safer if they actively encourage courageous follower behaviors, and it examines how to do so. In that sense, there is a direct relationship with developing Intelligent Disobedience.
In addition to the book, there is a companion Followership Styles Assessment, which can be acquired online. It helps you understand your style of followership, the impact of that style, and how to improve it if desired.
For more information on The Courageous Follower please see www.courageousfollower.com or Berrett-Koehler’ website at www.bkpub.com.