By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.
MILITARY LEADERSHIP MODULE
FOLLOWERSHIP 2 (MS 2)
FOLLOWERSHIP is the process in which subordinates recognize their responsibility to
comply with orders of leaders and take appropriate action.
It is the ability to know where and when to articulate one’s views on an issue,
and then to have the loyalty and the devotion to carry out the final decision
THE TEN RULES OF GOOD FOLLOWERSHIP
Col. Phillip Medinger wrote "The Ten Rules of Good Followership" which presents a
set of techniques and ideas that are very powerful. He is convinced that good followership
is no less important than effective leadership. His rule are straightforward:
a. DO NOT BLAME THE BOSS.
- Do not blame your boss for an unpopular decision or policy - your Job
is to support, not undermine.
- It is insidiously easy to blame an unpopular policy or decision on your
superior.
- This may garner some affection from your subordinate, but it is
certainly showing disloyalty to your superior.
- We have heard about the rule in an office – rule number 1 THE BOSS
IS ALWAYS RIGHT rule number 2 IF YOU THINK THE BOOS IS WRONG APPLY RULE
NUMBER 1.
- LEADERSHIP is not a commodity to be bought at the price of
followership.
- If a subordinate asks you whether or not you agree with a particular
decision, your response should be that the question is irrelevant.
- The boss has decided and we will carry out his orders. That is what
good subordinates are expected to do
- Loyalty must travel both up and down the chain of command.
b. DO NOT FIGHT THE BOSS.
- Fight with your boss if necessary, but do it in private. Avoid
embarrassing situations and never reveal to others what was discussed.
- Before the decision is made, however, you will generally have the
opportunity to express your opinion to the Boss. Speak honestly and frankly. Do not be a
yes man. There is always a tendency to tell the Boss what you think he or she wants to
hear.
- In fact, if you have strong reservations about an issue under
discussion, you have an obligation to express them. Fight for your people and your
organization, but do not roll over on principle or issues that you believe are detrimental to
the unit’s mission accomplishment.
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As a rule of thumb, you should be willing to revisit an issue three times.
Do not give up after the first discussion or even the second if you are in earnest Remember
do this in private.
c. USE INITIATIVE.
- Use initiative, make the decision, and then run it past to the boss.
-No one likes to work for a micro-manager.
-One reason commanders become micro-managers because they see
their subordinates standing by and waiting for specific instructions
- CO will be obliged to provide decisions
- Accomplish the task then back brief the CO on what you did
WARNING: You may have to know your boss fairly well, before you
begin showing too much INITIATIVE
- Always try to provide answers and not questions.
- Initiative is something to look for in subordinates, but as the next rule
notes, it is often in short supply.
d. ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY.
- Accept responsibility whenever offered.
- Military organization cannot work effectively or continue to grow and
evolve unless it is composed of risk-takers willing to assume responsibility
- can be difficult because no one wishes to risk failure or
embarrassment
- Be a risk taker; accept responsibility, volunteer
e. TELL THE TRUTH AND DO NOT QUIBBLE.
- Quibble is a slight objection or criticism about a trivial Matter
- Your boss will be giving advice up the chain of command based on
what you say.
- “When asked if you accomplished a certain task wrote a point paper,
made a phone call, reserved a conference room and you have not done so; the temptation
is great to respond affirmatively, then hurriedly complete what you had forgotten to do
earlier.”
Ex: You reported the aircraft as mission capable in order to avoid telling the
commander you are not ready to respond to an alert condition. Your nightmare begins if an
alert is declared before that aircraft is ready.
- In organizations as large and multilayered as the military services are
today, each level must scurrilously adhere to the truth
- If each supervisor exaggerates unit achievements or capabilities even
a little, the combined error of the message will be enormous by the time it reaches the boss
- Because those at all levels bent the truth or told the boss what he
wanted to hear, Great harm was done to the nation and the military's reputation.
f. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
- Give your boss all the information needed to make a decision.
- Anticipate possible questions.
- Being a good staff officer is harder than it looks; do your homework
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By 2028, a world-class Army that is a source of national pride.
- When given a problem to solve by the boss, you must become an
expert on the subject before you attempt to propose a course of action.
- Most importantly, think through the implications of the problem, what
it means and whom it affects, not just now but down the road.
- Anticipate the type of questions your boss will ask and prepare
suggested answers
Remember: if your boss will be taking this proposal to his boss, you
must prepare him properly to avoid his being embarrassed
- You might find it surprising how often your supervisor will rely on you
to actually make policy
g. SUGGEST IMPLEMENTATION.
- When making recommendations, remember you will probably have to
implement them
- you must know your own strengths and limitations
- Do not propose solutions that are impracticable
- Recommend a course of action that is designed for an ideal world,
workable under prevailing circumstances and constraints
- Be prepared to brief the perfect answer, but note how much extra it
will cost
- Bear in mind your own role in this process, as it is crucial to have a
clear understanding of your weaknesses as well as your strengths
- Know the people around you:
- Some are originators, while others are organizers
- Some are drivers, others are facilitators
- Some work better in groups, others perform more successfully alone
- Know who you are and put yourself in positions that
- maximize your strengths while masking your limitations.
- This will make you a more successful subordinate.
h. KEEP THE BOSS INFORMED.
- Keep the Boss or the commander informed on what is going on in the
unit. People will be reluctant to tell him or her their problem and successes. You should do
it for them and assume someone else will tell the Boss about yours.
- One thing you will notice as you advance in rank and responsibility is
that people will be less incline to talk to you. As a result, what you hear about the unit may
be heavily filtered.
- Stay informed on the true state of affairs is a constant but essential
challenge. Subordinates who openly drop the Boss notes or mention tidbits in passing can
really help the Boss stay in touch
i. FIX PROBLEMS AS THEY OCCUR.
- If you see a problem, fix it. Do not worry about who gets the blame,
or praise.
- “There was no limit to the amount of good people that could
accomplish as long as they did not cart who received the credit” - Army Chief of Staff General
George C. Marshall
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- Too often we notice a bad situation developing and shake our heads
and mumble "it's not my problem." It is our problem
- We all serve for the greater good, so every time difficulties are
straightened out, we, our unit and the service are better off.
- The essence of military life is teamwork. Do your job quietly,
confidently and professionally, and trust your colleagues to do likewise
j. PUT IN AN HONEST DAY'S WORK.
- Put in more than an honest day’s work, but never forget the needs of
your family. If they are unhappy, you will be too, and your job performance will suffer
accordingly.
- We believe in hard work. It is a matter of great pride for us that we
have a strong work ethic and are among the most productive societies in the world. The
military is certainly no exception.
- Their family is married to the service every bit as much as you are.
They, too, much pick up and move, change jobs and school, leave friends behind and start
over with each new assignment.
- That periodic turmoil exacts a price from them. Make sure you pay
your family back for all they have done to you and your career, remember families are
forever.
And lastly, all of us are subordinate to someone, and learning how to
serve our boss well is an important responsibility.
If we can master this task and master, it well; we in turn will be better
leaders when the challenge comes. After all, even our greatest military leaders started at
the bottom. We must learn to follow before we can lead
FOLLOWERS MAKE GOOD LEADERS GOOD
It is probably inevitable that a society as star-struck as ours should focus on leaders
in analyzing why organizations succeed or fail. As a longtime student and teacher of
management, I too have tended to look to the men and women at the top for clues on how
organizations achieve and maintain institutional health. But the longer I study effective
leaders, the more I am persuaded of the under-appreciated importance of effective
followers.
He proposes that effective leaders encourage and reward dissent. Followers must
speak out with candor, for their intellect and insights are critical to organizational and unit
effectiveness. The ultimate irony, Bennis notes, is that the follower who is willing to speak
up demonstrates the initiative of effective leadership. Each of us is led, some of us are
leaders. The competence we demand in our leaders must be our model when we lead.
Where are you?
WHAT MAKES A GOOD FOLLOWER?
The single most important characteristics may well be a willingness to tell the truth.
In the world of growing complexity, leaders are increasingly dependent on their
subordinates for good information whether the leaders want to hear it or not.
Followers will tell the truth and leaders who listen to it are unbeatable combinations.
Like good leaders good followers understand the importance of speaking out. More
important, they do it.
Honor. Patriotism. Duty.
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