A Phenomenological Exploration of Ineffective Leadership Experiences from the Perspectives of the Followers

Ineffective leadership was found to be the most prominent predictor of employee stress; however, there is little known about what differentiates effective leaders from ineffective leaders from the perspective of the followers. There is a need for understanding followers' perceptions of ineffective leadership in organizations to identify ineffective leader behaviors that are generally difficult to detect. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the meaning or essence of the phenomenon of ineffective leaders, leadership-followership interactions, and ineffective-leader-induced occupational stress within and outside the workplace. The exploration was based on the perceptions of ineffective leaders through the lived experiences of the followers. Participants included a purposive sample of nine individuals, who reported having organizational experience with ineffective leadership and occupational stress. As a result of analysis, it was determined that followers were distinctly able to differentiate perceived effective leaders from ineffective leaders. Participants conspicuously expressed that effective leadership practices empowered, motivated, and inspired them which increased their self-efficacy, performance, and commitment, whereas ineffective leadership practices demotivated and demoralized them which decreased their self-efficacy, performance, and commitment. Consequently, the participants reported increased occupational stress both inside and outside of the workplace. It is recommended that leaders consult and collaborate with followers to explore the potential factors that may negatively influence their performance and working relationship. It is also recommended that leaders are congruent in their words and actions, provide reassurance, constructive and timely feedback, and inspiration to foster environments that are not only interactive, but supportive as well. Participants claimed that feedback, reassurance, and support were critical factors within the leader-follower relationship to develop trust and synergy. Future research is recommended connecting "shared leadership" between followers and leaders regarding occupational stress to unify an understanding of the leader-follower relationship in the current complex work contexts. The results in the current study revealed the importance of follower perceptions in leadership effectiveness. It is the role of the organization, the leaders, and the followers as a whole to understand the perceptions of others and work towards finding exemplary approaches where both leaders and followers play active, vital roles in organizational success and minimize occupational stress.