In the Eyes of the Beholder: Leaders’ Personality and Courageous Followership

  • Wajeeha Brar Ghias National Defense University, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6925-7440
  • Syed Zaheer Abbas Kazmi National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2022.6.3.189

Abstract

The literature on leadership through the lens of followership does not provide empirical evidence of leaders’ personalities and their perception of subordinates’ courageous followership behaviors. This paper explores the connection between personality and courageous followership. The study sample is 190 school leaders working in the top private schools in Pakistan as regular employees. The responses collected through simple random sampling techniques and Stata 16 software software are used for data analysis. Data analysis indicates that leaders having extraversion, agreeableness, consciousness, and openness to intellectual/imagination personality traits perceive their subordinates’ behaviors as courageous followers, whereas the neuroticism personality trait resulted in a negative perception of courageous followership behaviors among Pakistani school leaders. This paper is prominent research in a new direction of leadership through followership. This study recommends emphasizing the development of positive personality traits in leaders so that they can transform their subordinates into courageous followers, which is an antidote to toxic leadership.

Author Biographies

Wajeeha Brar Ghias, National Defense University, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan

Wajeeha Brar Ghias (AFHEA-UK) is a lecturer at the Leadership and Management Studies Department, National Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Ms Wajeeha is also a PhD. Scholar at the Faculty of Management Sciences at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, Pakistan. She is a certified “Courageous Follower Trainer” MacArthur School of Leadership, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Florida, USA. Her research interests are centered around followership and leadership along with faculty development training programs.

Syed Zaheer Abbas Kazmi, National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr. Syed Zaheer Abbas Kazmi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Management Sciences, National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, Pakistan. His research interest is mainly focused on entrepreneurship, theory and practices of management and organizational behavior. Currently, he is teaching Postgraduate (PhD) and graduate classes at NUML.

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Published
2022-10-10
How to Cite
Ghias, W., & Kazmi, S. (2022). In the Eyes of the Beholder: Leaders’ Personality and Courageous Followership. Changing Societies & Personalities, 6(3), 547–563. doi:10.15826/csp.2022.6.3.189
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 6, No. 3 (2022)
Section
Articles