The dynamic interactions between leaders and followers significantly influence organizational success, with followers' roles and contributions emerging as critical determinants of leadership effectiveness. The study seeks to understand how followers perceive their behaviors impacting the leadership effectiveness and how these perceptions align with leaders’ views, an important aspect for leadership effectiveness.

The purpose of this research is to explore followers’ perceptions of their behaviors and actions in influencing leadership effectiveness. It examines the alignment and discrepancies between follower and leader perspectives and identifies factors that either enhance or hinder followers’ influence within a matrix organization.

A qualitative approach was employed for this study, involving semi-structured interviews with ten followers and three leaders from three industries. Thematic analysis was conducted to extract key themes related to leadership and followership dynamics, with a particular focus on trust, role perception, and influence.

The results and analysis revealed that followers perceive themselves as active participants in shaping leadership effectiveness, often emphasizing the role of trust and open communication. Leaders acknowledge the value of followers’ contributions but often underestimate the extent of influence followers perceive themselves to have. Key themes identified include “Leadership effectiveness perception”, “Self-perceived role and influence”, “Influence on leadership decision-making”, “Self-leadership and independence”, “Leadership and followership dynamics”, “Enhancing and hindering to influence”, “Personal attributes and skills”, and “Leadership style and behavior”. Discrepancies were noted in perceptions of the amount of autonomy and influence granted versus received, highlighting a gap in mutual understanding.

The study concluded that leadership effectiveness is significantly influenced by the quality of interactions between leaders and followers. Both groups recognize the importance of follower contributions, yet there are clear opportunities for improving how leaders and followers perceive and engage with each other’s roles.

For future research, the study recommends focusing on developing quantitative measures of followers’ perceived influence to validate qualitative findings. Additionally, investigating the impact of organizational culture on the dynamics of leader-follower interactions could further elucidate how contextual factors affect these relationships.