Kellerman (2008) defines bad followership as a type of followership that involves not only a lack of support for the leader but also active undermining of the leader’s objectives. There are numerous qualities of bad followership discussed in this section. They undermine the success of a group and lead to a negative outcome. Complacency is the first quality of bad fellowship; a complacent follower is indifferent to their leader’s actions. They may not care about the outcome of the group’s activities and may be content with the status quo. Complacency can lead to a lack of innovation and creativity, harming the group’s success. Blind obedience is another quality of bad followership. Followers who blindly obey their leaders without questioning their actions or decisions can harm the group’s success. Blind obedience can lead to the perpetuation of unethical or immoral behavior, which can be harmful to the group and its members.
A follower who needs more initiative does not act or make decisions independently. They may rely too heavily on their leader to make decisions or fear taking risks. The reliance can lead to a lack of progress and harm the group’s success. Another quality of bad fellowship is observed in a follower who needs more commitment. They need to be fully invested in the group’s activities or goals. They may need to be motivated to contribute their best efforts, which can harm the group’s success. A lack of commitment can also lead to a lack of accountability, which can be detrimental to the group’s success.
Disruptiveness is another quantity whereby a disruptive follower causes chaos or conflict within the group. They may not follow the group’s norms or rules and actively work against the group’s goals. Disruptive followers can harm the morale of the group and impede progress. Selfishness is a lively quality whereby followers are primarily motivated by their interests rather than the group. They may not be willing to make sacrifices or compromises for the group’s success, which can harm the group’s overall success. Selfish followers can also create a toxic environment that can harm the group’s morale.
The followers may have a character of resistance to change, making them unwilling to adapt to new ideas or strategies. They may be comfortable with how things have always been done and may resist efforts to improve or innovate. This comfort can harm the group’s success, as it can impede progress and prevent the group from achieving its goals. Lack of trust is another characteristic of a bad fellowship where a follower tends to lack trust in their leader or the group as a whole, tampering with the group’s success. They may need to be willing to collaborate or work together effectively, which can impede progress. A lack of trust can also lead to a toxic environment, harming the group’s morale.
Another quality of bad followership is the followers need to be more active. These are followers who are excessively submissive and compliant and unwilling to voice their opinions or challenge the leader’s or group’s decisions and actions. They may be afraid of being seen as a troublemaker or fear retribution from those in power. This passive behavior can lead to a lack of diversity in ideas and perspectives and result in the group making poor decisions or not recognizing important issues. In contrast to overly passive followers, some followers can be too active in supporting the leader or group. These followers may become fanatical in their devotion to the leader and may blindly follow the group’s decisions without question. They may also engage in unethical or illegal behavior to support the group, such as covering up or participating in wrongdoing. This blind loyalty can lead to disastrous outcomes and enable leaders to engage in abusive or authoritarian behavior.
Unaccountability among followers is identified as a further trait of bad followership. These followers do not take responsibility for their actions and decisions and instead shift blame onto others. They may also fail to hold the leader or group accountable for their actions and may ignore or justify unethical or illegal behavior. This lack of accountability can create a culture of impunity, where the group feels justified in engaging in unethical behavior. Bad followership can also manifest in a lack of critical thinking skills. Followers who lack critical thinking skills cannot evaluate the ideas and decisions the leader or group put forth and may accept them at face value. They may also be unable to recognize or challenge flawed or biased thinking and may perpetuate harmful stereotypes or beliefs. It can result in poor decision-making and a lack of innovation and can prevent the group from adapting to changing circumstances.
Finally, bad followership can also be characterized by a need for more self-awareness. Followers who lack self-awareness are unaware of their own biases, limitations, and weaknesses and may be unable to recognize the impact of their actions and decisions on others. They may also be unable to recognize the impact of the leader or group’s actions on themselves and others and may perpetuate harmful behavior without realizing it. This lack of self-awareness can result in a toxic culture and prevent the group from addressing issues and making positive changes.
References
Kellerman, B. (2008). Followership: how followers are creating change and changing leaders.