Liberty University Leadership Profile and Collaborative Team Leader Worksheetheet
Followership QuestionnaireInstructions: Think of a specific leader–follower situation where you were in the role of follower. For eachstatement, please use the scale below to indicate the extent to which the statement describes you and yourbehavior in this situation.1.Does your work help you fulfill some societal goal or personaldream that is important to you?0 1 2 3 4 5 62.Are your personal work goals aligned with the organization’spriority goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 63.Are you highly committed to and energized by your work andorganization, giving them your best ideas and performance?0 1 2 3 4 5 64.Does your enthusiasm also spread to and energize yourcoworkers?0 1 2 3 4 5 65.Instead of waiting for or merely accepting what the leader tellsyou, do you personally identify which organizational activitiesare most critical for achieving the organization’s priority goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 66.Do you actively develop a distinctive competence in thosecritical activities so that you become more valuable to theleader and the organization?0 1 2 3 4 5 67.When starting a new job or assignment, do you promptlybuild a record of successes in tasks that are important to theleader?0 1 2 3 4 5 68.Can the leader give you a difficult assignment without thebenefit of much supervision, knowing that you will meet yourdeadline with highest-quality work and that you will “fill inthe cracks” if need be?0 1 2 3 4 5 69.Do you take the initiative to seek out and successfullycomplete assignments that go above and beyond your job?0 1 2 3 4 5 610. When you are not the leader of a group project, do you stillcontribute at a high level, often doing more than your share?0 1 2 3 4 5 647611.Do you independently think up and champion new ideas thatwill contribute significantly to the leader’s or theorganization’s goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 612.Do you try to solve the tough problems (technical ororganizational), rather than look to the leader to do it for you?0 1 2 3 4 5 613.Do you help out other coworkers, making them look good,even when you don’t get any credit?0 1 2 3 4 5 614.Do you help the leader or group see both the upside potentialand downside risks of ideas or plans, playing the devil’sadvocate if need be?0 1 2 3 4 5 615.Do you understand the leader’s needs, goals, and constraints,and work hard to help meet them?0 1 2 3 4 5 616.Do you actively and honestly own up to your strengths andweaknesses rather than put off evaluation?0 1 2 3 4 5 617.Do you make a habit of internally questioning the wisdom ofthe leader’s decision rather than just doing what you are told?0 1 2 3 4 5 618.When the leader asks you to do something that runs contraryto your professional or personal preferences, do you say “no”rather than “yes”?0 1 2 3 4 5 619.Do you act on your own ethical standards rather than theleader’s or the group’s standards?0 1 2 3 4 5 620.Do you assert your views on important issues, even though itmight mean conflict with your group or reprisals from theleader?0 1 2 3 4 5 6Source: Excerpts from The Power of Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 by Consultantsto Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of the KnopfDoubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.477ScoringThe Followership Questionnaire measures your style as a follower based on two dimensions of followership:independent thinking and active engagement. Your responses indicate the degree to which you are anindependent thinker and actively engaged in your follower role. Score the questionnaire by doing thefollowing. Your scores will classify you as being primarily one of the five styles: exemplary, alienated,conformist, pragmatist, or passive.1. Independent Thinking Score: Sum of questions 1, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 202. Active Engagement Score: Sum of questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 15Exemplary Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on both independent thinkingand active engagement, your followership style is categorized as exemplary.Alienated Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on independent thinking and low(below 20) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as alienated.Conformist Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on independent thinking andhigh (above 40) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as conformist.Pragmatist Followership Style: If you scored in the middle range (from 20 to 40) on bothindependent thinking and active engagement, your followership style is categorized aspragmatist.Passive Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on both independent thinking andactive engagement, your followership style is categorized as passive.Followership Style Independent Thinking Score Active Engagement ScoreEXEMPLARY High HighALIENATED High LowCONFORMIST Low HighPRAGMATIST Middling MiddlingPASSIVE Low LowSource: Adapted from The Power of Followership (pp. 89–98), by R. E. Kelley, 1992, New York, NY:Doubleday Business. Adapted with permission.478Scoring InterpretationWhat do the different styles mean? How should you interpret your style? The followership stylescharacterize how you carry out the followership role, not who you are as a person. At any point in time, orunder different circumstances, you may use one followership pattern rather than another.Exemplary FollowerExemplary followers score high in both independent thinking and active engagement. They exhibitindependent, critical thinking, separate from the group or leader. They are actively engaged, using theirtalents for the benefit of the organization, even when confronted with bureaucracy or other noncontributingmembers. Up to 35% of people are categorized as exemplary followers.Alienated FollowerAlienated followers score high in independent thinking but low in active engagement. This means that theythink independently and critically, but are not active in carrying out the role of a follower. They mightdisengage from the group at times and may view themselves as victims who have received unfair treatment.Approximately 15%–25% of people are categorized as alienated followers.Conformist FollowerConformist followers often say “yes” when they really want to say “no.” Low in independent thinking andhigh in active engagement, they willingly take orders and are eager to please others. They believe that theleader’s position of power entitles the leader to followers’ obedience. They do not question the social orderand find comfort in structure. Approximately 20%–30% of people are categorized as conformist followers.Pragmatist FollowerWith independent thinking and active engagement styles that fall between high and low, pragmaticfollowers are most comfortable in the middle of the road and tend to adhere to a motto of “better safe thansorry.” They will question a leader’s decisions, but not too often or too openly. They perform requiredtasks, but seldom do more than is asked or expected. Approximately 25%–35% of people are categorized aspragmatist followers.Passive FollowerWith low independent thinking and low active engagement behaviors, passive followers are the opposite ofexemplary followers, looking to the leader to do their thinking for them. They do not carry out theirassignments with enthusiasm and lack initiative and a sense of responsibility. Approximately 5%–10% ofpeople are categorized as passive followers.Source: Based on excerpts from The Power or Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 byConsultants to Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of theKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reservedFollowership Questionnaire
Instructions: Think of a specific leader–follower situation where you were in the role of follower. For each
statement, please use the scale below to indicate the extent to which the statement describes you and your
behavior in this situation.
1.
Does your work help you fulfill some societal goal or personal
dream that is important to you?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
2.
Are your personal work goals aligned with the organization’s
priority goals?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
3.
Are you highly committed to and energized by your work and
organization, giving them your best ideas and performance?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
4.
Does your enthusiasm also spread to and energize your
coworkers?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
5.
Instead of waiting for or merely accepting what the leader tells
you, do you personally identify which organizational activities
are most critical for achieving the organization’s priority goals?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
6.
Do you actively develop a distinctive competence in those
critical activities so that you become more valuable to the
leader and the organization?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
7.
When starting a new job or assignment, do you promptly
build a record of successes in tasks that are important to the
leader?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
8.
Can the leader give you a difficult assignment without the
benefit of much supervision, knowing that you will meet your
deadline with highest-quality work and that you will “fill in
the cracks” if need be?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
9.
Do you take the initiative to seek out and successfully
complete assignments that go above and beyond your job?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
10. When you are not the leader of a group project, do you still
contribute at a high level, often doing more than your share?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
476
11.
Do you independently think up and champion new ideas that
will contribute significantly to the leader’s or the
organization’s goals?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
12.
Do you try to solve the tough problems (technical or
organizational), rather than look to the leader to do it for you?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
13.
Do you help out other coworkers, making them look good,
even when you don’t get any credit?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
14.
Do you help the leader or group see both the upside potential
and downside risks of ideas or plans, playing the devil’s
advocate if need be?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
15.
Do you understand the leader’s needs, goals, and constraints,
and work hard to help meet them?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
16.
Do you actively and honestly own up to your strengths and
weaknesses rather than put off evaluation?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
17.
Do you make a habit of internally questioning the wisdom of
the leader’s decision rather than just doing what you are told?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
18.
When the leader asks you to do something that runs contrary
to your professional or personal preferences, do you say “no”
rather than “yes”?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
19.
Do you act on your own ethical standards rather than the
leader’s or the group’s standards?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
20.
Do you assert your views on important issues, even though it
might mean conflict with your group or reprisals from the
leader?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Source: Excerpts from The Power of Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 by Consultants
to Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of the Knopf
Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
477
Scoring
The Followership Questionnaire measures your style as a follower based on two dimensions of followership:
independent thinking and active engagement. Your responses indicate the degree to which you are an
independent thinker and actively engaged in your follower role. Score the questionnaire by doing the
following. Your scores will classify you as being primarily one of the five styles: exemplary, alienated,
conformist, pragmatist, or passive.
1. Independent Thinking Score: Sum of questions 1, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20
2. Active Engagement Score: Sum of questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 15
Exemplary Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on both independent thinking
and active engagement, your followership style is categorized as exemplary.
Alienated Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on independent thinking and low
(below 20) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as alienated.
Conformist Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on independent thinking and
high (above 40) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as conformist.
Pragmatist Followership Style: If you scored in the middle range (from 20 to 40) on both
independent thinking and active engagement, your followership style is categorized as
pragmatist.
Passive Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on both independent thinking and
active engagement, your followership style is categorized as passive.
Followership Style Independent Thinking Score Active Engagement Score
EXEMPLARY High High
ALIENATED High Low
CONFORMIST Low High
PRAGMATIST Middling Middling
PASSIVE Low Low
Source: Adapted from The Power of Followership (pp. 89–98), by R. E. Kelley, 1992, New York, NY:
Doubleday Business. Adapted with permission.
478
Scoring Interpretation
What do the different styles mean? How should you interpret your style? The followership styles
characterize how you carry out the followership role, not who you are as a person. At any point in time, or
under different circumstances, you may use one followership pattern rather than another.
Exemplary Follower
Exemplary followers score high in both independent thinking and active engagement. They exhibit
independent, critical thinking, separate from the group or leader. They are actively engaged, using their
talents for the benefit of the organization, even when confronted with bureaucracy or other noncontributing
members. Up to 35% of people are categorized as exemplary followers.
Alienated Follower
Alienated followers score high in independent thinking but low in active engagement. This means that they
think independently and critically, but are not active in carrying out the role of a follower. They might
disengage from the group at times and may view themselves as victims who have received unfair treatment.
Approximately 15%–25% of people are categorized as alienated followers.
Conformist Follower
Conformist followers often say “yes” when they really want to say “no.” Low in independent thinking and
high in active engagement, they willingly take orders and are eager to please others. They believe that the
leader’s position of power entitles the leader to followers’ obedience. They do not question the social order
and find comfort in structure. Approximately 20%–30% of people are categorized as conformist followers.
Pragmatist Follower
With independent thinking and active engagement styles that fall between high and low, pragmatic
followers are most comfortable in the middle of the road and tend to adhere to a motto of “better safe than
sorry.” They will question a leader’s decisions, but not too often or too openly. They perform required
tasks, but seldom do more than is asked or expected. Approximately 25%–35% of people are categorized as
pragmatist followers.
Passive Follower
With low independent thinking and low active engagement behaviors, passive followers are the opposite of
exemplary followers, looking to the leader to do their thinking for them. They do not carry out their
assignments with enthusiasm and lack initiative and a sense of responsibility. Approximately 5%–10% of
people are categorized as passive followers.
Source: Based on excerpts from The Power or Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 by
Consultants to Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of the
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reservedFollowership QuestionnaireInstructions: Think of a specific leader–follower situation where you were in the role of follower. For eachstatement, please use the scale below to indicate the extent to which the statement describes you and yourbehavior in this situation.1.Does your work help you fulfill some societal goal or personaldream that is important to you?0 1 2 3 4 5 62.Are your personal work goals aligned with the organization’spriority goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 63.Are you highly committed to and energized by your work andorganization, giving them your best ideas and performance?0 1 2 3 4 5 64.Does your enthusiasm also spread to and energize yourcoworkers?0 1 2 3 4 5 65.Instead of waiting for or merely accepting what the leader tellsyou, do you personally identify which organizational activitiesare most critical for achieving the organization’s priority goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 66.Do you actively develop a distinctive competence in thosecritical activities so that you become more valuable to theleader and the organization?0 1 2 3 4 5 67.When starting a new job or assignment, do you promptlybuild a record of successes in tasks that are important to theleader?0 1 2 3 4 5 68.Can the leader give you a difficult assignment without thebenefit of much supervision, knowing that you will meet yourdeadline with highest-quality work and that you will “fill inthe cracks” if need be?0 1 2 3 4 5 69.Do you take the initiative to seek out and successfullycomplete assignments that go above and beyond your job?0 1 2 3 4 5 610. When you are not the leader of a group project, do you stillcontribute at a high level, often doing more than your share?0 1 2 3 4 5 647611.Do you independently think up and champion new ideas thatwill contribute significantly to the leader’s or theorganization’s goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 612.Do you try to solve the tough problems (technical ororganizational), rather than look to the leader to do it for you?0 1 2 3 4 5 613.Do you help out other coworkers, making them look good,even when you don’t get any credit?0 1 2 3 4 5 614.Do you help the leader or group see both the upside potentialand downside risks of ideas or plans, playing the devil’sadvocate if need be?0 1 2 3 4 5 615.Do you understand the leader’s needs, goals, and constraints,and work hard to help meet them?0 1 2 3 4 5 616.Do you actively and honestly own up to your strengths andweaknesses rather than put off evaluation?0 1 2 3 4 5 617.Do you make a habit of internally questioning the wisdom ofthe leader’s decision rather than just doing what you are told?0 1 2 3 4 5 618.When the leader asks you to do something that runs contraryto your professional or personal preferences, do you say “no”rather than “yes”?0 1 2 3 4 5 619.Do you act on your own ethical standards rather than theleader’s or the group’s standards?0 1 2 3 4 5 620.Do you assert your views on important issues, even though itmight mean conflict with your group or reprisals from theleader?0 1 2 3 4 5 6Source: Excerpts from The Power of Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 by Consultantsto Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of the KnopfDoubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.477ScoringThe Followership Questionnaire measures your style as a follower based on two dimensions of followership:independent thinking and active engagement. Your responses indicate the degree to which you are anindependent thinker and actively engaged in your follower role. Score the questionnaire by doing thefollowing. Your scores will classify you as being primarily one of the five styles: exemplary, alienated,conformist, pragmatist, or passive.1. Independent Thinking Score: Sum of questions 1, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 202. Active Engagement Score: Sum of questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 15Exemplary Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on both independent thinkingand active engagement, your followership style is categorized as exemplary.Alienated Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on independent thinking and low(below 20) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as alienated.Conformist Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on independent thinking andhigh (above 40) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as conformist.Pragmatist Followership Style: If you scored in the middle range (from 20 to 40) on bothindependent thinking and active engagement, your followership style is categorized aspragmatist.Passive Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on both independent thinking andactive engagement, your followership style is categorized as passive.Followership Style Independent Thinking Score Active Engagement ScoreEXEMPLARY High HighALIENATED High LowCONFORMIST Low HighPRAGMATIST Middling MiddlingPASSIVE Low LowSource: Adapted from The Power of Followership (pp. 89–98), by R. E. Kelley, 1992, New York, NY:Doubleday Business. Adapted with permission.478Scoring InterpretationWhat do the different styles mean? How should you interpret your style? The followership stylescharacterize how you carry out the followership role, not who you are as a person. At any point in time, orunder different circumstances, you may use one followership pattern rather than another.Exemplary FollowerExemplary followers score high in both independent thinking and active engagement. They exhibitindependent, critical thinking, separate from the group or leader. They are actively engaged, using theirtalents for the benefit of the organization, even when confronted with bureaucracy or other noncontributingmembers. Up to 35% of people are categorized as exemplary followers.Alienated FollowerAlienated followers score high in independent thinking but low in active engagement. This means that theythink independently and critically, but are not active in carrying out the role of a follower. They mightdisengage from the group at times and may view themselves as victims who have received unfair treatment.Approximately 15%–25% of people are categorized as alienated followers.Conformist FollowerConformist followers often say “yes” when they really want to say “no.” Low in independent thinking andhigh in active engagement, they willingly take orders and are eager to please others. They believe that theleader’s position of power entitles the leader to followers’ obedience. They do not question the social orderand find comfort in structure. Approximately 20%–30% of people are categorized as conformist followers.Pragmatist FollowerWith independent thinking and active engagement styles that fall between high and low, pragmaticfollowers are most comfortable in the middle of the road and tend to adhere to a motto of “better safe thansorry.” They will question a leader’s decisions, but not too often or too openly. They perform requiredtasks, but seldom do more than is asked or expected. Approximately 25%–35% of people are categorized aspragmatist followers.Passive FollowerWith low independent thinking and low active engagement behaviors, passive followers are the opposite ofexemplary followers, looking to the leader to do their thinking for them. They do not carry out theirassignments with enthusiasm and lack initiative and a sense of responsibility. Approximately 5%–10% ofpeople are categorized as passive followers.Source: Based on excerpts from The Power or Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 byConsultants to Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of theKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reservedFor each Leadership Profile, you will complete the assigned questionnaires, report the data collected, reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, and then create an action plan for applying this information. Each Leadership Profile must be at least 300 words and contain at least 1 citation. Your work should be formatted to comply with APA standards and should integrate concepts from leadership theories where appropriate.1. Complete the following questionnaires found in the Northouse textbook. Followership Questionnaire (p. 326–329). Collaborative Team Excellence & Collaborative Team Leader Questionnaire (p. 397), 2. Report your results on these questionnaires. 3. Discuss and reflect on the results integrating resources on leadership and using APA formattingFollowership Questionnaire Followership QuestionnaireInstructions: Think of a specific leader–follower situation where you were in the role of follower. For eachstatement, please use the scale below to indicate the extent to which the statement describes you and yourbehavior in this situation.1.Does your work help you fulfill some societal goal or personaldream that is important to you?0 1 2 3 4 5 62.Are your personal work goals aligned with the organization’spriority goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 63.Are you highly committed to and energized by your work andorganization, giving them your best ideas and performance?0 1 2 3 4 5 64.Does your enthusiasm also spread to and energize yourcoworkers?0 1 2 3 4 5 65.Instead of waiting for or merely accepting what the leader tellsyou, do you personally identify which organizational activitiesare most critical for achieving the organization’s priority goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 66.Do you actively develop a distinctive competence in thosecritical activities so that you become more valuable to theleader and the organization?0 1 2 3 4 5 67.When starting a new job or assignment, do you promptlybuild a record of successes in tasks that are important to theleader?0 1 2 3 4 5 68.Can the leader give you a difficult assignment without thebenefit of much supervision, knowing that you will meet yourdeadline with highest-quality work and that you will “fill inthe cracks” if need be?0 1 2 3 4 5 69.Do you take the initiative to seek out and successfullycomplete assignments that go above and beyond your job?0 1 2 3 4 5 610. When you are not the leader of a group project, do you stillcontribute at a high level, often doing more than your share?0 1 2 3 4 5 647611.Do you independently think up and champion new ideas thatwill contribute significantly to the leader’s or theorganization’s goals?0 1 2 3 4 5 612.Do you try to solve the tough problems (technical ororganizational), rather than look to the leader to do it for you?0 1 2 3 4 5 613.Do you help out other coworkers, making them look good,even when you don’t get any credit?0 1 2 3 4 5 614.Do you help the leader or group see both the upside potentialand downside risks of ideas or plans, playing the devil’sadvocate if need be?0 1 2 3 4 5 615.Do you understand the leader’s needs, goals, and constraints,and work hard to help meet them?0 1 2 3 4 5 616.Do you actively and honestly own up to your strengths andweaknesses rather than put off evaluation?0 1 2 3 4 5 617.Do you make a habit of internally questioning the wisdom ofthe leader’s decision rather than just doing what you are told?0 1 2 3 4 5 618.When the leader asks you to do something that runs contraryto your professional or personal preferences, do you say “no”rather than “yes”?0 1 2 3 4 5 619.Do you act on your own ethical standards rather than theleader’s or the group’s standards?0 1 2 3 4 5 620.Do you assert your views on important issues, even though itmight mean conflict with your group or reprisals from theleader?0 1 2 3 4 5 6Source: Excerpts from The Power of Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 by Consultantsto Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of the KnopfDoubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.477ScoringThe Followership Questionnaire measures your style as a follower based on two dimensions of followership:independent thinking and active engagement. Your responses indicate the degree to which you are anindependent thinker and actively engaged in your follower role. Score the questionnaire by doing thefollowing. Your scores will classify you as being primarily one of the five styles: exemplary, alienated,conformist, pragmatist, or passive.1. Independent Thinking Score: Sum of questions 1, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 202. Active Engagement Score: Sum of questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 15Exemplary Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on both independent thinkingand active engagement, your followership style is categorized as exemplary.Alienated Followership Style: If you scored high (above 40) on independent thinking and low(below 20) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as alienated.Conformist Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on independent thinking andhigh (above 40) on active engagement, your followership style is categorized as conformist.Pragmatist Followership Style: If you scored in the middle range (from 20 to 40) on bothindependent thinking and active engagement, your followership style is categorized aspragmatist.Passive Followership Style: If you scored low (below 20) on both independent thinking andactive engagement, your followership style is categorized as passive.Followership Style Independent Thinking Score Active Engagement ScoreEXEMPLARY High HighALIENATED High LowCONFORMIST Low HighPRAGMATIST Middling MiddlingPASSIVE Low LowSource: Adapted from The Power of Followership (pp. 89–98), by R. E. Kelley, 1992, New York, NY:Doubleday Business. Adapted with permission.478Scoring InterpretationWhat do the different styles mean? How should you interpret your style? The followership stylescharacterize how you carry out the followership role, not who you are as a person. At any point in time, orunder different circumstances, you may use one followership pattern rather than another.Exemplary FollowerExemplary followers score high in both independent thinking and active engagement. They exhibitindependent, critical thinking, separate from the group or leader. They are actively engaged, using theirtalents for the benefit of the organization, even when confronted with bureaucracy or other noncontributingmembers. Up to 35% of people are categorized as exemplary followers.Alienated FollowerAlienated followers score high in independent thinking but low in active engagement. This means that theythink independently and critically, but are not active in carrying out the role of a follower. They mightdisengage from the group at times and may view themselves as victims who have received unfair treatment.Approximately 15%–25% of people are categorized as alienated followers.Conformist FollowerConformist followers often say “yes” when they really want to say “no.” Low in independent thinking andhigh in active engagement, they willingly take orders and are eager to please others. They believe that theleader’s position of power entitles the leader to followers’ obedience. They do not question the social orderand find comfort in structure. Approximately 20%–30% of people are categorized as conformist followers.Pragmatist FollowerWith independent thinking and active engagement styles that fall between high and low, pragmaticfollowers are most comfortable in the middle of the road and tend to adhere to a motto of “better safe thansorry.” They will question a leader’s decisions, but not too often or too openly. They perform requiredtasks, but seldom do more than is asked or expected. Approximately 25%–35% of people are categorized aspragmatist followers.Passive FollowerWith low independent thinking and low active engagement behaviors, passive followers are the opposite ofexemplary followers, looking to the leader to do their thinking for them. They do not carry out theirassignments with enthusiasm and lack initiative and a sense of responsibility. Approximately 5%–10% ofpeople are categorized as passive followers.Source: Based on excerpts from The Power or Followership by Robert E. Kelly, copyright © 1992 byConsultants to Executives and Organizations, Ltd. Used by permission of Doubleday, an imprint of theKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved