Follow, Communicate, Lead: Creating Competent Connections

Leadership and followership communication are two sides of the same coin; just as sand and water are needed for a beach, leadership and followership are necessary for effective organizational functioning. Because today's organizations include followers who act as leaders, leaders who need to know when to step back and be followers, and people whose work lives transfer fluidly between leader and follower, this book helps students become knowledgeable about, and capable of, adapting to a wide variety of communication situations. Competent leaders and followers adapt to the context and recognize the consequences for everyone involved.

Follow, Communicate, Lead connects theory and practice to illustrate competent communication practices are a direct result of cross-disciplinary theories. Case studies provide real-world examples dealing with culture, diversity and inclusion, ethics, power, and social influence. Discussion questions, self-assessments, and activities further develop readers' competencies and ability to view communicative situations with a new perspective.

Follow, Communicate, Lead is ideal for courses in leadership, applied communication, training, and organizational behavior.

Michelle Terese Violanti (Ph.D., University of Kansas), an associate professor of communication studies at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, teaches theory, research methods, co-cultural communication, and communication in instructional and organizational contexts. Her research focuses on interpersonal relationships in organizations and the connections between communication and culture.

Cassandra Ann Ray (Ph.D., The University of Tennessee, Knoxville) is a postdoctoral fellow in communication studies at her alma mater. Her research focuses on leadership and followership, intercultural communication, and data analysis. She won the 2020 College of Communication and Information outstanding dissertation award for her work on followership characteristics' influence on leadership behaviors.