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ST - 002
FOLLOWERSHIP
December 2004
The information contained in this document is not to be communicated, either
directly or indirectly to any person not authorized to receive it.
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HEADQUARTERS
TRAINING AND DOCTRINE COMMAND, PHILIPPINE ARMY
Camp O’Donnell, Brgy Sta Lucia, Capas, Tarlac
FOREWORD
The Training and Doctrine Command, Philippine Army has long been
conducting training for the Army’s personnel, mostly to strengthen their
knowledge on ST - 002 Followership. The demands of such doctrine have
been increasing; hence the need for comprehensive reference material (RM)
for the Army school could not be overemphasized.
We welcome the printing of this RM. This is the product of the fixing
initiatives of our newly-invigorated Doctrine Center. This is expected to benefit
the instructors and students of the Training and Doctrine Command as it
discusses the salient features of General Information. More importantly,
researchers and writers of military doctrines will also find this reference
material useful. By being aware of the importance as well as the substance of
its contents, the users will be able to properly utilize and employ them in order
to exploit their useful implication in the Army’s operations.
While the concepts and guidelines embodied in this RM have been
thoroughly validated, these have been accredited by TRADOC for the use of
all Army schools. This is to be further subjected to test and evaluation prior to
the promulgation of CSAFP for widest dissemination. As such, we are
soliciting your valued inputs and insights to make it more responsive and
dynamic amidst the ever-changing operational environment.
CARLOS B HOLGANZA
Major General, AFP
Commander
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This reference material entitled Followership is an adaptation of the
readings on Followership which is being used by the PA Command and Staff
School, TRADOC, PA.
The accreditation of this reference material is part of the Army’s
initiative of standardizing and regulating the training literatures that will be
used by schools and training units of the Philippine Army.
Any recommended corrections on the contents or modifications to this
material shall be subject to the validation and accreditation procedure that will
be facilitated by the Doctrine Center, Training & Doctrine Command,
Philippine Army.
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PREFACE
1. Purpose
The purpose of this reference material is to provide Army personnel,
insights on followership as a requisite aspect of an effective leadership. Such
material could be used as additional reference in the conduct of instructions
on military leadership and could provide readers valuable lessons in day to
day interrelationship between leaders and followers.
2. Scope and Applicability
This reference material is most useful for those that seek to enhance
their understanding on followership as it reflect on the quality of ones
leadership and the effectiveness of an organization. This also presents some
guides for leaders and managers on how to cultivate and improve the qualities
of followers, in the same way that followers are presented with rules on how to
become good followers.
3. User Information
The proponent of this reference material is the Philippine Army
Command and Staff School, TRADOC. However, Doctrine Center is
responsible for the review and updating of this publication. Send comments
and recommendations to Commanding General, TRADOC, PA, Fort
Magsaysay, 3130 Nueva Ecija, Attn: Doctrine Center.
4. Gender
Unless this publication states otherwise, masculine nouns and
pronouns do not refer exclusively to men.
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CONTENTS
Foreword i
Acknowledgment iii
Preface v
Contents vii
Section Title Page
CHAPTER 1 - FOLLOWERSHIP: REQUISITE FOR
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
1-1 Implications for leadership 1-2
1-2 On Followers and Followership 1-3
CHAPTER 2 – IN PRAISE OF FOLLOWERS
2-1 The Role of Follower 2-2
2-2 The Qualities of Followers 2-4
2-3 Cultivating Effective Followers 2-7
CHAPTER 3 - LEADING THE NEW PROFESSIONAL
3-1 The New Professional 3-2
3-2 A Model for Evaluating Followers as Partners 3-3
CHAPTER 4 - THE TEN RULES OF GOOD 4-1
FOLLOWERSHIP
CHAPTER 5 - FOLLOWERS MAKE GOOD LEADERS 5-1
GOOD
CHAPTER 6 - CLIMATE, CULTURE, AND VALUES 6-1
6-1 Setting Standards 6-3
CHAPTER 7 - THE CREDIBILITY FACTOR: WHAT
PEOPLE EXPECT OF LEADERS
7-1 What Do People Admire in Leaders? 7-1
7-2 The Credibility Factor 7-2
7-3 Actions Speak Louder Than Words 7-3
7-4 What Is a Leader to Do? 7-4
7-5 What Junior-level Leaders Have a Right to Expect from 75
Senior-level Leaders
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CHAPTER 1
FOLLOWERSHIP: REQUISITE FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Learn to obey before you command. Solon
In the study of leadership, followers are all too often taken for granted.
There are critical interdependencies between leader and followers that cannot
be ignored. These interdependencies are essential to mission
accomplishment as well as the leader’s success.
Followers' expectations continue to change. Social, economic,
technological, and international environments have resulted in a better
educated more sophisticated constituency for leadership. Superior education,
technical skills, and access to information are no longer available only to
leaders or the aristocracy. They are available to everyone. As a result, there is
a very narrow gap between the abilities of leaders and followers. Leaders
must more actively engage followers in organizational activities.
Leaders come from the ranks of followers. Few leaders can be
successful without first learning ski1ls of followership. Aristotle’s Politics,
Plato’s, Republic, Homer’s Odyssey and HageI’s Phenomenology of Mind
affirm the mastery of followership as the sine qua non of leadership. Hence,
the contemporary study of leadership must examine followership and leader
development as they affect organizational success. Followership is, in effect,
a prerequisite, for effective leadership.
Most of us are followers more often than we are leaders. Even when
we have subordinates, we still have those above us. Followership, dominates
our lives and our organizations, but a preoccupation with leadership often
constraints us from truly appreciating the nature of' the follower.
Qua1ities that make effective followers are paradoxically the same
qualities found in effective leaders. What distinguishes effective followers from
effective leaders is the role they play. Effective followers and leaders easily
move from one role to the other. In many organizations, the leadership role is
the path to success and the one that is most focused on for development and
rewarded. That is unfortunate because most organizations need good
followers more than they need emerging leaders. A few organizations such as
the military recognize the importance of the role of follower.
The term "subordinate" is' often stereotyped in an unfavorable way.
Many organizations prefer to use words like, "associates," "partners,'" "team
members," or "colleagues." However, other words make little difference
because it is how the leader treats others that really count. We have observed
disrespectful treatment of team members and partners just as we have
witnessed caring concern for subordinates.
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Regardless of the nomenclature, followers do not want to be treated as
inferior. They want leaders to help define direction, create a path to the future,
and give feedback on progress. There is no reason to suggest that theirs is
somehow a lesser role. The truth is that every leader is also a follower. Thus,
a major tenet of developing effective leadership is to understand, and
experience followership.
Section 1-1 Implications for Leadership
Because leadership consists of getting things done through others,
followership is critical to the leader's effectiveness. One cannot be an effective
leader if he or she is not (or has not been) an effective follower. The experi-
ence of following gives leaders perspective and enables them to share vision,
communicate with empathy, treat people as individuals, empower others to
achieve shared goals and objectives. It is through followership that one learns
self-knowledge and self-confidence the personal elements of leadership
development.
The responsibility for developing followers rests with the leader.
Leaders must encourage participation in the creation of goals and objectives,
allowing ideas to be modified and owned by everyone. Separating the individ-
ua1"I" from leadership creates "we" building true sense of shared leadership
and followership.
In many ways, leaders serve followers. This may differ from many
models of leadership, but it is one that we believe. Effective leaders create
opportunities, help followers obtain resources, delegate to those best able to
make the best decisions, and vigorously support the actions taken. Often, this
means that leaders watch while others do things differently than they would.
Helping people learn by allowing them to make mistakes takes true courage
and results in organizational learning. This is how leaders develop effective
followers who, in turn, are learning the key elements of effective leadership.
Some people evaluate leaders on the basis of who they have around
them. We see many leaders who like to be the smartest, most decisive, and
most powerful of those in the group. They thrive on having followers revere
them. Unfortunately, the unit becomes completely dependent upon such
leaders for access to resources and for goal achievement. In these situations,
everything happens because of the leader. Truly effective leaders surround
themselves with people who are bright, who are critical thinkers, and who are
independent. Decisions are made at the organizational level having the best
information. Followers are given the means and the responsibility to do the
job. Innovation is prized. Therefore, leaders are best evaluated on the basis of
organizational success and how well they develop their followers.
Consider how much training you have had in followership. Can you
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translate leadership development into the behaviors necessary to be an
effective follower? We believe that effective followership involves
communicating openly, participating on the front-end before decisions are
made, expressing loyalty to the organization, handling conflict in terms of what
is best for the organization, having the courage to express one's opinion, and
supporting the final decision regardless of whether one agrees with that de-
cision. Effective leadership is dependent upon how well the leader develops
his or her followers.
Section 1-2 On Followers and Followership
Robert Kelley provides an excellent framework with "In Praise of
Followers" (Chapter 12). He describes the characteristics of effective
followership as being the same as effective leadership, suggesting a
redefinition of both roles. With good leaders setting an example of
followership, independent critical thinking and self-management can be
developed in leader and follower alike. Evaluating people on their followership
qualities adds to the appraisal dimensions with which we are familiar. With the
military restructuring for changing times, Kelley's piece has important
implications for creating flatter, leaner organizations designed to encourage
the development of followership and leadership.
Potter, Rosenbach, and Pittman present their conceptual model of
followership in "Leading the New Professional" (Chapter 13), a piece written
especially for this book. They describe effective followers as partners in an
enterprise who are committed to high performance and healthy relationships
with their leaders. The authors agree that organizations that keep pace with
the rapidly changing global environment are characterized by leaders who
encourage partnerships as well as followers who seek to be partners.
In "The Ten Rules of Good Followership" (Chapter 14), Col. Phillip
Medinger 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: Do not blame the boss; do not fight;
the boss; use initiative; accept responsibility; tell the truth and do not quibble;
do your homework; be prepared to implement your own suggestions; keep the
boss informed; fix prob1ems as they occur; and put in an honest day's work.
Medinger reinforces the fact that we are all subordinate to someone and
learning how to serve those who lead us is an important responsibility. By
following these rules, we will be better prepared to lead.
Finally, we present "Followers Make Good Leaders Good" by Warren
Bennis. 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.
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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?
-General Glenfi K. Otis
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CHAPTER 2
IN PRAISE OF FOLLOWERS
Robert E Kelley
We are convinced that corporations succeed or fail, compete or
crumble, on the basis of how well they are led. So we study great leaders of
the past and present and spend vast quantities of time and money looking for
leaders to hire and trying to cultivate leadership in the employees we already
have.
I have no argument with this enthusiasm. Leaders matter greatly. But in
searching so zealously for better leaders we tend to lose sight of the people
these leaders will lead. Without his armies, after all, Napoleon was just a man
with grandiose ambitions. Organizations stand or fall partly on the basis of
how well their leaders lead, but partly also on the basis of how well their
followers follow.
In 1987, declining profitability and intensified competition for corporate
clients forced a large commercial bank on the east coast to reorganize its
operations and cut its work force. Its most seasoned managers had to spend
most of their time in the field working with corporate customers. Time and
energies were stretched so thin that one department head decided he had no
choice but to delegate the responsibility for reorganization to his staff people,
who had recently had training in self management.
They pulled it off. The bank's officers were delighted and frankly
amazed that rank-and-file employees could assume much responsibility so
successfully. In fact, the department’s capacity to control and direct itself
virtually without leadership saved the organization months of turmoil, and as
the bank struggled to remain a major player in its region, valuable
management time was freed up to put out other fires.
What was it these singular employees did? Given a goal and
parameters, they went where most departments could only have gone under
the hands-on guidance of an effective leader. But these employees accepted
the delegation of authority and went there alone. They thought for themselves,
sharpened their skills, and focused their efforts, put on a fine display of grit
and spunk and self-control. They followed effectively.
To encourage this kind of effective following in other organizations, we
need to understand the nature of the follower's role. To cultivate good
followers, we need to understand the human qualities that allow effective
followership to occur.
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Section 2-1 The Role of Follower
Bosses are not necessarily good leaders; subordinates are not
necessarily effective followers. Many bosses couldn't lead a horse to water.
Many subordinates couldn't follow a parade. Some people avoid either role.
Others accept the role thrust upon them and perform it badly.
At different points in their careers, even at different times of the working
day, most managers play both roles, though seldom equally well. After all, the
leadership role has the glamour and attention .We take courses to learn it,
and when we play it well we get applause and recognition. But the reality is
that most of us are more often followers than leaders. Even when we have
subordinates, we still have bosses. For every committee we chair, we sit as a
member.
So followership dominates our lives and organizations, but not our
thinking, because our preoccupation with leadership keeps us from
considering the nature and the importance of the follower.
What distinguishes an effective from an ineffective follower is
enthusiastic, intelligent, and self-reliant participation without star billing in the
pursuit of an organizational goal. Effective followers differ in their motivations
for following and in their perceptions of the role. Some choose followership as
their primary role at work and serve as team players who take satisfaction in
helping to further a cause, an idea, a product, a service, or more rarely, a
person. Others are leaders in some situations but choose the follower role in a
particular context. Both these groups view the role of follower as legitimate,
inherently valuable, even virtuous.
Some potentially effective followers derive motivation from ambition. By
proving themselves in the follower’s role, they hope to win the confidence of
peers and superiors and move up the corporate ladder. These people do not
see followership as attractive in itself. All the same, they can become good
followers if they accept the value of learning the role, studying leaders form a
subordinate’s perspective, and polishing the followership skills that will always
stand them in good stead.
Understanding motivations and perceptions is not enough, however,
since followers with different motivations can perform equally well. I examined
the behavior that leads to effective and less effective following among people
committed to the organization and came up with two underlying behavioral
dimensions that help to explain the difference.
One dimension measures to what degree followers exercise
independent, critical thinking. The other ranks them on a passive/active scale.
The resulting diagram identifies five followership patterns. (See Figure 2.1.)
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Sheep are passive and uncritical, lacking in initiative and sense of
responsibility. They perform the tasks given them and stop. Yes people are a
livelier but equally a non-enterprising group. Dependent on a leader for
inspiration, they can be aggressively deferential, even servile. Bosses weak in
judgment and self-confidence tend to like them and to form alliances with
them that can stultify the organization.
Independent, Critical Thinking
Allied Effective
Follower Followers
Passive Active
Survivor
Sheep Yes People
Dependent, Uncritical Thinking
Figure 2.1 The five followership patterns.
Alienated followers are critical and independent in their thinking but
passive in carrying out their role. Somehow, sometime, something turned
them off. Often cynical, they tend to sink gradually into disgruntled
acquiescence, seldom openly opposing a leader's efforts. In the very center of
the diagram we have Survivors, who perpetually sample the wind and live by
the slogan "better safe than sorry." They are adept at surviving change.
In the upper right-hand corner, finally, we have Effective Followers,
who think for themselves and carry out their duties and assignments with
energy and assertiveness. Because they are risk takers, self-starters, and
independent problem solvers, they get consistently high ratings from peers
and many superior. Followershjp of this kind can be a positive and acceptable
choice for parts or all of our lives a source of pride and fulfillment
Effective followers are well-balanced and responsible adults who can
succeed without strong leadership. Many followers believe they offer as much
value to the organization as leaders do, especially in project or task-force
situations. In an organization of effective followers, a leader tends to be more
an overseer of change and progress than a hero. As organizational structures
flatten, the quality of those who follow will become more and more important.
As Chester I. Barnard wrote 50 years ago in The Functions of the Executive,
"The decision as to whether an order has authority or not lies with the person
to whom it is addressed, and does not reside in 'persons of authority' or those
who issue orders.”
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Section 2-2 The Qualities of Followers
1. Effective followers share a number of essential qualities:
a. They manage themselves well.
b. They are committed to the organization and to a purpose;
principle, or person outside themselves.
c. They build their competence and focus their efforts for maximum
impact.
d. They are courageous, honest, and credible.
2. Self-Management. Paradoxically, the key to being an effective follower
is the ability to think for oneself to exercise control and independence and to
work without close supervision. Good followers are people to whom a leader
can safely delegate responsibility, people who anticipate needs at their own
level of competence and authority.
Another aspect of this paradox is that effective followers see
themselves except in terms of line responsibility as the equals of the leaders
they follow. They are more apt to openly and unapologetically disagree with
leadership and less likely to be intimidated by hierarchy and organizational
structure. At the same time, they can see that the people they follow are, in
turn, following the lead of others, and they try to appreciate the goals and
needs of the team and the organization.
Ineffective followers, on the other hand, buy into the hierarchy and,
seeing themselves as subservient; vacillate between despair over their
seeming powerlessness and attempts to manipulate leaders for their own
purposes. Either their fear of powerlessness becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
for themselves and often for their work units as well or their resentment leads
them to undermine the team's goals.
Self-managed followers give their organizations a significant cost
advantage because they eliminate much of the need for elaborate supervisory
control systems that, in any case, often lower morale. In 1985, a large
Midwestern bank redesigned its personnel selection system to attract self-
managed workers. Those conducting interviews began to look for particular
types of experience and capacities initiative, teamwork, independent thinking
of all kinds and the bank revamped its orientation program to emphasize self
management. At the executive level, role playing was introduced into the
interview process: how you disagree with your boss, how you prioritize your
in-basket after a vacation. In the three years since, employee turnover has
dropped dramatically, the need for supervisors has decrease and
administrative costs have gone down.
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Of course not all cadets and managers like having self-managing
subordinates. Some would rather have sheep or yes people. The best that
good followers can do in this situation is to protect themselves with little
career self-management that is, to stay attractive in the marketplace. The
qualities that make a good follower are too much in demand to go begging for
long.
3. Commitment. Effective followers are committed to something a cause,
a product, an organization, an idea in addition to the care of their own lives
and careers. Some leaders misinterpret this commitment. Seeing their
authority acknowledged, they mistake loyalty to a goal for loyalty to
themselves. But the fact is that many effective followers see leaders merely
as co-adventurers on a worthy crusade, and if they suspect their leader of
flagging commitment or conflicting motives they may just withdraw their
support, either by changing jobs or by contriving to change 1eaders.
The opportunities and the dangers posed by this kind of commitment
are not hard to see. On the one hand, commitment is contagious. Most people
like working with colleagues whose hearts are in their work. Morale stays
high. Workers who begin to wander from their purpose are jostled back into
line. Projects stay on track and on time. In addition, an appreciation of
commitment and the way it works can give managers an extra tool with which
to understand and channel the energies and loyalties of their subordinates.
On the other hand, followers who are strongly committed to goals not
consistent with the goals of their companies can produce destructive results.
Leaders having such followers can even lose control of their organizations.
A scientist at a computer company cared deeply about making
computer technology available to the masses, and her work was outstanding.
Since her goal was in line with the company's goals, she had few problems
with top management. Yet she saw her department leaders essentially as
facilitators of her dream, and when managers worked at cross-purposes to
that vision, she exercised all of her considerable political skills to their
detriment. Her immediate supervisors saw her as a thorn in the side, but she
was quite effective in furthering her cause because she saw eye to eye with
company leaders. But what if her vision and the company's vision had
differed?
Effective followers temper their loyalties to satisfy organizational needs
or they find new organizations. Effective leaders know how to channel the
energies of strong commitment in ways that will satisfy corporate goals as well
as a follower's personal needs.
4. Competence and Focus. On the grounds that committed
incompetence is still incompetence, effective followers master skills that will
be useful to their organizations. They generally hold higher performance
standards than the work environment requires, and continuing education is
second nature to them, a staple in their professional development.
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Less effective followers expect training and development to come to
them. The only education they acquire is force-fed. If not sent to a seminar,
they don't go. Their competence deteriorates unless some leader gives them
parental care and attention.
Good followers take on extra work gladly, but first they do a superb job,
on their core responsibilities. They are good judges of their own strengths and
weaknesses, and they contribute well to teams. Asked to perform in areas
where they are poorly qualified, they speak up. Like athletes stretching their
capacities, they don't mind chancing failure if they know they can succeed, but
they are careful to spare the company wasted energy, lost time, and poor
performance by accepting challenges that coworkers are better prepared to
meet. Good followers see coworkers as colleagues rather than competitors.
At the same time, effective followers often search for overlooked
problems. A woman on a new product development team discovered that no
one was responsible for coordinating engineering, marketing, and
manufacturing. She worked out an interdepartmental review schedule that
identified the people who should be involved at each, stage of development.
Instead of burdening her boss with yet another problem, this woman took the
initiative to present the issue along with a solution.
Another woman I interviewed described her, efforts to fill a dangerous
void in the company she cared about. Young managerial talent in this
manufacturing corporation had traditionally made careers in production.
Convinced that foreign competition would alter the shape of the industry, she
realized that marketing was a neglected area. She took classes, attended
seminars, and read widely. More important, she visited customers to get
feedback about her company's and competitors' products, and she soon knew
more about the products, customer appeal and market position than any of
her peers. The extra competence did wonders for her own career, but it also
helped her company weather a storm it had not seen coming.
5. Courage. Effective followers are credible, honest, and courageous.
They establish themselves as independent, critical thinkers whose knowledge
and judgment can be trusted. They give credit where credit is due, admitting
mistakes and sharing successes. They form their own views and ethical
standards and stand up for what they believe in.
Insightful, candid, and fearless, they can keep leaders and colleagues
honest and informed. The other side of the coin of course is that they can also
cause great trouble for a leader with questionable ethics.
Jerome LiCari, the former R&D director at Beech-Nut, suspected for
several years that the apple concentrate Beech-Nut was buying from a new
supplier at 20% below market price was adulterated. His department,
suggested switching suppliers, but top management at the financially
strapped company put the burden of proof on, R&D.
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By 1981, LiCari had accumulated strong evidence of adulteration and
issued a memo recommending a change of supplier. When he got no
response, he went to see his boss, the head of operations. According to
LiCari, he was threatened with dismissal for lack of team spirit. LiCari then
went to the president of Beech-Nut and when that, too, produced no results,
he gave up his three-year good-soldier effort, followed his conscience, and
resigned. His last performance evaluation praised his expertise and loyalty,
but said his judgment was colored, by naiveté and impractical ideals.
In 1986, Beech-Nut and LiCari's two bosses were indicted on several
hundred counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by distributing adulterated
apple juice. In November 1987, the company pleaded guilty and agreed to a
fine of $2 million. In February of 198], the two executives were found guilty on
a majority of the charges. The episode cost Beech-Nut an estimated $2.5
million and a 20% loss of market share. Asked during the trial if he had been
naive, LiCari said, "I guess I was. I thought apple juice should be made from
apples.”
Is LiCari a good follower? Well, no, not to his dishonest bosses. But
yes, he is almost certainly the kind of employee most companies want to have
loyal, honest, candid with his superiors, and thoroughly credible. In an ethical
company involved unintentionally in questionable practices this kind of
follower can head off embarrassment, expense, and litigation.
Section 2-3 Cultivating Effective Followers
You may have noticed by now that the qualities that make effective
followers are, confusingly enough, pretty much the same qualities found in
some effective leaders. This is no mere coincidence, of course. But the
confusion underscores an important point. If a person has initiative, self-
control, commitment, talent, honesty, credibility, and courage, we say, "Here
is a leader!" By definition, a follower cannot exhibit the qualities of leadership
violates our stereotype.
But our stereotype is ungenerous and wrong. Followership is not a
person but a role, and what distinguishes followers from leaders is not
intelligence or character but the role they play. As I pointed out at the
beginning of this article, effective followers and effective leaders are often the
same people playing different parts at different hours of the day.
In many companies, the leadership track is the only road to career
success. In almost all companies, leadership is taught and encouraged while
fol1owership is not. Yet effective, Followership is a prerequisite for
organizational success. Your organization can take four steps to cultivate
effective followers in your workforce.
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a. Redefining Followership and Leadership. Our stereotyped
but unarticulated definitions of leadership and followership shape our
expectations when we occupy either position. If a leader is defined as
responsible for motivating followers, he or she will likely act toward followers,
as if they needed motivation. If we agree that a leader's job is to transform
followers, then it must be a follower’s job to provide the day. If followers fail to
heed transformation, the leader looks ineffective. The way we define the roles
clearly influences the outcome of the interaction.
Instead of seeing the leadership role as superior to and more active
than the role of the follower, we can think of them as equal but different
activities. The operative definitions are roughly these: people who are
effective in the leader role have the vision to set corporate goals and
strategies, the interpersonal skills to achieve consensus, the verbal capacity
to communicate enthusiasm to large and diverse groups of individuals, the
organizational talent to coordinate disparate efforts, and, above all, the desire
to lead.
People who are effective in the follower role have the vision to see both
the forest and the trees, the social capacity to work well with others, the
strength of character to flourish without heroic status, the moral and
psychological balance to pursue personal and corporate goals at no cost to
either, and, above all, the desire to participate in a team effort for the
accomplishment of some greater common purpose.
This view of leadership and followership can be conveyed to
employees directly and indirectly in training and by example. The qualities
that make good followers and the value the company places on effective
followership can be articulated explicitly in follower training. Perhaps the best
way to convey this message, however, is by example. Since each of us plays
a follower's part at least from time to time, it is essential that we play it well,
that we contribute our competence to the achievement of team goals, that we
support the team leader with candor and self-control, that we do our best to
appreciate and enjoy the role of quiet contribution to a larger, common cause.
b. Honing Followership Skills. Most organizations assume that
leadership has to be taught but that everyone knows how to follow. This
assumption is based on three faulty premises (1) that leaders are more
important than followers, (2) that following is simply doing what you are told to
do, and (3) that followers inevitably draw their energy and aims, even their
talent, from the leader. A program of follower training can correct this
misapprehension by focusing on topics like:
1) Improving independent, critical thinking.
2) Self-management.
3) Disagreeing agreeably.
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4) Building credibility.
5) Aligning personal and organizational goals and
commitments.
6) Acting responsibly toward the organization, the leader,
coworkers, and oneself.
7) Similarities and differences between leadership and
followership roles.
8) Moving between the two roles with ease
c. Performance Evaluation and Feedback. Most performance
evaluations include a section on leadership skills. Followership evaluation
would include items like the ones I have discussed. Instead of rating
employees on leadership qualities such as self-management, independent
thinking, originality, courage, competence, and credibility, we can rate them,
on these same qualities in both the leadership and followership roles and then
evaluate each individual's ability to shift easily from the one role to the other.
A variety of performance perspectives will help most people understand better
how well they play their various organizational roles.
Moreover, evaluations can come from peers,
subordinates, and self as well as from supervisors. The process is simple
enough: peers and subordinates who come into regular or significant contact
with another employee fill in brief, periodic questionnaires where they rate the
individual on followership qualities. Findings are then summarized and given
to the employee being rated.
d. Organizational Structures That Encourage Followership.
Unless the value of good following is somehow built into the fabric of the
organization, it is likely to remain a pleasant conceit to which everyone pays
occasional lip service but no dues. Here are four good ways to incorporate the
concept into your corporate culture:
1) In leaderless groups, all members assume equal
responsibility for achieving goals. These are usually small task forces of
people who can work together under their own supervision. However hard it is
to imagine a group with more than one leader; as a group with none at all can
be highly productive if their members have the qualities of effective followers.
2) Groups with temporary and rotating leadership are
another possibility. Again, such groups are probably, best kept small and the
rotation fairly frequent, although the notion might certainly be extended to
include the administration of a small department for, say, six-month terms.
Some of these temporary leaders will be less effective than others, of course,
and some may be weak indeed, which is why critics maintain that this
structure is inefficient. Why not let the best leader lead? Why suffer through
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the tenure of less effective leaders? There are two reasons. First, experience
of the leadership role is essential to the education of effective followers.
Second, followers learn that they must compensate for ineffective leadership
by exercising their skill as good followers. Rotating leader or not, they are
bound to be faced with ineffective leadership more than once in their careers.
3) Delegation to the lowest level is a third technique for
cultivating good followers. Nordstrom's, the Seattle-based department store
chain, gives each sales clerk responsibility for servicing and satisfying the
customer, including the authority to make refunds without supervisory
approval. This kind of delegation makes even people at the lowest levels
responsible for their own decisions and for thinking independently about their
work.
4) Finally, companies can use rewards to underline the
importance of good followership. This is not as easy as it sounds. Managers
dependent on yes people and sheep for ego gratification will not leap at the
idea of extra rewards for the people who make them most uncomfortable. In
my research, I have found that effective followers get mixed treatment. About
half the time, their contributions lead to substantial rewards. The other half of
the time they are punished by their superiors for exercising judgment, taking
risks, and failing to conform. Many managers insist that they want
independent subordinates who can think for themselves. In practice, followers
who challenge their bosses run the risk of getting fired.
In today's flatter leader organization, companies
will not succeed with out the kind of people who take pride and satisfaction in
the role of supporting player, doing the less glorious work without fanfare.
Organizations that want the benefits of effective followers must find ways of
rewarding them, ways of bringing them into full partnership in the enterprise.
Think of the thousands of companies that achieve adequate performance and
lackluster profits with employees they treat like second-class citizens. Then
imagine for a moment the power of an organization blessed with fully
engaged, fully energized, fully appreciated followers.
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CHAPTER 3
LEADING THE NEW PROFESSIONAL
Earl H. Potter III,
WillIam E. Rosenbach, and
Thane S. Pittman
For the past several years corporate America has been engaged in
redefining the relationship between employers and employees. Born, on the
crest of the wave of “downsizing” companies, the “new employee contract”
describes independence for employees who can no longer depend on lifelong
employment in the same organization. While cynics suggest the new contract
is nothing more than a convenient way for corporate leaders to shed the
bonds of loyalty to their employees, scholars and many leaders see the
possibility of a new kind of partnership with employees as offering the best
hope for flexible, competitive organization that will be able to meet the
challenges of the future.
Throughout U.S. industrial history the military services have offered
models of organization and leadership. Innovation in the corporate sector has
often followed change led by the military from the use of psychological testing
for selection to the racial integration of military units in the 1950s, change
leadership has resulted from creative problem solving by U.S. military leaders.
However, in the past two decades, corporate America has often taken the
lead. No initiative better makes this point than the adoption of total quality
management (TQM) practices by the military. So successful has this adoption
been that Tom Peters, writing in “In Search of Excellence,” and Margaret
Wheatly, author of Leadership and the New Science, repeatedly draw on
military examples of creative and flexible leadership. The flow of ideas from
military to corporate organizations and back has been one of the most
powerful learning systems in this country throughout this century.
The new employee contract offers another learning opportunity. The
irony of this lesson, however, is that it may well take us “back to the future” to
the time of the "citizen-soldier” who knowingly gave up some freedom to
accept the discipline of service. The New Professional is enlisting in a time
when rapid change is the order of the day and the expectation that
organizational members will have a voice in their own affairs is at an all time
high. Leading the New Professional will require that military leaders create
conditions in which followers can accept discipline and still exercise initiative.
The only way this can be done is if the soldier, sailor, or marine understands
the shared responsibility for making this new role work. The new employee
contract for the military will be a new definition of professionalism that unites
leader and follower in a partnership that both understand and choose.
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Section 3-1 The New Professional
Whether we ask successfu1 leaders to describe their best bosses or to
describe the ideal follower, we get essentially the same description. What
effective leaders and fol1owers tell us is that the best relationship between a
leader and follower looks and feels like a partnership. Each understands the
perspective of the other, and both recognize that they can be successful in the
long term only if they share success. Each is flexible and willing to switch
between the roles of the leader and follower, performing the role that best
facilitates achieving the goals of the group or organization.
It may be possible, in the short term, for followers to play it safe and do
only what they are told. However, organizations cannot succeed in today’s
ambiguously complex, and rapidly changing global environment if they use
only part of their talent; followers who play it safe are contributing only part of
their talent. To achieve and maintain a competitive advantage, organizations
must have leaders who work in partnership with followers to bring all of their
resources to the tasks at hand.
The recent movie Crimson Tide brings the notion of partnership to life.
Denzel Washington, in the role of the executive officer, Commander Hunter,
and Gene Hackman, in the role of Captain Ramsey, the commanding officer
of the nuclear submarine USS Alabama, come into conflict when Commander
Hunter refuses to concur that a "Flash" message, ordering missile launch, is
authentic. The disagreement over what steps to take in the confusion is loud
and public; the events that follow lead Commander Hunter to relieve his
commanding officer. The climax seems to come when the broken
communications equipment is repaired and the message to controvert the
"fire" is received. To the inexperienced eye, the courage of the executive
officer is rewarded and the belligerent, captain is humiliated. Such stuff plays
well with an American audience distrustful of leaders.
At the court martial that follows as epilogue, however, we are surprised
to learn that although both are technically exonerated, both are also faulted
for failing to work together effectively. From the moment that his new
executive officer reported aboard, Captain Ramsey tested Commander
Hunter, challenging commitment, understanding, and style. Commander
Hunter, for his part, responded professionally but with a streak of
independence grounded in openly different values that troubled his skipper.
The two never developed trust and understanding. It is dear that neither
understood the responsibility to do so. The theme is the same in The Came
Mutiny and even Mutiny of the Bounty, but there is a new twist.
Earlier studies of the issue of loyalty and command turn on the concept
of discipline and good order. In modern times, understanding the perspective
of "the other" is added. This theme in fiction is echoed by experience and
validated by current research. The U.S. Navy, with the support of
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management consultants from McBer and Company, has described what it
takes to "be the best." Two of the five "requirements" described by White in a
report for the Bureau of Personnel are mid-level leaders who "support top
leadership" and "raise issue with top leadership." Discipline is still essential,
but understanding allows intermediate leaders to act independently in the best
interests of the command, and tough critical thinking brings the best minds to
the task of continually improving the effectiveness of any unit. The challenge
for leaders then is to teach the skills of effective followership and to create the
conditions that encourage followers to seek partnership in service to the
mission of the organization. The New Professional in today's service must be
a full partner-sharing in the responsibility for success "and sharing in the
rewards of success won through the combined efforts of her or his team. The
model that follows offers a tool that should help leaders assess their own
strategy for developing effective followers and offers followers a tool for
planning their approach to followership.
Section 3-2 A Model for Evaluating Followers as Partners
1. Partners and Other Followers. Our basic assumption is that no one
gets up in the morning and goes to work with the intent to fail. Everyone who
can survive in the workplace gives what he or she believes will be at least
enough effort to keep the job. Likewise, leaders do not intend to purposefully
alienate the people on whom they depend. Yet experience and prevailing
wisdom have seldom taught followers that those who take the personal
initiative to strengthen the relationship with their leaders will be more effective.
In fact, efforts to build an effective relationship with the boss are more often
understood by both parties as ingratiation and advantage seeking rather than
a sincere effort to build an effective partnership. This view may be accurate
when the follower pursues a better relationship with the boss without a
commitment to high performance. However, the most effective followers are
intent on high performance and recognize that they share the responsibility for
the quality of the relationship they have with their leaders. More than that,
however, they know that they cannot be fully effective unless they work in
partnerships that require both a commitment to high performance and a
commitment to develop effective relationships with partners (including their
boss) whose collaboration is essential to success in their own work.
Taken together, these two dimensions, performance initiative and
relationship initiative, define four types of fol1owers who are familiar to military
leaders: the subordinate, the contributor, the politician, and. the partner.
2. Follower Styles.
a. Subordinate. The subordinate is the "traditional" follower who
does what he or she is told. This follower is competent at a satisfactory level
but is not one to whom the organization looks for leadership or to whom
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challenging assignments are given. The subordinate keeps a job and may rise
in a seniority-driven organization but demonstrates neither sensitivity to
relationships nor a commitment to high performance. The subordinate is the
only kind of valued follower in hierarchical organizations that operate only with
orders from the top and obedience from the bottom. In organizational settings
where this is a desired behavior, "good" followers will exhibit these
characteristics even when they are fully capable of and even desirous of
behaving like individuals described in other quadrants of this analysis. Such is
also the likely style of a somewhat or completely disaffected follower who is
not interested in giving anything extra or whose job is not one of his or her
primary concerns.
b. Contributor. This type of follower behaves in an exemplary way,
that is to work hard and is known for the quality of his or her work. This person
rarely seeks to understand the perspective of the boss, however, and
generally waits for direction before turning to new challenges. Although this
person is thorough and creative in obtaining resources, information, and skills
that are needed to do the job, the interpersonal dynamics of the workplace are
not a primary concern. These individuals can develop into full partners by
gaining skills and perspectives on the relationship initiative dimension.
Alternatively, their valued inclinations can be accommodated and their work
value maximized by allowing them to focus on that at which they excel, and
feel comfortable, removing or minimizing aspects of the job that call for
interpersonal relationships with the boss.
c. Politician. The politician gives more attention to managing
relationships than to maximizing performance. This person "possesses"
valued interpersonal qualities that are often misdirected or misunderstood.
Followers such as these are unusually sensitive to interpersonal dynamics
and are valuable for their ability to contribute when interpersonal difficulties
have arisen or might arise. They can provide valuable assistance to the leader
because they are willing and able to give insights into group relationships.
However, often these followers neglect the defined aspects of their jobs in
favor of the more relationship-oriented or political aspects of their relationship
with the boss. This is a particular problem when others rely on them for job
performance. Politicians can become full partners by focusing on job
performance, learning how to balance these two concerns, or they can be
accepted as they are and given responsibilities that call primarily for the skills
and inclination they possess.
d. Partner. The partner is committed to high performance and
effective relationships. In fact, the energy given to the development of
relationships serves the purpose of gaining the kind of understanding that
leads to plans and actions that anticipate new directions and contributions that
serve unmet needs. Organizations that anticipate and keep pace with change
in the global environment are characterized by leaders who encourage
partnership and followers who seek to be partners, (See Figure 3.1)
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Politician Partner
Relationship Subordinate Contributor
Initiative
Performance Initiative
Figure 3.1 Relationship differences between politicians and partners.
3. Follower Behaviors. These four types of followers can't be identified
by describing their behavior in terms of two dimensions performance initiative
and relationship initiative that each has four subscales.
a. Performance Initiative. Effective partners are committed to high
performance. They understand that their future depends on the future of the
organization and are not content to simply do what they were asked to do
yesterday. At the low end of this scale, one still finds satisfactory performers.
At the high end, one finds experts who lead in their fields and whose
contributions strengthen the bottom-line performance of the organization. The
following subscales describe performance initiative:
1) Working with Others. One is able to balance personal
interests with the interests of others, discovers common purpose, and draws
upon interpersonal skills to support the development of an effective team. One
coaches, leads, mentors, shares expertise, and collaborates to accomplish
the mission.
2) Embracing Change. One is committed to continuous
quality improvement, seeks to reduce wasted time and energy, anticipates
orders, and leads by example. One acts as a change agent by anticipating
and embracing change.
3) Doing the Job. One knows what is expected and strives
to be the best. Work is an important and integral part of one’s life. Satisfaction
is derived from applying the highest personal standards.
4) Self as a Resource. One understands oneself as a
valuable and limited resource and takes care to protect that asset for the
future; such a person avoids both stagnation and burn-out.
b. Relationship Initiative. Effective partners understand that they
share the responsibility for the relationship that defines the partnership. At the
low end of this dimension, people take the relationship that they are given. At
the high end they work to increase openness and understanding in order to
gain a perspective that can inform their choices as a partner. The following
subscales describe relationship initiative:
1) Building Trust. One works with the intent to build the kind
of trust that leads others to give honest feedback, share plans and doubts,
and rely on one. Such a person earns the leader's confidence.
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2) Courageous Communication. One tells the truth when
others may not like to hear it in order to serve the goals of the organization
and, in the end, those others who have been resistant to the truth. Such a
person seeks honest feedback from others and takes risk with self disclosure
3) Identifying with the Leader. One is loyal to the person
whose success is tied to one's own. This person identifies with the leader and
takes satisfaction from the leader’s success.
4) Adopting the Leader’s Vision. One understands the limits
of personal perspective and seeks to know the perspective of the leader and
others in order to work with them effectively. This person has a clear
understanding of priorities.
4. Growing Professionals. Creating the conditions that lead followers to
partnership requires leaders to know what they are looking for in their
followers. The model we have described offers this picture. Creating the right
conditions for effective followership next requires a clear understanding of
practical steps that invite followers to partnership. This example may help
readers think about the steps they might take.
The unit inspection is the archetypal military ritual; the symbol of high
standards and discipline. For many service members it is an occasion when
someone with a lot of power surveys a lot of people with less power for the
purpose of discovering discrepancies that the less powerful must correct. The
experience usually carries some anxiety and ends most often with relief. Good
officers pride themselves in a reputation for tough inspections. In general, one
would not describe the inspection as a partnership but what if it were?
Everyone involved in the inspection would understand that the purpose
was to help all come up to the high standards to which they all aspired. The
results of the inspection would provide information that would help the leaders
and followers improve. The overall results of the inspection would be seen as
reformation for the commanding officer concerning how effective he or she
and other leaders of the command were at teaching the standards. Failure to
perform would lead problem solving in order to discover the underlying
reasons for non-performance, and every member of the command would take
pride when all members of the command achieved the highest standards.
If reading this brief scenario causes you to object that this picture could
not be real, remember the elite units you have known. Then remember the
other inspections you have experienced. When the responsibility for quality
and high performance is vested in the hands of the few, it is heavy work.
When every member of a command understands and seeks to perform to the
same high standards, the load lightens considerably. This is a simple
example, but the climate of command is the result of many such "simple"
interactions.
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The experienced military professional might observe that "sharp"
followers never experience anxiety during an inspection. They are good and
they know it and that is the point. Good followers take responsibility for their
own performance, seeking to learn the expectations they must meet in the
simple and complex tasks they must perform. But good followers had to learn
the attitudes and skills that support their independent initiative. The challenge
of leadership is to develop in the modern military professionals the habit of
effective followership; if this challenge is met, the follower will be an effective
partner.
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CHAPTER 4
THE TEN RULES OF GOOD FOLLOWERSHIP
Phillip S. Meilinger
I often discover articles written by great leaders generals, politicians,
even businessmen that list the properties and attributes of good leadership.
These lists are usually similar, noting the importance of intelligence, physical
and moral courage, stamina, compassion, and so forth. These characteristics
are not only fairly general, but they seem to fall into the great leaders are born
not made category.
Moreover the entire subject of leadership principles always strikes me
as a bit grandiose because the authors are usually great men or women who
have performed impressive deeds. Although they provide useful advice for
those chosen few who will someday command troops in battle or direct the
operations of large organization, what about the rest of us? It occurred to me
that there is a subject more relevant to all men and women, regardless of rank
or duty position throughout the military services followership!
How does one become a good follower? This is a responsibility no less
important than that of leadership. In fact, it enables good leadership, yet is
often ignored. As we dedicate ourselves to service to nation, it is likely most of
us will be followers more often than we will be leaders.
For my part, I have over 23 years of military experience taking orders,
implementing policy guidance and serving as an intermediate supervisor.
Here are my Ten Rules of Good followership gleaned from those years.
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. “I
know this is a dumb idea and a pain for everyone, but that is what the boss
wants, sorry.” This may garner some affection from your subordinates
(although even the lowest subordinate is wise enough to eventually see
through such ploys), but it is certainly showing disloyalty to your superior.
Unquestionably, the desire for popularity is strong but it may have unpleasant
side effects that can weaken unit cohesion. One colleague I served with
several years ago indulged in periodic gripe sessions with his subordinates in
which he would routinely criticize the commander and his decision in front of
the youngest troops. When asked why he was undermining the boss, he
replied sanctimoniously that his integrity would not allow him to lie. He thought
the policies were idiotic and he had a duty to tell his people how he felt. He
said he was exercising "good leadership" by telling the truth as he saw it.
Rubbish!
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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. Chronologically, this rule should come first, but I felt the above
principle so important it deserved priority. 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. Resist the
temptation. 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 principles or issues that you believe
are detrimental to the unit’s mission accomplishment.
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 (not considered here are decisions that are illegal or
immoral – there are other avenues to resolve those issues). Remember, do
this in private. A weekly staff meeting is not the time to challenge the boss,
because human nature will take over and your stance may be seen as a
threat, making the boss dig in his heels. However, if you are able to sway a
decision or deflect a policy, it will be natural to boast to your troops about it.
Once again, you may have, just won points for yourself but at the expense of
your superior.
c. Use Initiative. Use initiative make the decision and then run it
past the boss. No one likes to work for a micro-manager. We all believe we
are smart enough and mature enough to get the job done without someone
hovering around and providing detailed guidance. There is another side to
that coin. One reason commanders become micro-managers because they
see their subordinates standing by and waiting for specific instructions.
They then feel obliged to provide them. You can short-
circuit this debilitating spiral by showing initiative, accomplishing the task a
lead then back briefing the boss on what you did. Very few people actually like
to be bombarded with problems that require them to devise solutions. Even
the most "hands-on" supervisors would generally prefer that someone present
them with a workable plan and ask for their ratification. Help the boss out by
taking a load off his mind. A word warning here; you may have to know your
boss fairly well, before you begin showing too much initiative. There is a fine
line between seizing the moment to get something done and becoming a
“loose cannon.” You do not want to gain a reputation for the latter. In sum,
always try to provide answers and not questions. As trust and understanding
develop between you and the boss, begin acting on those answers once you
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have arrived at them. Then tell the boss what you have done. Initiative is
something I always look for in subordinates, but as the next rule notes, it is
often in short supply.
d. Accept Responsibility. Accept responsibility whenever offered.
When I was in basic training, an instructor gave me what he thought was sage
and sane advice do not volunteer for anything. It took me several years to
realize his suggestion was worthless. The military or any top-flight
organization cannot work effectively or continue to grow and evolve unless it
is composed of risk-takers willing to assume responsibility. This can be
difficult because no one wishes to risk failure or embarrassment. Most of us
have experienced self-doubt and received healthy doses of humility along the
way that often caused us to hold back when a challenge was offered. I used
to worry about feeling unworthy whenever given a new task and would ask,
"Will I measure up?" Then I read the memoirs of former Air Force chief of staff
and war hero General Curtis LeMay. His comment that he had never been
given a job that he felt qualified to handle put my mind at rest. Nonetheless,
the fear of failure is real and must be overcome.
While working at the Pentagon in 1990 during the Persian
Gulf crisis, there was a flurry of activity as we scrambled to devise a suitable
response to Saddam Hussein's aggression. During those hectic days, I often
saw leadership and responsibility lying on the table waiting to be picked up by
any one who wanted it. I was amazed at how few people were willing to walk
over and grasp it. The reasons given were plausible: "It’s not my job, “That’s
above my pay grade” or “I'm not an expert in that area,” but they were
rationalizations, not reasons. The call to glory came, but few were listening.
Be a risk taker; accept responsibility, volunteer.
e. Tell the Truth and Do Not Quibble. Your boss will be giving
advice up the chain of command based on what you say. Mighty oaks from
little acorns grow. The same could be the law for major miscalculations that
were based on minor indiscretions. Another unfortunate human reaction is to
hide or cover up mistakes before they are discovered by others. 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.
Such instances of deceit are minor and not likely to cause
misfortune, but it is not hard to imagine how similar white lies can easily
become magnified. Take the example of an alert aircraft that is being checked
out following a minor maintenance problem. You "fudge" by reporting 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 multi-
layered 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
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it reaches the boss. We have all seen examples of this phenomenon, but the
most publicized recently are those regarding procurement programs for new
weapon systems where wishful thinking and sloppy reporting allowed things to
get out of control. 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. 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. Read up on the issue, talk to the offices that will
be affected by the decision, pulse your network of friends and coworkers to
gain insights in short, do your homework! 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. Be creative here. Ask the second and third level
questions, not just the obvious ones. Remember; if your boss will be taking
this proposal to his boss, you must prepare him properly to avoid his being
embarrassed (guess who pays for that). You might find it surprising how often
your supervisor will rely on you to actually make policy.
Upon arriving for a tour at the Pentagon, I was told my
task would be "to lead the generals." Few flag rank officers have the time to
study closely all of the dozens of issues they are confronted with each day.
Consequently, they will expect you to become the subject matter expert and
propose the appropriate courses of action. More often than not they will listen
to your recommendation.
g. Suggest implementation. When making recommendations,
remember who will probably have to implement them. This means you must
know your own strengths and limitations. Once you have finished studying the
problem in depth and are about to make a recommendation you want the
boss to ratify. Remember that you will likely be tasked to implement your own
suggestion. After all, who can better carry out a policy than the person who
just became an expert on it? In other words, do not propose solutions that are
impracticable. It is one thing to recommend a course of action that is designed
for an idea1 world, but quit another to suggest something that is workable
under prevailing circumstances and constraints. This does not imply that you,
always look for easy fixes or latch on to the lowest common denominator. Yet,
there is a calculus you must take that will reveal whether the ideal solution is
worth the effort or if a 90% percent solution might be more efficient. Be
prepared to brief the perfect answer, but note how much extra it will cost. At
the same time, 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.
Some people 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
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maximize your strengths while masking your limitations. This will make you a
more successful subordinate.
h. Keep the Boss Informed. Keep the boss informed of what is
going on in the unit. People will be reluctant to tell him or her problem and
successes. You should do it for them and assure 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 inclined to talk to you. As a result,
what you hear about the unit may be heavily filtered. Staying informed on the
true state of affairs is a constant but essential challenge. Subordinates who
routinely drop the boss notes or mention tidbits in passing can really help a
boss stay in touch.
Most of us feel a bit uneasy, about blowing our own horn
to the boss. If something important happens in our life or career, we are
embarrassed to tell anyone for fear it will sound self-serving. Similarly, we
hesitate to mention our troubles, because, it sounds like we are complaining.
Humility is an attractive virtue. That is when we need to take care of each
other. Tell the boss about your coworkers’ successes and assume they will
reciprocate for you. This type of mutual support helps build esprit and
cohesion within a unit. At the same time, remember that the boss needs to
know everything that is going on the bad as well as the good. If there are
problems in the unit, do not let the boss be last to know. Most difficulties can
be short-circuited and solved quickly if the boss knows about them. Keep him
informed.
i. Fix Problems as They Occur. If you see a problem, fix it. Do not
worry about who gets the blame, or praise. Army Chief of Staff General
George C. Marshall commented that there was no limit to the amount of good
people that could accomplish as long as they did not cart who received the
credit. Although this rule might look similar to my earlier calls for initiative and
accepting responsibility, my point here is to stress selflessness. When you
see something has gone wrong or is about to go wrong, fix it. Too often we
notice a bad situation developing and shake our heads and mumble "it's not
my problem." It is our problem. Do not get wrapped around the axle
wondering if you will get involve directly on the problem or if you stand to
benefit from its solution. We all serve for the greater good, so every time
difficulties are straightened out, we, our unit and the service are better off.
As you can tell by now, I am an optimist who truly
believes that good deeds will eventually be rewarded. The military, in
particular, is an equal opportunity society that recognizes and responds to
merit. It is not necessary to have the attitude of one major league baseball
player of whom it was said he'd give you the shirt off his back; then call a
press conference to announce it to the world.
The essence of military life is teamwork. Do your job
quietly, confidently and professionally, and trust your colleagues to do
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likewise. But if you do come across a problem, just go ahead and take care of
it. We are all in this together.
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. Americans 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. It has always been an honor for me to be associated
with military men and women, of all ranks and services, because I am
constantly amazed at how hard working, conscientious and dedicated they
are. That is a high standard to maintain and why I exhort all of you to give
more than an honest day's labor. But be careful not to become a "workaholic"
and let your job become your life. Certainly, there will be times in war, crisis
situations" or during inspection visits when you will have to double your work
efforts. Do not make a habit of this and do not let your subordinates either.
There was a popular T-shirt a few years back that stated: "If mama ain't
happy, ain't nobody happy." That's the way it was in my house growing up and
still is. In addition, if things are miserable at home, you will probably bring
those troubles to the office. Your family is married to the service every bit as
much as you are. They, too, must pick up and move, change jobs and
schools, 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 for you and your career. Remember, families are
forever.
k. The Ten Rules of Good Followership. These are my 10 rules of
good followership. 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. I hope you find these thoughts useful in
your own professional journey.
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CHAPTER 5
FOLLOWERS MAKE GOOD LEADERS GOOD
Warren Bennis
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 long-
time 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.
What makes a good follower? The single most important characteristic
may well be a willingness to tell the truth. In a world of growing complexity,
leaders are increasingly dependent on their subordinates for good
information; whether the leaders want to hear it or not. Followers who tell the
truth and leaders who listen to it are an unbeatable combination.
Movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn seems to have had a gut-level
awareness of the importance of what I call "effective backtalk" from
subordinates. After a string of box-office flops, Mr. Goldwyn called his staff
together and told them: “I want you to tell me exactly what's wrong with me
and M.G.M. even if it means losing your job.”
Although Mr. Goldwyn wasn't personally ready to give up the ego-
massaging presence of “yes men” in his own gloriously garbled way he
acknowledged the company's greater need for a staff that speaks the truth.
Like portfolios, organizations benefit from diversity. Effective leaders
resist the urge to people their staffs only with others who look or sound or
think just like them. They look for good people from many molds, and then
they encourage them to speak out, even to disagree. Aware of the pitfalls of
institutional unanimity, some leaders wisely build dissent into the decision-
making process.
Organizations that encourage thoughtful dissent gain much more than
a heightened air of collegiality. They make better decisions. In a recent study,
Rebecca A. Henry, a psychology professor at Purdue University, found that
groups were generally more effective than individuals in making forecasts of
sales and other financial data. And the greater the initial disagreement among
group members, the more accurate the results. “With more disagreement,
people are forced to look at wider range of possibilities, ”Ms. Henry said.
Like good leaders, good followers understand the importance of
speaking out. More important, they do it. Almost 30 years ago, when Nikita
Khrushchev came to America, he met with reporters at the Washington Press
Club. The first written question he received was: “Today you talked about the
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hideous rule of your predecessor, Stalin. You were one of his closest aides
and colleagues during those years. What were you doing all that time?"
Khrushchev’s face grew red. “Who asked that?” He roared. No one answered.
"Who asked that?" he insisted. Again, silence. "That's what I was doing," Mr.
Khrushchev said.
Even in democracies where the only gulag is the threat of a pink s1ip, it
is hard to disagree with the person in charge. Several years ago TV's John
Chancellor asked former Presidential aides how they behaved on those
occasions when the most powerful person in the world came up with a
damned fool idea. Several of the aides admitted doing nothing. Ted Sorenson
revealed that John F. Kennedy could usually be brought to his senses by
being told, "That sounds like the kind of idea Nixon would have."
Quietism, as a more pious sage called the sin of silence, often costs
organizations and their leaders dearly. Former President Ronald Reagan
suffered far more at the hands of so-called friends who refused to tell him
unattractive truths than from his ostensible enemies.
Nancy Reagan, in her recent memoir, My Turn, recalls chiding with
then Vice President George Bush when he approached her for the President
on grave reservations about White House chief of staff Donald Regan.
"I wish you'd tell my husband," the First Lady said. "I can't be the only
one who's saying this to him." According to Mrs. Reagan, Mr. Bush
responded, “Nancy, that’s not my role.”
"That’s exactly your role," she snapped.
Nancy Reagan was right. It is the good follower's obligation to share his
or her best counsel with the person in charge. And silence not dissent is the
one answer that leaders should refuse to accept. History contains dozens of
cautionary tales on the subject, none more vivid than the account of the
murder of Thomas Becket. "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”
Henry II muttered, after a contest of wills with his former friend.
The four barons who then murdered Becket in his cathedral were the
antithesis of the good followers they thought themselves to be. At the risk of
being irreverent, the right answer to Henry's question the one that would have
served his administration best was "No," or at least, "Let's talk about it."
Like modern-day subordinates who testify under oath that they were
only doing what they thought their leader wanted them to do, the barons were
guilty of remarkable chutzpa. Henry failed by not making his position clear and
by creating an atmosphere in which his followers would rather kill than
disagree with him. The barons failed by not making the proper case against
the king's decision.
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Effective leaders reward dissent, as well as encourage it. They
understand that whatever momentary discomfort they experience as a result
of being told from time to time that they are wrong is more than offset by the
fact that reflective backtalk increases a leader’s ability to make good decision.
Executive compensation should go far toward saving the pricked ego of
the leader whose followers speak their minds. But what's in it for the follower?
The good follower may indeed have to put his or her job on the line in the
course of speaking up. But consider the price he or she pays for silence. What
job is worth the enormous psychic cost of following a leader who values
loyalty in the narrowest' sense? Perhaps the ultimate irony is that the follower
who is willing to speak out shows precisely the kind of initiative that leadership
is made of.
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CHAPTER 6
CLIMATE, CULTURE, AND VALUES
And in the end, through the long ages of our quest for light, it
will be found that, truth is still mightier than the sword. For out of the
welter of human carnage and human wealth the indestructible thing
that will always live is a sound idea.
- General Douglas McArthur
The leadership climate is one where followers have set expectations
for their leaders and the leader demands certain responses from his or her
followers. When we say there is effective leadership, we mean there is a
climate that supports the leader and the actions that result from shared
decisions. Simply put, the leader’s personality sets the tone and creates the
climate. If the leader is a good commentator, there will be openness and
candor in organizational information exchanges. When a leader has integrity,
the organization will reflect strong values. A leader who works hard and sets
high expectations will create a climate where people give their best and know
what it takes to be superior. When leaders stand by their people and allow
them to make mistakes, which are seen as learning experiences, the
organization will be known for risk taking and innovation.
Just walking about an organization, an astute observer gets a sense of
the leadership climate. How people treat each other and what they say tell us
a great deal about the leader and the responses of the followers. In a sense,
this is the "personality" of the organization. Successful organizations reflect
optimism and confidence. Organization in trouble communicates fear and
uncertainty. The style of leadership sets the stage for organizational climate.
There is a unique culture in the military as well as in each of the armed
forces. Characterized by tradition, the mores, norms, and socialization reflect
a unique set of social patterns that are at once strength and a shortcoming.
Organizational culture is a set of shared assumptions, beliefs, and values that
form the basis for individual and collective behaviors. Perhaps the best
articulations of the special culture of the military are those famous words duty,
honor, and country. Men and women entering the military know that it will be
different from the lives they left. Those who are in the military know that they
are set apart from the rest of society.
Leadership in the military is bound by a defined chain of command.
Although not unlike corporate organizations, the military places more
emphasis on rank in the work setting (and often in social environments); thus,
one cannot escape that there are special responsibilities that go along with
being a leader in the military. There is a culture that is communicated through
stories, rituals, and symbols, and it is one that is implicit as well as explicit.
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Self-knowledge is based upon values; self-confidence is the behavioral
outcome of knowing and believing in one's values. Our values play a large
part in determining the type of follower or leader we are. Leaders reveal their
values in the way they make decision, the way they work with people, the
choices they make in routine and unusual situations, and the people and
actions they reward. Thus leadership is marked by congruency between
actions and words. People know our values by observing the consistency of
what we do with what we say.
Leaders must understand their values and the values of their followers.
We find, for example, that generational differences create some interesting
problems. Ranking officers and senior noncommissioned officers often hold to
values such as always giving one's best, accepting any assignment out of
duty, welcoming competition, and striving constantly for the top command
positions. Some of the junior officers and younger noncommissioned officers
may, with equal fervor, seek the minimum acceptable standards of
performance (while meeting those standards quite well), expect assignments
that provide a desirable quality of life, prefer cooperation over competition,
and be content to remain in a particular job or rank throughout their careers.
It is important to recognize that there are distinct groups within the
military that represent subcultures with a unique pattern of values and
philosophy that is not inconsistent with the dominant values and philosophy of
the military. In contrast, countercultures have a pattern of values and
philosophy that outwardly rejects those of the larger military organization. For
example, the first week of President Clinton's presidency (1993), the press
was filled with arguments over whether homosexuals should be allowed to
state their sexual preference and still serve in the military. Some argued it was
time to be more inclusive; others were shocked and morally outraged. Each
side claimed the other was a minority counterculture.
Whereas the continued existence of countercultures is damaging to
organizations, very large organization, including the military, import potentially
important subculture groups from our larger society. The leadership
application is in the relevance the subgroups have to the organization as a
whole. At one extreme, leaders can merely accept the subcultures and work
within the confines of the larger culture. At the extreme, leaders can value
diversity but systematically work to block the transfer of societal-based
subcultures into the fabric of the organization.
If one set of values is accepted to the exclusion of others, there may be
high turn over and conflict. More important, it will be difficult to create a sense
of ownership in shared goals; it will be impossible to build cohesive teams.
We need to understand and appreciate a diversity of values, molding unit
structures and processes in ways that permit individuals to work together no
matter the gender, age, or cultural background. Values that differ from our
own are neither bad nor good; they are just different and should be
recognized as such. Critics lament the "good old days" when a person's
values were predictable. We believe that, effectiveness can be achieved in
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variety of ways and that allowing people to live their values will permit them to
contribute in meaningful ways.
The articles that follow provide some guidelines for climate, culture,
and values. The common theme is that although what we say makes a
difference, our actions clearly communicate our values and set the climate
and culture of the organization we lead. Study the issues, and reflect upon
your values what they are and how you live them. By examining your own
actions, you may get a better insight as to how you might be more effective as
a leader.
Section 6-1 Setting Standards
In "The-"Credibility Factor: What 'People Expect of leaders" '(Chapter
16), James Kouzes and Barry Posner note that successful leadership
depends more on the followers' perceptions of the leader than the leader's
own perceptions. Honesty, competency, vision, and inspiration, are the four
characteristics that make, up a leader's credibility. The authors suggest that
credibility is earned over time but always remains fragile. Five fundamental
actions help build credibility: knowing your constituents, standing up for your
beliefs, speaking with passion, leading by example, and conquering yourself.
Kouzes and Posner affirm that self-confidence comes from two sources:
knowledge and integrity.
Sergeant First Class Douglas Ide presents a view from a senior
noncommissioned officer that is quite similar to the one expressed in the
previous article. In "Lessons on Leadership" (Chapter 17}, courage, candor,
competence, and commitment are described as the basic leadership traits.
SMA Richard Kidd is interviewed about his perspectives on leadership. He
believes that the leader must set the example, with his or her actions. Trust is
the key and is ratified by example. By example, values are communicated.
Leadership is recognizing the responsibilities one has to the others in the unit
or organization.
The importance of ethical behavior in climate and culture is outlined in
Major Reed Bonadonna's piece, “Above and Beyond: Marines and Virtue
Ethics” (Chapter 18). He notes that most modern military ethics are rule
centered. However, Bonadonna's preference is for virtue ethics, and he
suggests that there are probably three criteria in making decisions of ethical
importance: the rules, the consequences, and our own traits. Virtue ethics
have more relevance because they are adaptable to different situations, they
have the ability to apply motive, and they can stimulate us to do more than
what is defined as our duty.
Lt. Col. Karen Dunivin addresses contemporary issues in her "Military
Culture: Change and Continuity" (Chapter 19). With a framework on the U.S.
military culture; she compares the traditional model with an evolving model.
Inclusion replaces exclusion, egalitarianism replaces separatism, and
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tolerance replaces hostility. Dunivin notes that conservatism, moralism,
combat, and the masculine warrior elements remain the same in both models.
With most social change in the military externally imposed, she notes that an
evolving model is challenging the military with women in combat and
homosexuals in the military (issues we address in Part 5). Dunivin advances
that the military must challenge the male only paradigm and the traditional
combat-only identity. Her ultimate concern is that the military retain its culture
within the social framework in which it exists rather than becoming a
counterculture.
Finally, Lt. Gen. Walter Ulmer updates his original essay, “Leaders,
Managers, and Command Climate” (Chapter 20). He defines climate in terms
of the leader's example and the standards of performance expected in the
group or organization. How well people adapt to the climate can be evaluated
by peer and subordinate rating as well as traditional performance evaluations.
Ulmer believes that the command climate can be changed by altering the
leadership and managerial habits of senior officers; for they are the ones who
set the standards of performance. It is still the combination of leadership and
management that moves from routine good intentions to routine best practice
that will make a difference. He advocates credible standard methods for
evaluating command climate to enhance leader development.
A small mind is obstinate. A great mind can lead and can be led.
-Alexander Cannon
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CHAPTER 7
THE CREDIBILITY FACTOR: WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT OF LEADERS
James M Kauses and Barry Z. Posner
What you have heard about leadership is only half the story.
Leadership is not only about leaders, but about followers, or better yet
constituents. Successful leadership depends far more upon the constituent's
perception of the leader than upon the leader's own perceptions. Constituents
determine when someone possesses the qualities of leadership.
Unfortunately, most writings about leadership ignore the constituent.
We know what Lee Iacocca, Harold Geneen, Donald Trump, Roger Smith,
Harvey Mackay and other executives say about leadership. But what do their
constituents have to say about the subject?
Section 7-1 What Do People Admire in Leaders?
1. Honesty in Leaders. In every survey we conducted, honesty was
selected more often than any other leadership characteristic. Honesty is the
most essential requirement for leadership. After all, if we are willingly to follow
someone, whether it be into battle or into the boardroom, we first must assure
ourselves that the person is worthy of our trust. But how is something as
subjective as honesty measured? Whatever leaders may say about their
integrity, honesty, or ethical practices, constituents will judge leaders by their
deeds.
People consider leaders honest when the leaders do what they say
they, are going to do. Agreements not followed through, false, promises,
cover-ups, and inconsistency between word and deed are all indicators that
an ostensible leader is not honest.
2. Competency Ranks High. The leadership attribute chosen next most
frequently is competence. To enlist in another's cause, we must believe that
the person is capable and effective. If we doubt the leader's abilities, we are
unlikely to enlist in the crusade.
Leadership competence does not necessarily refer to the leader's
technical abilities in the core technology of the business. The abilities to
challenge, inspire, enable, and encourage must also be demonstrated if
leaders are to be viewed as capable.
The competence we look for also varies with the leader's position and
the condition of the organization. For example, the higher the rank of the
leader, the more people demand to see abilities in strategic planning and
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policymaking. At the line function level, where subordinates expect guidance
in technical areas, these same abilities will not be enough.
We have come to refer to the kind of competence needed by leaders
as value-added competence. Functional competence may be necessary, but it
is insufficient. The leader must bring some added value to the position.
3. A Forward-Looking Vision. Over half of our respondents selected
"forward-looking" as one of their most sought-after leadership traits. People
expect leaders to have a sense of direction and a concern for the future of the
organization.
Senior executives affirm their managerial colleagues requirement of
vision for leadership. A study we conducted of 284 senior executives found
"developing a strategic planning and forecasting capability" as the most critical
concern. These same senior managers, when asked to select the most
important characteristics in a CEO, cited "a leadership style of honesty and
integrity" first, followed by "long-term vision and direction."
Forward-looking does not mean possessing the magical power of a
visionary. The reality is far more down to earth; it is the ability to set or select
a desirable destination for the organization.
It is the vision of a leader the magnetic north that sets the course. A
leader's "vision" is, in this way, similar to an architect's model of a new
building or an engineer's prototype of a new product. It is an ideal image of a
unique future for the common good.
4. The Inspirational Quotient. It is not enough for our leaders to dream
about the future. They must be able to communicate the vision in ways that
encourage us to sign on for the duration.
Some people react with discomfort to the idea that: "inspiring'" is an
essential leadership quality. They say “I don’t trust people who are inspiring”
no doubt in response to past crusaders who led their followers to death or
destruction. Other executives are skeptical of their ability to inspire others
and, therefore, dismiss the quality as unnecessary.
In the final analysis, it is essential that leaders inspire our confidence in
the validity of the goal. Enthusiasm and excitement signal the leader's
personal commitment to pursuing that dream. If a leader displays no passion
for a cause, why should others care?
Section 7-2 The Credibility Factor
Put together, these four characteristics offer clear insight into the
foundation of leadership from the constituent's perspective. These
characteristics are generally the basis of what social scientists and
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communications experts refer to as "credibility." What we found in our
investigation of admired leadership qualities that, more than anything, we
want leaders who are credible.
When we believe a leader is credible when we believe he or she is
honest, competent, has a sense of the future and personal conviction about
the path then we somehow feel more trusting and secure around that leader;
and more willing to commit and work hard to achieve a shared vision.
Credibility, however, is extremely fragile. It takes years to be earned,
growing through persistent, consistent, patient exhibition of the four most
admired leadership qualities. Yet credibility can be lost with one thoughtless
remark, inconsistent act, or one broken agreement.
Section 7-3 Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Leadership is a unique and special bond between leaders arid their
constituents. The development of this relationship requires our constant
attention. Credibility is earned, not conferred by title or position. The following
are five fundamental actions we have found that help build credibility:
a. Know your Constituents. Building any relationship begins with
getting to know those we desire to lead. Find out what is important to your
constituents. Only in this way can you show them how their interests can be
served by aligning them with yours.
A recent study points out that the ability or inability to
understand other people’s perspectives is the most glaring difference between
successful and unsuccessful managers. How do you get to know the
aspirations of others? There's no substitute for spending time with and
listening to your constituents.
b. Stand Up for Your Beliefs. In our culture we tend to appreciate
people who clearly take a position. We resolutely refuse to follow people who
lack confidence in their own decisions. People feel stress when confused
about what you stand for; not knowing what you believe leads to conflict,
indecision, and political rivalry.
There is, however, a danger in always standing on
principle. It can make you rigid and insensitive, precisely the attributes that
lead to derailment and termination. The key to escaping rigidity is to remain
open to others and to new information.
c. Speak with Passion. To gain the commitment of others you must
communicate your excitement about the dream. If the leader is a wet match,
there will be no spark to ignite passion in others. Effective leadership means
delivering the message in a war that lives and breathes. Napoleon is reported
to have said, "If you want to lead the people, you must first speak to their
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eyes." Paint word pictures. Tell stories. Relate anecdotes. Weave metaphors.
Enable others to see, hear, smell and feel what you experience. Martin Luther
King, Jr. taught the world that when the dream lives inside others, it lives
forever.
d. Lead by Example. Leaders are role models. We look to them for
clues, on how we should behave. We believe their actions over their words,
every time.
If you ask others to observe certain standards, then you
need to live by the same rules. That is exactly what we were told many times
by exemplary leaders: You can only lead by example.
Leadership is not a spectator sport. Leaders don't sit in
the stands and watch. But hero myths aside, neither are leaders in the game
substituting for the players. Leaders coach: they show others how to behave,
on and off the field. You demonstrate to others what is important by how you
spend your time, by the priorities on your agenda, by the questions you ask
and the people you see.
e. Conquer Yourself. Jim Whitaker was the first American to reach
the summit of Mt. Everest. He learned from his experience that “You never
conquer a mountain. Mountains can’t be conquered,” he told us. You conquer
yourself your hopes, your fears."
The real struggle of leadership is internal. Do you
understand what is going on in your organization and the world in which it
operates? Are you prepared to handle the problems the organization is
facing? Can you make the right decision? Where the organization should be
headed? These and more make up the internal struggle of leadership.
This everyday struggle places enormous stress upon the
leader. We will not place our confidence in someone who appears weak,
uncertain, or lacking in resolve. People need to sense that the leader's
internal struggle if they know it to exist has been fought and won.
Section 7-4 What Is a Leader to Do?
The self-confidence required to lead has at its core two sources:
knowledge and integrity. Conquering yourself means learning about yourself
your skills and inadequacies, beliefs and prejudices, talents and
shortcomings. Self-confidence develops as you build on strengths and
overcome weaknesses.
Self-confidence also comes with worldliness. The leader is usually the
first to encounter the world outside the boundaries of the organization. The
more the leader knows about that world, the easier it is to approach it with
assurance. Thus, you should seek to learn as much as possible about the
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forces that affect your organization; be they political, economic, social, moral,
or artistic.
With knowledge of the inner and outer worlds comes an awareness of
the competing value systems, of the many different ways to run an
organization. This internal resolution of these competing beliefs is what leads
to personal integrity. A leader with integrity has one self, at home and at work
the late industrialist, John Studebaker, stated it clearly: "To have integrity, the
individual cannot merely be a weathervane turning briskly with every doctrinal
wind that blows. The individual must possess key loyalties and key
convictions which can serve as a basis of judgment and a standard of action.
There is no well-cut path to the future, only wilderness. Strongly held
beliefs compel leaders to take a stand and go out in front. Credibility begins
with a credo. As a leader, you are to have the self-confidence needed to step
out into the unknown. You might begin each day by looking in the mirror and
asking yourself, "Just what do I stand for?"
Section 7-4 What Junior-level Leaders Have a Right to Expect from
Senior-level Leaders.
General Bruce C. Clarke
a. That their honest errors be pointed out but be underwritten at
least once in the interests of developing initiative and leadership.
b. To be responsible for and be allowed to develop their own units
with only the essential guidance from above.
c. A helpful attitude toward their problems.
d. Loyalty.
e. That they not be subjected to unproductive "statistics" or
competitions between like units.
f. The best in commandership.
g. That the needs of their units be anticipated and provided for.
h. To be kept oriented as to the missions and situation in the unit
above.
i. A well-thought-out program of training, work, and recreation.
j. To receive timely, clear-cut, and positive orders and decisions
which are not constantly changed.
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k. That the integrity of their tactical units be maintained in
assigning essential tasks.
l. That their success be measured by the overall ability of a unit to
perform its whole mission and not by the performance of one or two factors.
m. That good works by their units be recognized and rewarded in
such ways as to motivate the greatest number to do well and to seek further
improvement.
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