Abstract

ZARATE TORRES, Rodrigo. What Followers Want from Their Leaders: An Analytical Perspectivas. cuad.adm. [online]. 2009, n.42, pp.11-23. ISSN 0120-4645.

Many researchers and others interested in the field of leadership have written about the characteristics and styles of leadership; however, few have written about what followers want from their leaders. This paper addresses the issue of what followers desire in those they follow, it will assert that the basic characteristics followers want from their leaders are Honesty, Forward-Looking, Inspiring, and Competency. Also, followers want to trust in their leaders and they want leaders who care about them, which is shown in the leaders seeing the followers as partners. This paper also compares what international studies found about this leader-follower dynamic with a study made by Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administracion - CESA where leaders were asked about the main characteristics of an organizational leader. The analysis shows that followers want to commit to their leaders. They want to know that there is a relationship between them. As mentioned by Winston (2002), the relationship between leader and follower has to have the same commitment that exists between husband and wife. In addition, this paper presents the conceptual framework of the analysis and the leadership models that fit more with what followers want from their leaders which are Transformational and Charismatic leadership.

Keywords : Followership; leadership; Follower’s wants.

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