LECTURE 6

MILITARY LEADERSHIP
AND FOLLOWERSHIP
LECTURE OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
I. REASONS TO FOLLOW
II.STYLES AND MODELS OF FOLLOWERSHIP
III.QUALITIES OF A GOOD FOLLOWER
IV.WHAT LEADERS NEED FROM FOLLOWERS
V. WHAT FOLLOWERS NEED FROM LEADERS

CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
• followership = the ability or willingness
to follow a leader
• followers
✓ actively participates in task completion toward
mission accomplishment
✓ can shape productive
leadership behaviour
✓ can provide enthusiastic
support of a leader
✓have a responsibility to
speak up when leaders do
things wrong
 I. REASONS TO FOLLOW
FAITH IN LEADER
“What a great person. If
anyone knows the answer,
they do!”
INTELLECTUAL
BLIND HOPE
“We must do something.
AGREEMENT
I hope this works!” “What a good idea. That
makes real sense.”

BUYING THE
FEAR OF
REASONS VISION
RETRIBUTION
“If I don’t follow, I may TO FOLLOW “What a brilliant idea.
I don’t care who
lose my job!” thought of it.”
II. STYLES AND MODELS
OF FOLLOWERSHIP
❑ Robert E. Kelley’s Followership
Model (2008)
➢ focuses on the role of followers in an organization
➢ distinguishes followers in terms of their behavior and
personality attributes
➢ defines the different styles of followership by considering 2
different behavioral dimensions
❖ one dimension measures the degree to which followers
think independently and critically
❖ the other assesses the level of engagement, whether
active or passive in the organization
 High EFFECTIVE/
Independent
ALIENATED STAR FOLLOWERS

Critical PRAGMATIC
thinking SURVIVOR
YES PEOPLE/
SHEEP/PASSIVE
Low CONFORMIST
Dependent

Low High
Passive
Participation Active
▪ SHEEP/PASSIVE
✓ passive, dependant, and uncritical
✓ lack initiative and responsibility
✓ do not play an active role
✓ simply comply with any order given

▪ YES PEOPLE/CONFORMIST
✓ active, dependent, and uncritical
✓ readily carry out orders uncritically
✓ dangerous if orders contradict
standards
✓always say what they think leaders
want to hear
▪ PRAGMATIC SURVIVOR
✓ right in the middle
✓ exhibits a minimal level of independent thinking and
engagement
✓ rarely committed to work/group goals
✓ does just enough to get by
✓ mediocre performers blocking the arteries of an
organization
▪ ALIENATED
✓ passive, independent, and critical
✓ think for themselves
✓ criticize, but never offer
constructive support or contribute
to the positive direction of the
organization

▪ EFFECTIVE
✓ active, independent, and critical
✓ problem solvers
✓ can work with others
✓ reflect on goals of the organization
✓ not hesitant to bring concerns to
leader
 ❑ Ira Chaleff – Courageous
Follower Model (2008)
➢ names the power that followers exhibit in their different
qualities and distinguishes that power as courage
➢ reveals 5 different dimensions of attitudes & behaviors:
• the courage to support the leader
• the courage to assume responsibility for common purpose
• the courage to constructively challenge the leader's
behaviors
• the courage to participate in any transformation needed
• the courage to take a moral stand when warranted to
prevent ethical abuses
• 4 styles – based on the degree to which followers
have the courage to support or the courage to
challenge the leader
• exhibits low support and low challenge
RESOURCE
• this follower does the minimal amount to
style keep her/his job, but nothing more

INDIVIDUALIST • reveals low support and high challenge

• this follower will speak up but typically
style takes a position opposed to the majority

• demonstrates high support and low

IMPLEMENTER challenge
style • this follower simply obeys the orders

PARTNER • shows high support and high challenge

• this follower assumes full responsibility
style for her/his actions and acts accordingly
 ❑ Barbara Kellerman’s
Followership Model (2008)
➢ 5 styles – based on the level of engagement of
the followers
ISOLATES BYSTANDERS PARTICIPANTS ACTIVISTS DIEHARDS
- are - observe but - are a bit more - feel - are deeply
completely do not engaged strongly devoted to
detached participate - either favor and act their leaders
- do not - typically their leaders & accordingly - their
know or stand aside organizations - eager and followership
care about - not or are clearly energetic & devotion
their motivated opposed - often in define who
leaders - avoid the - willing to the leader's they are and
- disappear risk to be speak up inner circle determine
into the involved - intrinsically - high what they do
crowd self motivated degree of
initiative
 ❑ Roger Adair – 4-D Followership
Model (2008)
➢ examines a follower’s level of job satisfaction and her/his
productivity
➢ based on the combination of job satisfaction and
productivity, Adair demonstrates the likelihood/turnover
that someone will decide to leave the organization
 • displays high job satisfaction, high
DISCIPLE productivity and low turnover rate
• serves the needs of the others

• is high in productivity, but low in job

DOER satisfaction, and high in turnover rate
• serves their own needs

• is low in job satisfaction, low in

productivity, but unlikely to leave the
DISENGAGED organization unless forced to do so – low
turnover rate
• shows passive reaction to stress

• is low in both job satisfaction and

productivity, and highly unlikely to
remain with the organization – high
DISGRUNTLED
turnover rate
• is not a team player and has a highly
corrosive personality
III. QUALITIES OF A GOOD FOLLOWER
JUDGEMENT
❖ knowing the difference between how to carry out a directive with
which he/she does not agree versus a directive that is truly wrong

WORK ETHIC
❖ good followers are good workers, and it is the responsibility of the
follower to be a good worker
❖ a bad worker cannot be a good follower

COMPETENCE
❖ followers must be competent in the requested task in order to
follow properly
❖ if a failure results from a lack of competence, the leader is to
blame for not providing adequate resources for success

HONESTY
❖ prompt obedience to orders and initiation of action in the
absence of orders
.
III. QUALITIES OF A GOOD FOLLOWER
COURAGE
❖ followers need courage to be honest and be able to confront a
leader about agenda and/or the leader himself/herself

DISCRETION
❖ knowing when to and when not to talk, and not speaking negatively
❖ good followers cannot be indiscreet – indiscretion is careless

LOYALTY
❖ good followers understand and respect their obligation to be loyal
to their organization and its goals, not to a given leader at a given
point in time

EGO MANAGEMENT
❖ good followers keep their egos under control, are team players,
have good interpersonal skills
.
 “A GOOD STAFF OFFICER”

The Responsibility Ladder – Subordinate’s View (Roger Martin)

IV. WHAT LEADERS NEED
FROM FOLLOWERS
✓ are positive and self-motivated
A Can-do ✓ can get things done
Attitude ✓ accept responsibility
✓ excel at required tasks

✓ is part of the leader's larger system

A Collaborative ✓ should realize that his/her actions affect
Approach the whole

✓ know what is happening in the military

organization
The Personal ✓ understand the military culture
Drive to Stay ✓ know how changes in technology or world
Current events might affect the organization
✓ seek to enhance their own personal and
The Passion to professional growth and development
✓ take on difficult assignments, which
Drive Personal
demonstrates a willingness to face
Growth challenges, stretch their limits, and learn
V. WHAT FOLLOWERS NEED
FROM LEADERS
➢ to clearly communicate where the team/
organization is going and why
Clear Goals and ➢ to set specific goals and objectives, on both
an individual and team level
Direction ➢ to help them see how their own individual
role jobs fit in the larger context of the team,
and the military organization

Frequent, Specific, ➢ to provide feedback – the leader cares about

and Immediate their growth and career development and wants
Feedback to help them achieve their potential

➢ to empower them to explore

➢ to help them understand, learn and improve
Coaching to specific skills
Develop Potential ➢ to provide support
➢ to remove obstacles that stand in the way of
their ability to grow and excel
 CONCLUSION
❑ an effective follower:
✓ Volunteering to handle tasks or help
accomplish goals;

✓ Willingly accepting difficult assignments;

✓ Exhibiting loyalty to the leader, team, and

military organization;

✓ Offering suggestions for improvement;

✓ Maintaining a positive attitude, even in
these confusing, difficult times;

✓ Working effectively as a team member;

✓ Being a resource for the leader;

✓ Helping the leader be a better leader;

✓ Building a professional, trusted

relationship with the leader;

✓ Having realistic expectations of the leader.

"The greatness of a leader
is measured by the
achievements of the led.
This is the ultimate test of
his effectiveness."
Omar N. BRADLEY
(1893 – 1981)
– US Five-Star General
– commanded the largest American force ever united
under one man’s leadership during WW2
– the first chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
 “We have good corporals and good
sergeants and some good lieutenants and
captains, and those are far more
important than good generals."

William T. SHERMAN
(1820-1811)
– Union General during the
American Civil War
– Commander-in-Chief – United
States Army (1869-1883)
ANY QUESTIONS?