Brave Followers’ Resistance to Destructive Leadership Across Cultures

This chapter discusses what brave followers need to do when standing up to bad leadership. There is a detailed explanation of the mechanics of destructive leadership. These concepts are explained by analyzing the destructive practices of European imperialism, after which the processes, institutions, brave behaviors, and sources of power for followers who were under their regime are explained, particularly the courageous followership of MK Gandhi and several others who sought to resist the European regimes in South Africa and India. Through Gandhi’s bravery, he had to balance a dichotomous role as an oppressed follower under the destructive European leadership while simultaneously becoming a leader of the Indian freedom struggle. Yet history glorifies his role as a leader while neglecting this critical balancing act and the skills required to maintain it. This is of importance for people who want to be either brave leaders or courageous followers. The chapter also contains how followers worked toward countering the destructive leadership using a multiplicity of social structures and processes against them. Where these processes did not exist or there was entrenched discrimination, the followers countered through collective action or sought external structures. This chapter is based on the analysis of 80 empirical sources of archival data, which shed some light on the context, leaders, and followers. Thus, reading this chapter will also provide insight into the culture, laws, and institutions that assist with ways to be brave as a follower and resist in the face of destructive leaders across varying contexts.