Laughlin Commentary - Followership

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Robert Brust
  • 87th Flying Training Squadron commander
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  I recently read an article titled "General McChrystal's Failure of Followership" by Barbara Kellerman and it got me thinking. Do we overemphasis the virtues of leadership? We like to say "everyone is a leader" but that's not always true. Especially when you consider a higher truth: "everyone is a follower". It's interesting to consider high profile "leaders" that have been fired of late. Most have been removed for poor followership. A common trait of successful Airmen is they are all great followers who support their leaders and the organization's goals. I'm not discounting the importance of leadership but, particularly in the military, if an Airman's effort isn't in line with their leader's vision it usually ends poorly.

As a junior officer I thought a commander could do what they wanted as long as it was legal. In reality a commander can do whatever they want as long as their boss approves. My bosses have always given me great latitude to lead so long as it was in the correct direction. As a commander I spend a good deal of time with my leadership ensuring our visions match and much of that time is spent in receive-only mode. Colonel Frankel likes to say he's giving out free tickets on his train, which is his analogy of a singular vision. So I took one of his tickets thinking I'd get a comfortable window seat and now I find myself happily shoveling coal as we pick up speed towards his vision. So what makes a good coal shoveler/follower?

The most important attribute of a good follower is loyalty; loyalty to the vision, your leaders and subordinates. In fact, loyalty is arguably more important than skill or hardwork. Imagine how destructive it would be to have smart, hardworking Airmen pulling resources in a different direction than you as a leader want to go. There is an important difference in expressing your opposition to a vision and actually working in opposition to a vision. One is called voicing your opinion and the other is insubordination. Loyalty to your boss and your subordinates is equally important. You may disagree with the vision or may not personally like your boss, but disregarding either serves no purpose. The loyalty you display towards your subordinates is what ultimately allows your supervisors vision to become reality.

A close second to loyalty is initiative. I know initiative is usually associated with leadership but nothing is more appreciated then when someone comes into my office to tell me some new idea or action they are taking in support of the mission. I jokingly tell people in my squadron that the sign on my door doesn't say "Chief Brainstormer". I'm pretty sure I can work through most of the issues in my squadron but I honestly don't have the time. I have to rely on the initiative of my followers. I believe a commander's time is better spent identifying problems, picking the right people and providing them the resources to fix problems and accomplish the mission. Every boss in the world wants people with initiative working for them.

The willingness to embrace change is the third attribute of a great follower. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think they are willing to change but in reality have a hard time when the vector shifts. It's especially hard when you've committed yourself and worked hard then without anticipating it, a new mission pops up or a new leader changes the vision. Countries, militaries and people that stagnate or are unable to adjust, eventually fail. Don't allow your loyalty and brilliant ideas to prevent you from being able to change directions.

In nature the most successful groups accept a single leader and the others loyally follow. In the military we all have superiors and must all perfect the art of following. Disloyalty within the ranks has caused wars to be lost, generals to be fired and failure of individual missions. We need to identify and solve problems for our leaders while keeping them informed. When circumstances beyond our control cause mission and vision changes, we need to quickly adjust. The 47th Flying Training Wing train is leaving the station and the boarding tickets are free. Your loyalty, initiative and willingness to embrace change will determine where you sit.