The Courageous Follower : Standing Up to and for Our Leaders

For every leader there are dozens of followers working closely with them. This book speaks to those followers and gives them the insights and tools for being effective partners with their leaders. It is a guide that can be kept on a bookshelf and referred to repeatedly when confronted with the challenges of supporting and, at times, correcting a dynamic leader. This new edition has been updated and expanded to speak to the widespread failures of leadership we have witnessed from 9/11 to the economic collapse. Boards of Directors, Senior Managers and staff who are loyal to the mission of their organizations, will all find the expanded edition more essential than ever to preventing and righting leadership wrongs and supporting and fostering values-based leadership efforts. The main change in the third edition will be adding a new chapter on 'The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy'. In existing editions of the book the author asserts that proximity to the leader is a requisite for influencing the leader. But only a relative few people enjoy that proximity. What are the rest to do when orders come down that seem very ill advised? The author finds that he is increasingly coaching and training to this theme and will include guidance on how to handle such situations. Many significant failures{u2014}from FEMA{u2019}s response to Hurricane Katrina to the recent economic collapse{u2014}could have been prevented or mitigated if those lower in the hierarchy were successful at communicating to leaders the risks they saw in the system. Ira Chaleff{u2019}s Courageous Follower model has facilitated healthy upward information flow in organizations for over 15 years. The Harvard Business Review called Chaleff a pioneer in the emerging field of followership{u2014}this new edition shares his latest thinking on an increasingly vital topic. The updated third edition of The Courageous Follower includes a new chapter, ?The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy.? Much of Chaleff{u2019}s model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them{u2014}even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology. Everyone is a follower at least some of the time. Chaleff strips away the passive connotations of that role and provides tools to help followers effectively partner with leaders. He provides rich guidance to leaders and boards on fostering a climate that encourages courageous followership. The results include increased support for leaders, reduced cynicism and organizations saved from serious missteps. NEW Related Product in February 2010 - The Courageous Follower Self-Assessment: Evaluating Your Followership Style and Growth Path

Many significant failures-from FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina to the recent economic collapse-could have been prevented or mitigated if those lower in the hierarchy were successful at communicating to leaders the risks they saw in the system. Ira Chaleff's Courageous Follower model has facilitated healthy upward information flow in organizations for over fifteen years. The Harvard Business Review called Chaleff a pioneer in the emerging field of followership-this new edition shares his latest thinking on an increasingly vital topic.

The updated third edition includes a new chapter, "The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy." Much of Chaleff's model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them-even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology.

Everyone is a follower at least some of the time. Chaleff strips away the passive connotations of that role and provides tools to help followers effectively partner with leaders. He provides rich guidance to leaders and boards on fostering a climate that encourages courageous followership. The results include increased support for leaders, reduced cynicism, and avoidance of serious organizational missteps.

"Ira Chaleff's Courageous Followers model has facilitated healthy upward information flow in organization for over fifteen years. The Harvard Business Review called Chaleff a pioneer in the emerging field of followership--this new edition shares his latest thinking on an increasingly vital topic. The updated third edition includes a new chapter, 'The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy.' Much of Chaleff's model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them--even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology." -- Back Cover The dynamics of the leader-follower relationship The courage to assume responsibility The courage to serve The courage to challenge The courage to participate The courage to take moral action-leaving The courage to speak to the hierarchy The courage to listen to followers. For every leader there are dozens of followers working closely with them. This updated third edition speaks to those followers and gives them the insights and tools for being effective partners with their leaders