The Non-Anxious Leader Podcast
Episode 320: How to Lead Underfunctioning Followers
Mar 3, 2025
Explore the fascinating dynamics between overfunctioning leaders and underfunctioning followers. Discover how anxiety-driven leadership can create dependency and hinder team growth. Learn strategies to empower disengaged team members by fostering autonomy and emotional connections. Boost self-management and resilience among your followers to enhance team performance and accountability. Uncover the importance of stepping back to unlock your team's full potential!
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Quick takeaways
- Leaders must resist the urge to over-function, as it fosters dependency among followers and inhibits their growth.
- Encouraging followers to face the consequences of their inaction promotes accountability and cultivates their capability to lead independently.
Deep dives
Understanding Over-Functioning and Under-Functioning Dynamics
Leaders often find themselves in a complex relationship between over-functioning and under-functioning followers. An over-functioning leader takes on excessive responsibilities, driven by anxieties about future challenges and the fear of failure. This tendency not only reinforces their own need for control but creates dependency among followers, who then feel incapable of handling tasks on their own. Consequently, under-functioning followers adapt to this dynamic, relying on their leaders instead of stepping up to take responsibility.
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