Search results

For the past several decades, the field of global leadership has made noteworthy theoretical and empirical progress. The role of a global follower, however, has not been addressed to date. This chapter focuses on global followers and global followership as vital elements of a global leadership process supporting a traditional followership view that “leadership can only occur if there is followership” (Uhl-Bien, Riggio, Lowe, & Carsten, 2014, p. 83). Two assumptions ground the arguments: global leaders and global followers are engaged in a partnering process of global leadership, and followers and global followers have distinctive characteristics influenced by their specific environments. To explore those assumptions, we start by introducing the followership theory and relevant followership characteristics. Subsequently, we address the role of context in global leader–follower dynamics, extrapolate global followership characteristics from relevant multidisciplinary literature, and offer an example of a global leader–follower partnership. Next, we examine mentions of global followers and global followership in academic and nonacademic literature, and define a global followership construct. The conceptual framework, global followership model, research agenda, and practical implications conclude the manuscript.

In the field of global leadership, much of the research has focused on uncovering competencies and methods for assessing competencies. The process of developing global leaders has been researched less frequently; however, it is widely accepted that this process involves learning on the part of the leader. Mezirow’s (1978, 1991) transformative learning is a special type of learning in the domain of adult education and a useful lens to better understand the disorienting triggers that are thought to induce global leadership development (GLD). In simple terms, a disorienting experience occurs when we discover that something we thought was certain is now uncertain. Conducting business in another country or merely navigating to a grocery store or restaurant there can be a disorienting experience. In these situations, people are exposed to new information that does not fit their current meaning structures or thought paradigms, and at this juncture, people have a choice: to transform their perspective or remain unchanged. When individuals transform their perspective, they are experiencing transformative learning. The first section of this chapter reviews the concept of disorienting experiences across disciplines and within the domain of learning and education. The second section explains three GLD process models with a special focus on the role played by disorienting trigger events in each one. The final section explains the Disorientation Index (Ensign, 2019), which articulates dimensions of trigger events. The chapter concludes with future research directions and practical implications.

Whereas most societal commentators continue to review the historical patterns of men’s leadership in search of models for 21st-century success, few have begun to recognize, let alone appreciate, the equivalent patterns of women’s leadership and the future contributions that women could potentially make as leaders. What could and are women bringing to society as global leaders? Why at this moment in history is there such a marked increase in the number of women leaders? Are we entering an era in which both male and female leaders will shape history, both symbolically and in reality? And if so, will we discover that women, on average, lead in different ways than men, or will we learn that role (global leader) explains more than gender? This chapter reveals the accelerating trends of women joining men in senior leadership positions, establishes the relationship of women leaders to our overall understanding of global leadership, and sets forth an agenda to accomplish much needed research and understanding.