THROUGH SELF-LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP TO SHARED LEADERSHIP: A PARADIGM FOR EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL TEAMWORKING

Article: DRMJ vol12 no01 2023 (Article 5)

DOI:

doi:10.17708/DRMJ.2023.v12n01a05

Excerpt:

Leadership and followership are key to firm performance, so it is important to understand them and find the optimal leader–follower interaction to be implemented in an organization. Understanding these concepts is important, because they help increase the company’s productivity and success in achieving its goals. This paper explores the connection among shared leadership, self‐leadership, and followership, and argues that their practice is crucial for virtual teams’ success. The theoretical framework presented is supported by practical study cases of EY Slovenia, Haier, Soldev, and Hershey. The propositions, derived from the case studies, are related to two topics. The first proposition concerns how self‐leadership is assumed by one who practices effective followership, and the second proposition concerns how shared leadership styles positively influence the building of trust and fostering of a sense of ownership of employees. With this theory, organizations can navigate the challenges of the modern workplace, and consequently improve their performance, productivity, and job satisfaction. Furthermore, we present a model that shows the influence of self‐leadership on effective followership, and emphasizes the benefits of implementing shared leadership styles, especially in digital work, and we discuss the impact of self‐leadership, self‐awareness, and self‐efficacy on the implementation of shared leadership within an organization that operates virtually. 

Pages:

73‐86