PSYCHO: Leader or follower?
What distinguishes rulers or leaders? This team from the University of Zurich provides a first answer: the absence of aversion to responsibility would be a determining factor in the decision to lead. Data presented in the journal Science revealing aversion or dislike of responsibility as the most powerful determinant of this behavior.
Leaders or leaders are more willing to take on responsibilities, associated with decisions that can affect the well-being of others, point out here the Swiss researchers who identify, in support of their theory, all in all logic, the cognitive processes and neurobiological factors that affect leadership or delegation of decision-making.
The question is of interest to business leaders or politicians, but also to parents and teachers: everyone is one day or another in a position to have to make decisions which do not only concern themselves, but also influence the well-being or the future of others. And, in the most sensitive cases, these decisions will have consequences borne by entire groups of individuals, organizations or even countries.
Aversion to responsibilities makes all the difference:
if the factor appears here more by default than by ambition, it is indeed the one noted, first and foremost by the researchers, which differentiates people with a high level of leadership. All of these leaders follow a common decision-making process that “sets them apart”: they have no aversion to responsibility or reluctance to make decisions that affect others as well.
Evidence by brain imaging:
in the study, the leaders of groups of participants could either make a decision themselves or delegate it to the group. During the experiment, the researchers made a good distinction between decisions concerning only the decision-makers themselves, and “group” decisions, with consequences for the whole group. The neurobiological processes taking place in the participants' brains when making decisions were examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They support the theory of an easier decision, even when it involves consequences for others.
Need for certainty and aversion to responsibility vs. leadership:
Scientists have tested several common beliefs, such as the idea that people who are less afraid of risk, or who like to be in control, will be more willing to take responsibility for others. However, these two traits are not enough to explain leadership. Thus, always “by default”, among followers, responsibility aversion is driven by a greater need for certainty about the best course of action to take, when the decision also has an effect on others. This need for certainty is particularly pronounced in people with a strong aversion to responsibility.
Thus, conclude the researchers, all these traits, certainty, responsibility, risk-taking, empathy… which contribute to the propensity to leadership also explain the many types of possible leaders, from authoritarian leaders who make more decisions by themselves to leaders egalitarians who seek group consensus.
We will therefore retain from this study that it is above all the absence of aversion for responsibility that conditions the capacity for leadership or, perhaps more positively, that the taste for responsibility makes real leaders?
What is a follower personality?
A Rule Follower is someone who has a high C personality type in their DISC profile and likes to follow procedures. This person prefers to adhere to standards and regulations and is more compliant over someone with a low C personality type who feels rules are made to be broken to generate new ideas.
Are you born a leader or a follower?
Are Leaders Born or Trained? For decades, people have been trying to figure out whether great leaders are born with innate leadership skills or if you can develop people into leaders. Recent scientific studies suggest that leadership is 30% genetic and 70% learned. These findings propose that leaders are made not born.
Why it is better to be a follower than a leader?
Followers Do Most of the Heavy Lifting.
Performance/productivity — it's the collective effort of the team members/followers. High-performing teams tend to achieve goals whether or not the leader is present. Quality of performance means the team members are paying close attention to what they are doing.
Why you shouldn't be a follower?
Being a follower can cause us to compromise in areas we otherwise wouldn't. We should have integrity. This means being the same person everywhere we go. You don't necessarily have to be a leader, but being a doormat for others is never a good thing.
What is a toxic follower?
Followership entails serving an organization, collaborating, and embracing the leadership's vision. However, toxic followership is characterized by unethical behavior, manipulation, and failure to acclimate to the team, which is fueled by the absence of service, belonging, and trust.
What is the best type of follower?
Proactive, independent and able to think critically, effective followers are also respectful of the leader's authority. Effective followers are life-long learners. They practice self-leadership, take responsibility, are committed and seek feedback to continuously improve their performance.
Is it okay to be a follower instead of a leader?
Anyone is capable of becoming a leader, but not everyone is cut out for leadership. That doesn't mean they're less capable of making an important contribution, just that they bring a different set of skills to the table. There's nothing wrong with being a follower--the world needs them as much as leaders.
Who is a follower in psychology?
Followers must have the confidence to speak out. They understand the necessity of the discomfort they may feel while communicating concisely with the leader, and they realise their role in helping the leader make better decisions. Having the fortitude to speak candidly with the leader also comprises a leadership trait.
Which is better leader or follower?
Leaders are willing to step up and take control of a project or task. They enjoy a challenge and embrace change as they know it will benefit them in the long term. Followers have to be forced to drive a project by their boss. They rarely, if ever, volunteer to take on a project.
