Courageous Companions: Followership in Doctor Who

• In Event: Followership in Organizations and Beyond

Short Description

This presentation explores the importance of followers to a leader’s effectiveness and ethical practices through the BBC television series Doctor Who. Following the concepts of Ira Chaleff in his seminal work on followership, The Courageous Follower: Standing Up to and For Our Leaders (2009), this presentation looks at the challenges and responsibilities of being a follower in an approachable, interdisciplinary, and thought-provoking way relatable to many people who may not be familiar with or wish to deepen their knowledge of followership through a popular culture artifact.

Being a follower to an impulsive overconfident leader isn’t easy – especially if they are an alien Time Lord who has lived for centuries in various body incarnations. The presentation emphasizes how followers must not be passive, but full partners in the leader/follower relationship to enable them to reach goals and provide the skills and perspectives leaders need for success. It takes courage and the numerous and varied companions in the tv series Doctor Who provide a compelling and interesting example of followership from which we can learn to become better – more courageous – followers.

Key Takeaway 1: Followers play a critical role in the success of leaders – both supporting and opposing leadership initiatives. Followers possess agency and are capable of behaving in agentic ways in tandem with their leaders for the betterment of their organizations or societies. This dyadic relationship is one of shared power and influence.

Key Takeaway 2: As one cannot be a leader without followers, one cannot be an effective leader without engaging followers in an open, honest, respectful manner. If not accomplished, both leaders, followers, and organizations can suffer needless harm and ineffectiveness toward meeting goals.

Key Takeaway 3: Popular culture, and specifically science fiction narratives, can be a rich creative space in which to explore followership, leadership, and issues that confront global societies such as social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and other ethical dilemmas.

Streams and Specialties: Followership - Lessons in Followership

Participant

• Kimberly S Yost, Pennsylvania Western University Department of Business, Economics, & Communication Assistant Professor
  Presenter