The Dance of Leaders and Followers: Giving and Taking Authority in Role

The world is changing in ways that make it harder for leaders to exercise the vision and leadership capacity than can inspire followers. The traditional masculine hierarchical model of authority is being questioned. The internet and social media give rise to greater individualism and the capacity to mobilize others using horizontal rather than vertical authority – “sibling” authority rather than “parental” authority. The historical legacy of authoritarian regimes in post-Soviet Eastern Europe societies is that of authority being commonly perceived as top-down, oppressive, and requiring from followers a response of resistance or sabotage, rather than cooperation. In established Western democracies understanding and definitions of leadership and followership seem to be at stake.

There can be no leadership without followers and no followers without leadership. They are interdependent roles. But, is the power of followers only to be found in resisting (powerful officials and governments), abandoning (organizations, families), or sabotaging (not performing one’s job)? Moreover, how do we operate when the roles of leadership and followership are not clearly defined? In groups where authority is decentralized, roles of leadership and followership may be fluid and shifting. In layered organizations persons in middle management have to take on the roles of both leaders and follower.

So, how do we dance? How does the follower embrace the leader? How does the leader lead the follower? This conference invites you to explore the inter-related authority of leaders and followers and the changing nature of leadership today.

Learn more here.