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Ronald E. Riggio, Ira Chaleff, and Jean Lipman-Blumen (Editors). The Art of Followership: How Great Followers Create Great Leaders and Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008, 416 pages, $58.00 hardcover.
After the "Rethinking Followership Conference" that took place in February of 2006 in Claremont, it became evident that a new subfield was emerging, according to the editors of the book reviewed here. This book can be understood as an effort to share that new subfield with a larger authence. It is not clear, however, if all the 23 chapters in the book were written by participants of the conference.
The book consists of four parts. The first part is titled "Defining and Redefining Followership," the second "Effective Followership," the third "The Pitfalls and Challenges of Followership," and the fourth "Followers and Leaders: Research, Practice, and the Future."
The first chapter in the first part was written by Robert Kelley, a followership pioneer, who authored one of the first articles on the subject in the late 1980s (Kelley, 1988). He presents his followership model based on two dimensions, the first being independent critical thinking and the second engagement in creating positive energy for the organization. Combining these dimensions, five basic styles are identified: sheep, yespeople, alienated, pragmatics, and star-followers. Kelley reflects on the subject from the practical viewpoint of a consultant, a trainer, and a teacher. He writes about possible research questions rather than about relevant research outcomes. The possible solutions proposed to problems like suicide bombers, "toxic leadership," and corruption are not yet very specific. They include "helping followers to find the personal courage to stand up," and "providing the societal supports that encourage people to exercise their courageous conscience." Yet, he appears to have a point criticizing the overwhelming attention given to leaders at the expense of interest in followers, both by practitioners and scientists.
The other chapters in the first part vary widely in content and structure Maroosis (holding a PhD in philosophy) offers a caleidoscopic series...