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Assessing leaders’ power limits over followers

R. Lewis Steinhoff (National Nuclear Security Administration, US Department of Energy, Washington, District of Columbia, USA)

Industrial and Commercial Training

ISSN: 0019-7858

Article publication date: 5 January 2021

Issue publication date: 4 June 2021

485

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review research, especially that of John Gaski, that suggests there are limits to the power a leader has over followers, based on how much power followers will accept.

Design/methodology/approach

By first reviewing the existing literature on power, leader–follower attachment, leader–follower distance and followership, an exploration of John Gaski’s (1984) Volume of Power, are challenged. This is accomplished through execution of a phenomenological qualitative research study.

Findings

Survey responses identified 61 themes that were then pared down to six resulting themes, each including positive and negative words (tones) implying variances in responses to leaders. From this, two latent codes emerge: transformational leadership approach; and follower response.

Research limitations/implications

The author determined that power acceptance by followers is not symmetric as exhibited by the willingness to follow a leader in one area but not fully in another area leading to a volume of power that is not a symmetric cube.

Practical implications

The results can provide organizations with insights into individually directed training and education focusing on leader–follower relationships, courageous followership and transformational approaches to leadership.

Originality/value

This research builds on John Gaski’s work regarding follower responses to power. This research presented in this paper supports the hypothesis that follower’s responses are not symmetric.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the Center for Strategic Deterrence Studies (CSDS) within the USAF Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama, USA where he taught leadership and courageous followership.

Citation

Steinhoff, R.L. (2021), "Assessing leaders’ power limits over followers", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 107-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-02-2020-0017

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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