Bad Followers Create Bad Leaders

Bad leadership is often a consequence of followers empowering leaders such that those empowered leaders are corrupted in ways that can lead them to engage in a number of the bad behaviors that result from feelings of power. Followers empowering leaders results from several features of the leader–follower relationship. Both leading and following have evolved as adaptive behaviors for accomplishing group coordination and goal achievement. People expect to follow in many situations and willingly empower leaders. Empowering leaders also occurs because of exchanges between leaders and followers whereby leaders satisfy follower needs in return for legitimacy and power. One important facet of this exchange is leaders boosting follower sense of self-worth in exchange for power.