An effective platoon leader in the military may have years of training and experience, but if her soldiers do not trust her or follow her commands effectively, a critical mission can be easily compromised. A successful coach of a sports team may improve the overall performance of his team, but without talented and committed players, championships can be hard to come by. In business, the leader often receives praise for success, even though the other members of a group or organization—the followers—are likely more important to achieving that success. What are the qualities of those followers who contribute to the success of an organization?

To prepare for the discussion this week, first read the articles on followership by Cox, Plagens, and Sylla (2010), Johnson (2011), and Kelley (1988) in this week’s Learning Resources. Then, read Lipman-Blumen’s (2005) article on toxic leadership. As you read these resources, reflect on leaders you have observed, both those that you admire and those that you do not admire. Consider how the followers these leaders can empower and influence leadership in their organization.
As you prepare your post this week, you should review the readings and your analysis of the Qualities of Leaders from week 1 as well as the following documents: Walden University School of Management Graduate Programs Course Discussion FAQ Sheet and Policy About Graduate Writing in the MBA. They can be located by clicking on the Learning Support Docs link in the course navigation menu in the online classroom.

Based on your analysis of the Qualities of Leaders from Week 1 this week’s readings, as well as your own experience and observations, post by Day 3 in the Week 2 Discussion Forum the following:
Your analysis of how followers can influence the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of leaders Hint: Your analysis should consider how the “followers” empower or enable the leader’s behaviors (for good or bad).
Your analysis of how followers can effectively work with a leader with a style that is not consistent with what they desire or a leader they do not admire, which is the more difficult scenario!

Your recommendations for how leaders can better empower and support followers to ensure that they can meet goals.
Note: Be sure to justify your conclusions with examples from your experience, current events, or others that you know of as well as from the readings from the Learning Resources.
To complete your Discussion, click on Discussions on the course navigation menu, and select “Week 2 Forum” to begin.