Follower-Centered Leadership

What?

Since starting this course on leadership, I have struggled to see how followers were accounted for within many theories we have focused.  Most of the focus has been on the leader and their style, behavior or approach to leadership.  And then… this week the focus was on not 1 but 4 theories:  situational leadership, contingency theory, path-goal theory and leader-member exchange (LMX) theory.  Finally, we reached theories that understand the leader doesn’t function in isolation but is influenced by and works in connection with their followers. As I read the 4 theories, path-goal theory stood out to me because it focuses on how the leader motivates the followers to accomplish their goals.   

So what?

The theory reminds me of the movie “Remember the Titans” and how Coach Boone works to bring together a team made up of white and black students, who recently went through school desegregation and are forced to play together for the first time.  When the team is initially formed, they function as two separate teams unable to move beyond the “obstacles” of racism and the inability to understand the “other.”  Coach Boone understood to form a cohesive team; he needed to move the players beyond their “obstacles” by defining the goal, clarifying the path, removing obstacles and providing support.  Everyone on the team wanted to reach the goal of winning however it would not be possible if they could not move past their misconceptions and fears of each other.  It was central as the coach for Boone to help the players understand they had the ability to come together and become winners.

Now What?

As I reflect on how Coach Boone motivated his team using path-goal theory, it reminds me of my experiences as Director of College Diversity at King’s College.  At the time, I did not realize I utilized path-goal leadership by defining the goal, clarifying the path, removing obstacles and providing support for my students as they navigated the educational structure.  For many underrepresented students attending college, the process at times is overwhelming.  Like the Titan team, they are in a new experience and struggle to understand the “other”.  For many, the “other” is their classmates that do not understand their live experiences, professors that teach differently or an educational system with historical institutional racism issues.  This theory challenges me to incorporate leader behaviors of directive, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented leadership behaviors.  As Northouse writes, I will need to adapt my style to the situation or motivational need of each student.