Followers Expectations from Leaders during Crisis - Research Proposal Example

Followers Expectations from Leaders During Crisis

Introduction- State the overview and purpose of the paper.

Leadership comes with various attributes, each different from the other depending on the leaders' personalities and values. Leaders have both good and bad qualities; after all, they are human, and imperfection is deeply rooted in them. However, there are a few societal expectations from the majority of leaders. Society naturally expects leaders to exhibit confidence, courage, ambition, and have the ability to inspire others. Additionally, leaders are expected to be selfless, humble, and help in providing solutions in crises. Therefore, followers expect quite a lot from their leads; hence they look up to them.

Human beings behave differently in crisis; most people experience confusion, disbelief, fear, and anxiety. Besides, some become hysterical or get into panic attacks. However, various individuals have been known to take advantage of the crisis to benefit their selfish ambitions. Most societies are forced to believe in the hope that someone mightier than them will eventually deliver them from the situation, perhaps their God, a leader, or other more potent powerful beings. Consequently, people have to depend on other sources for comfort and different needs during a crisis.

Leaders are expected to behave differently globally during a crisis. Bhaduri (2019) argued that leaders need to maintain effective communication during a crisis, build trust with their followers, and increase productivity. Consequently, the leadership aptness hugely influences the crisis management exertions. Crisis management requires that leaders develop systematic procedures and systems to curb and mitigate further crisis effects (Fener & Cevik, 2015). Moreover, society expects solutions from leaders with who they have trusted the authority to govern them. Biblically, a crisis demands the leaders to hold steadfast their faith, support their followers, acknowledging their fear indexes, and accept visions to organize and organize their followers on the best action courses to deal with the crisis (Furgerson, 2020). Therefore, leaders' actions are some of the unique traits that distinguish them from the general populace.

Numerous studies have been undertaken concerning leadership and crisis management. However, there remains a significant information gap on what followers want from their leaders during a crisis. Several followers have different desires from their leaders for any given situation. However, the research intended to focus on the specific wants that followers need from their leaders during a crisis. Additionally, the study intended to draw general themes from various people regarding their expectations from their leaders. Accordingly, the paper issued recommendations based on the outcomes and analysis of the study. Consequently, the study will be extraordinarily significant and pertinent to future leaders and other scholars looking to research issues surrounding followers' and leaders' relationship in crisis management.

Methodology

Research method

Goundar (2012) described research methods as strategies and techniques used to collect data for analysis to uncover new information or trends. The validity of a study is highly dependent on the correct choice of the research method before embarking in the evidence gathering processes. Furthermore, there are numerous research methods to be employed in studies depending on the nature of results and desired outcomes. The current study purposed to determine the followers’ wants from their leaders in crisis. Consequently, the best research approach for the analysis was the qualitative method.

Research Design

Leavy (2017) illustrated a research design as a general strategy chosen to harmoniously integrate the various components of a study logically and coherently. The correct choice of a research design is thus significant in determining the overall flow of the study’s process from evidence acquisition to data analysis and discussions. The study adopted the field research design. The field research was the most appropriate design because of its efficiency in related qualitative studies. Additionally, the design was preferred because of efficiency in utilizing impersonal data gathering techniques. The field research design conclusions are established by interpreting findings to reveal the ideas, concepts, and themes conclusively. Therefore, the field research design was the best suited for the study.

Target population

A target population is a particular group of people with common attributes intended for a research audience (Asiamah, Mensah & Oteng-Abayie, 2017). The study’s target population was employees from three different organizations in Virginia USA: Heath Custom Press, Bihrle Applied Research and Production Services, and Technology. The three companies have a total combined population of seventy-five employees

Company name

Target Population

Percentage

Heath Custom Press

25

24

Bihrle Applied Research

50

48

Production Services and Technology

30

28

Total

105

100

(Source, Author)

Sample Design

Zamboni (2018) described a sample size as the number of individual observations or samples in one statistical setting. A sample design contains the framework that the sampling process is based upon (Wadoux, Brus & Heuvelink, 2019). The study used the purposive sampling method. The design best suited the study because of the unique way it allows the researcher exclusive privileges to choose study participants. The study used a total of three participants; one participant from each organization. The researcher biased their selection of the participant to individuals who had prior experience as followers and leaders. Furthermore, the choice of participants who have experience both aspects of the study's variables (followers and leaders) enhanced the chances of obtaining a more balanced outcome.

Data Collection Instruments

An interview is a data collection tool that involves the researcher asking the respondents a structured set of questions. The researcher is tasked with recording responses to the questions posed (Quad, 2016). The researcher chose the self-administered interview method dues to its flexibility and inexpensiveness. All the respondents answered the questionnaires independently with no form of coercion. Consequently, the validity of the questionnaire response was guaranteed to have no bias influence from the researcher.

Data Analysis method

The study utilized the qualitative data analysis method. The data collected through the interviews was fist edited to get the relevant data for the study. Further, the edited information was coded for easy classification to facilitate tabulation. A tabulated results form was then prepared. Additionally, the analysis was performed thematical. Thematical research involves data examination to attain a sound comprehension of research data (Swart, 2019). Therefore, a thorough analysis was duly performed on the recovered evidence.

Findings

Decision-Making Theme

Decision-making skills are incredibly vital for crisis management situations. Followers expect their leaders to be at the forefront of making significant decisions that concern the crisis on their behalf. The study found that decision making is one of the core attributes the followers want from their leaders. Consequently, leaders must strive to have impeccable decision-making skills or risk losing followers’ loyalty.

Followers need their leaders to have excellent decision making to avoid ambiguities during crises. Ambiguities can delay crucial processes and waste precious time in crises (Hermann, 2019). Additionally, leaders must ensure that all essential activities are completed within time to preventable damages. Failure to maintain clarity among the followers might lead to the development of ambiguous feelings among the supporters. Moreover, followers might develop anxiety. Therefore, leaders must maintain clarity in their decision-making during a crisis.

Followers expect their leaders to make the most challenging decisions during the most formidable crises. Leaders have to choose between the right and wrong decisions depending on the best harm of benefit indexes of the problems (Hermann, 2019). Moreover, the leaders sometimes have to decide between two wrongs inadvertently. Followers expect their leaders to make the excruciatingly painful and tough decisions, yet the leaders have to live with the guilt that follows the aftermath. Therefore, though sometimes unfair, the followers expect their leaders to make the necessary decisions during a crisis.

Leaders are expected to uphold sanity and calmness during a crisis. A crisis tends to bring out the best or the worst in people. However, leaders expect their leaders to remain neutral and utilize their decision-making skills to ensure that their sub-ordinates do not fall into chaos (Janssen, van der Voort & Wahyudi, 2017). Leaders are supposed to ensure their supporters remain calm and focused on tackling the crisis at hand. Additionally, the leaders need to apply their discernment skills to evaluate tense situations and, consequently, employ effective turmoil mitigation decisions. Thus, leaders must ensure that their decision-making skills remain aptly above standard.

Followers would want their leaders to quickly assess viable alternatives on their behalf during a crisis. Good decision-making skills assist leaders in quick assessments of crucial options that present themselves during a crisis (Janssen, van der Voort & Wahyudi, 2017). Hence, leaders must sharpen their decisiveness skills to ensure they are capable of promptly assessing alternatives and making sound decisions. Poor decision-making skills might cause leaders to make an irrational decision that might lead to fatalities. Consequently, leaders must be of sound mind and have incredibly exceptional problem-solving skills to guide their followers through crises.

Communication Theme

Communication remains one of the most significant aspects of crisis management. Hence, leaders must communicate with their followers in a timely and precise fashion during a crisis. Followers require their leaders to set up well elaborate communication strategies. Additionally, leaders must strive to determine and implement the most efficient communication strategies and channels. Furthermore, communication provides direction and clarity for the followers. Leaders can leverage the communication power to successfully come out of a crisis. Clearly, consistent and strategic communication is vital for the united actions of overcoming a crisis.

Proper communication channels help build trust between the followers and their leaders during crises. Trust is an essential crisis management. Furthermore, mistrust during a crisis can turn out to be quite catastrophic (Irimieş, 2016). Lack of trust in leadership could lead to a total disregard for leadership. Moreover, a lack of leadership in a crisis-stricken community causes an extremely volatile and unpredictable environment. Therefore, leaders must ensure that they properly communicate to their followers to avoid mistrust in leadership and its subsequent consequences.

Leaders must make sure to get across the exact information and control the spread of wrong information. Followers require their leaders to avail them with credible information during crises (Irimieş, 2016). The spread of false information during a crisis is an incredibly reckless way to handle a crisis. The followers need re-assurance rather than rumors. Besides, the leaders must take stern measures to ensure that fake news perpetrators do not get the chance to take advantage of the crisis to further their agendas during a crisis. Furthermore, the leaders must substantiate all information they deliver to their audiences to ensure that their information is not misinterpreted or otherwise passed on as propaganda. Notably, leaders need to be on top of the communication channels to ensure their followers get the required precise information and mitigate the spread of false information in crises.

Proper communication in a crisis helps in the averting of panic among followers. Communication is an essential tool in controlling panic (Collyer, 2016)). People panic because of the fear of subsequent outcomes they think will happen after a particularly gruesome event has happened to them. For instance, a person might panic after receiving news about the positive diagnosis of an incurable fatal illness. They start to envision their demise in conjunction with other disturbing scenarios regarding the news. Furthermore, panic can lead to fatalities like suicide or other irrational acts that affect society negatively, especially during crises. Therefore, the leaders must effectively communicate with their followers to ensure that panic does not prevail during crises.

Confidence Theme

Followers look up to their leaders to display confidence in crises. Leaders must conduct business in confidence; otherwise the followers might lose their loyalty. Followers’ loyalty is tremendously essential for leaders (Stevenson, 2019). Leaders should thus strive to inspire confidence and loyalty in their followers Moreover, by so doing, the leaders improve the followers’ attitudes toward life, especially in challenging crisis situations. The leaders are supposed to portray confidence and help the follower fin meaning and purpose to bring the best out of their followers. Consequently, leaders must ensure they instill loyalty through their confidence.

Followers are more relaxed and assured of a confident leader. Self-confidence assists leaders to realize their goals and visions despite various challenges (Stevenson, 2019). Crisis management calls for brave, confident leaders to guide their followers through a crisis. Furthermore, the followers would have a hard time believing that a crisis could be handled if they had the faintest idea that their leader was unconfident. Leaders must, therefore, strive to portray the utmost confidence if only for the sake of their followers.

Conclusion

The study delves deep into the intricacies surrounding the desires of followers from their leaders during a crisis. The study uncovered several expectations followers have from their leaders. However, the most desired attribute from leaders by their followers during crises was good decision-making skills; communication and confidence came in at second and third place, respectively.

Recommendations

Leaders should exercise impeccable decisiveness while making decisions during a crisis. Leaders who feel deficient in problem-solving skills should consider taking up seminars or lessons to help improve. Additionally, the leaders could formulate an elite team specifically tasked to help them make proper decisions during crises. Moreover, the leaders might consider seeking spiritual advice to guide them in their decision-making processes. The Bible clearly dictates the Lord's counsel shall always prevail (Isaiah 49:10 New King James Version ). Therefore, the leaders must explore all available avenues to ensure their problem-solving skills are unquestionable and dependable.

Leaders must ensure that they communicate efficiently and effectively to convey their messages precisely during crises. Communication is an aspect the leaders need to improve continually as their leadership career progresses. Furthermore, communication is the key navigation element in crises. The leaders must understand how various communication techniques affect the conveyance of the message to their followers. In addition, leaders must strive to communicate with the Lord to obtain guidance on various matters. God reassures us that he will always guide us and satisfy our needs (Isiah 58:11 New King James Version). Consequently, leaders must fully understand the art of communication both to their sub-ordinates and to God.

Finally, leaders must portray and instill confidence in their followers. The art of confidence can be slowly natured and mastered. Therefore, people who intend to be leaders must build their confidence in handling matters before embarking in the leadership career. Furthermore, the followers expect confidence from their leaders, making it an essential prerequisite for leaders. Leaders must look for close peers and mentors to assist them in growing their confidence. Alternatively, the leaders could pray for confidence from the Lord. The Bible is quick to tell us not to hesitate to ask what our hearts desire for it shall be availed to us (Mathew 7:7 New King James Version). Therefore, all leaders must strive to maintain or grow their confidence among their followers