Instruction
Application: The Relationship Between Follower Traits and Values and Leader Performance
The impact of leadership on follower outcomes, such as individual satisfaction, group cohesion, and quality of performance, has been heavily researched. But what about the importance of follower traits and values to leader outcomes and performance? Although behaviorist Mary Parker Follest suggested in 1947 that organizational performance depended largely on leaders understanding and accommodating the needs of followers, this is a less-researched area of study in management (Chong & Wolf, 2010); however, it is no less important to the makeup of an effective organization.
In addition, in 1967, Fred Fiedler proposed a seminal theory of leadership he called the contingency model (Bons & Fiedler, 1976). Fiedler saw leadership behaviors and perceptions of followers as depending on contexts and situations. Subsequent theorists proposed that both leaders and followers were influenced by situational variable
Write a 3- to 4-page paper that includes the following:
An explanation of how the interaction between leader characteristics, follower characteristics, and situational factors influences leadership effectiveness.
A description of at least two challenges related to the practice of leadership based on your analysis of this interaction.
An explanation of how leaders might address those challenges.
Be sure to support your assignment with specific references to the resources and other current literature in the Walden Library. Use at least two scholarly sources from the library that were published within the past 5 years to support your paper.
Assess personal leadership skills and traits
Analyze gaps in leadership skills
Analyze the interaction between leadership, followership, and situational characteristics
Analyze interactional challenges related to the practice of leadership
Apply strategies for addressing leadership challenges related to interaction between leaders, followers, and situations
Readings
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Chapter 2, “Trait Approach” (pp. 19–41)
Review Chapter 3, “Skills Approach” (pp. 43–70)
Chapter 4, “Behavioral Approach” (pp. 71-91)
Chapter 5, “Situational Approach (pp. 93-113)
Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014d). Foundations of leadership [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 8 minutes.