Robert Kelley's Five Different Followers

Carnegie Mellon professor Robert Kelley identified five different follower styles.
Alienated followers
Alienated followers are deep and independent thinkers who do not willingly commit to any leader.
Passive followers
Passive followers do as they are told but do not think critically and are not particularly active participants.
Conformist followers
Conformists are more participative than passive followers, but do not provide challenge.
Pragmatic followers
Pragmatic followers are middling in their independence, engagement, and general contribution.
Exemplary followers
Exemplary followers are ideal in almost all ways, excelling at all tasks, engaging strongly with the group, and providing intelligent yet sensitive support and challenge to the
Effective: a follower who is both a critical, independent thinker and active in behavior. They exhibit consistent behavior to all people, regardless of their power in the organization, and deal well with conflict and risk. They cope with change, put forward their own views, and stay focused on what the organization needs. They understand how others see them - so are mindful. They make acts of leadership often, and use their referent, expert, network, and information power often in service of the organization. Kelly called this group originally "The Stars".
Conformist: this follower type is very busy but doesn't necessarily engage their brain to think through what it is they are doing. They participate very willingly but don't question orders. They will avoid conflict at all costs and take the quietest path but will defend their boss to loyal extremes. Kelley originally named this follower type "The
They can flip between different followership styles, to suit each situation, and are our early warning system when the organization’s culture is starting to change for the worse. We all know that there are some people who can see the writing on the wall early: identify them and use them to ensure that your work culture remains healthy always.
We can't have only exemplary followers in an organization. New people can be passive or conformist, as we all try to minimize risk until we are comfortable and more certain of our environment. We need some pragmatic survivors so when the culture starts to deteriorate, we see our canaries pulling away and can run repairs prior to a breakdown. The devil's advocates - the Alienated - amongst us can spark new ways of thinking, if we can direct their criticism wisely and help them move into new roles which avoid bitterness.
Like good leaders, good followers need to develop some sound characteristics. Consider a good sports team. We have those who lead and those who follow, at different times, and for different reasons, within a game. The team relies on the expertise and abilities of those with the required skill set, as the team needs the skills in