Toxic Followership and Definitions of Power - Wendy M. Edmonds

Dr. Wendy M. Edmonds is Interim Chair of the Management, Marketing, and Public Administration Department in the College of Business at a Historically Black University, and Co-Chair of the Global Followership Conference 2024.  Her research focus is on toxic followership (people following bad people).  She is an author, and internationally recognized toxic followership expert with a passion for positive change.  Dr. Edmonds describes herself as a Workplace Toxicologist whose mission is to dismantle toxic followership and foster healthier, more productive environments. 

Wendy shares the characteristics of this important - if darker - aspect of followership and how it influences how powerful or powerless we may feel in our every day lives as employees, as members of a community, or as citizens.  We also discuss how to use popular media and physical role plays in the classroom to inspire rich conversations about different kinds of followership and leadership choices.
 
 

“Toxic followership is consistent destructive behavior over and over again.”
 
 “We have to begin to have others understand that it doesn’t matter where you are – you have power that you can make the change.”
 
 “How you use power is what’s most important.”

Episode References

CNN: Escape From Jonestown
https://vimeo.com/244066619

 
 S1 E8- Courageous Followers can Stop Destructive Leadership - Alain de Sales
https://leadfollow.buzzsprout.com/1735834/8716279-courageous-followers-can-stop-destructive-leadership-alain-de-sales

 Time of Essence documentary - the story of Essence Magazine
https://www.oprah.com/app/time-of-essence-full-episodes.html

 

Self-made TV series – inspired by the life of Madame CJ Walker
https://www.netflix.com/title/80202462

Intoxicating Followership, by Wendy M Edmonds
https://www.amazon.com/Intoxicating-Followership-Jonestown-Wendy-Edmonds/dp/1800714599

Global Followership Conference
http://www.followershipconference.com
 
 Connect with Dr. Wendy M. Edmonds
https://www.drwendymedmonds.com/