The leadership literature has long emphasized the transformative potential of self-fulfilling prophecies. However, much of this research is leader-centric, overlooking the critical role of followers' self-conceptions. In this presentation, I will share findings from a series of studies exploring how leaders' implicit followership theories (LIFTs) and self-directed interventions can enhance follower outcomes. Specifically, I will discuss two key pathways: (1) how leaders' positive conceptions of followers foster enactive attainment through constructive leadership behaviors, and (2) how a novel, gamified mobile intervention using attribute conditioning empowers followers to enhance their self-schemas and self-efficacy. This research not only deepens our theoretical understanding of followership development but also introduces scalable, evidence-based strategies to improve organizational effectiveness. By highlighting both leader-driven and self-directed processes, I aim to inspire a shift toward greater recognition and cultivation of followership as a fundamental component of organizational success.
In existing research, followership has been explored predominantly with quantitative methods. While quantitative research is valuable, it cannot provide in-depth exploration and understanding of the phenomenon. Despite a call by Uhl-Bien and colleagues for more balance in methodological and philosophical perspectives as early as 2014, there is still a dearth of qualitative research that provides insights into the basic understanding of followership. In the last years, a growing number of PhD students researching followership have applied qualitative methods. However, more such research is needed to achieve methodological balance. This symposium aims to present examples of current, high-quality qualitative research and provide insights to the methodological choices made and obstacles encountered in the process.
The University of Delaware launched the first co-curricular Followership Certificate to help students develop the skills to excel as proactive, effective followers. This session will detail the certificate’s development, successes, and challenges, highlighting missed objectives and opportunities for improvement. Through reflective exercises, discussions, and activities, students shifted their view of followership from passive to active. Lessons and insights will benefit educators, practitioners, and coaches interested in enhancing followership education.
This session will focus on getting your followership work published. In addition to discussion of possible publication outlets, we will provide insights on the submission and review processes. The presenters have served as journal and book series editors and have published their work on leadership and followership in numerous outlets, including both scholarly journals and books, and more popular venues. In this interactive session, we will also hear from the audience about their past experiences and help them to chart a way forward. If you need direction on getting your followership work ready and out to the public, please join us.
Robert Kelley’s groundbreaking research demonstrated that followers produce 80% of the outcomes in organizations, underscoring their critical, yet often overlooked, role. This presentation expands Kelley’s work into a broader societal context, exploring how followers—not just leaders—serve as the primary drivers of positive societal change. It will examine the contributions of followers to social movements that have advanced justice, equality, democracy, and peacebuilding, emphasizing their collective power in shaping a better world. Drawing on recent research, as well as insights from Ira Chaleff’s How to Break a Tyrant, this session will highlight how courageous, engaged, and proactive followership is vital in addressing systemic challenges and building sustainable change.
