Abstract: For employees, if their personal traits match the Followership Prototype of their leader and achieve match with them,they are more willing to actively follow the leader. However, if the role is overloaded, overwhelmed, and physically and mentally burdened by overused,employees may choose to withdraw from work instead. Based on the theory of resource conservation, this paper discusses in the case of following the prototype-trait matching when employees actively follow the and when they withdraw from work. Using the structural equation model and based on the statistical analysis of 256 pairs of superior and subordinate matching data in 35 teams, the conclusion is drawn that the match of following prototype and trait can, on the one hand, stimulate the employees' passion for harmonious work and encourage them to actively follow. On the other hand, they may overload their roles and choose to withdraw from work instead. The above conclusions deepen the research on the field of following, also provide practical guidance for the interaction between superiors and subordinates and leadership strategies in organizations.

Key words: implicit followership theories, followership prototype-trait matching, harmonious working passion, role overload, positive following behavior, work withdrawal behavior