Case 12.2, Olympic Rowers
1. In what way is this case about followership? Who were the followers? Who were the leaders?
2.The coxswain is the crew member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers. In this case, is the coxswain’s role more of less important than the roles of other crew members?
3. Reversing the lens emphasized that followers can bechange agents. What was the impact of followers’ characteristics on followers’ behavior in this case? What impact do you think Ulbrickson’s perception and behaviors had on the rowers in his program?
4.How would you describe the impact of both followers and leaders on followership outcome?
5. In this case, the boys in the boat created a highly cohesive unit. Do you think highly effective followership always results in cohesiveness?