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Show I COMMENTARY Hilltop Times January 5, 2006 HILII It takes good What is your new year's resolution? Airman 1st Class Amanda Waters followers to make good leaders BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. STANLEY BAUER 84th Combat Sustainment Wing 75th Services Division customer service representative "My goal this year is to get in shape." Tech. Sgt. Delma Edwards 649th Combat Logistics ^Support Squadron NCOIC of production and supply "I want to go to church every Sunday." Master Sgt. Chris Strickland 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron mobility NCO "My only goal this year is to lose weight." Tech. SgtNathaniel Achord 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Dedicated Crew Chief "My personal goal is to prepare and get in shape for my job as a highway patrolman." 2nd Lt. Nick "Chaps" Jordan 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron OIC of vehicle maintenance Followship. No — I haven't misspelled that word, and I know followship is not really a word found in a dictionary. But it could be. If leadership is the art of influencing and directing people to accomplish the mission, then followship can be defined as the art of following a leader to accomplish the mission. Often, an article coming from a chief master sergeant would focus on leadership. Why it is important, being in charge, being out front, accountability, courage, blazing a trail, fostering growth, etc. But for this article, at least, I want to take a look at the other side of the equation, i.e. what it takes to be a good follower. Now, everyone is a follower in one way or another. No matter what your position, you are going to follow some leader, somewhere, at some time. It may be a mentor, or a teacher, or an author, or of course, it may be your boss. Everyone is accountable to someone in some capacity; Our government was founded on a checksand-balance principle. To illustrate, my former group commander, a colonel, told this story about colonels and chiefs. In a typical wing, he concluded, "... colonels and chiefs really didn't have a boss, at least not looking directly over the shoulder." He quickly discovered he had many bosses and people he had to answer to ... more than ever. He then concluded chiefs must be the only ones who really didn't have to answer to someone without fear of retribution. That belief changed too one night while he was attending an Airmen Leadership School graduation. While there he observed a chief shaking salt on his food like there was no tomorrow. He stopped the chief and asked, "What's up with the salt?" The chief looked up and said, "My wife is out of town." It was then that the colonel concluded, "Even chiefs have bosses." So, if we're going to be a follower sometime, somewhere, we might as well do it right. What does it mean to be a good Chief Master Sgt. Stanley Bauer ment, mentoring, etc. Most leaders will recognize and assign added value to those followers. I'm not suggesting you become a "yes-man" or "yes-woman" to fit into organizational goals or maximize your value in that area. Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target, when he warned his people that if you have a yes-man or yes-woman working for you, one of you is redundant. Good leadership and followship encourages everyone's evolution. • Followers learn to bring important things to a leader's attention. This does not mean you rat on co-workers, bootlick, or any other disgusting things that weasel employees often do. Nor does it mean you become the spokesperson to air any * and all complaints. What is needed is for you to become a good sounding board for your leader, bring appropriate news to share with the — Chief Master Sgt Stanley Bauer team, and present relevant data — even if it contradicts the leader's assumptions. Next you work to help define an effective leader who also underwhat the future of the organization stands where he or she is headed. will be. As followers, your job is to Some leaders are neither forthcoming not merely identify problems as many about their destination nor do they talented and capable members have know its location until they find it for demonstrated. Your job is to present themselves. The best leaders have an infectious vision which is easily trans- the problem in a coherent (and least caustic) way and offer several reasonmitted to their followers. able options for resolution. • Followers learn to make themselves more useful to their leaders. • Followers should be leaders themMaximize your perceived value selves. Just as a leader has a vision, through formal education, training, and a follower learns to share and team playing and organizational propagate that vision, they become initiative. Use professional developleaders in whatever capacity asment resources, such as military signed. It is important for followers correspondence courses and formal to build leadership skills and then education to enhance leadership, become incredible leaders in their problem solving, continuous improveown right. follower? How do you excel in followship? First, it is worthy to note, it is not "blind following." Blindly following a leader is rarely the best way to go because leaders, like followers, are fallible. The best followers are the ones who can recognize and support the best leaders. Here are some points that help define the art of followship. • A good follower understands the vision. They must be able to see how their work contributes to the organization's big picture. Understanding this vision will help you spot "B lindly following a leader is rarely the best way to go because leaders, like followers, are fallible/' ction L Line "To win the world series of poker." 777-7000 • action.line.pa@hill.af.mil Capt. Matt Frey 508th Fighter Sustainment Group F~16 mechanic systems engineer "My new year's resolution is to finish my master's degree this year." ' .Col. Sharon Dunbar 75th A6W Commander Phone numbers — The ''..•? base agencies listed can be ' contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with their services: Security Forces 777-5550 ' 24-hr. Crisis Information... 777-3056 Services 777-4134 Base Restaurants 777-2043 When you call or send an e-mail, your comments will be recorded and staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command the opportunity to work with you Retirement/Compensation . 777-6142 (civilian) Social Actions 777-3516 Employee Relations 777-7129 Military Pay 777-1851 Civilian Pay 777-6246 Air Force Suggestion 777-6901 Program IG Complaints 777-5305 (for appointment) in answering questions and solving problems before calling the Action Line. This will help me better serve your interests. Items of basewide interest will be published in the Hilltop Times. IG Complaints ...,.• (after hours) Fraud, Waste or Abuse (recording) 75th Medical Group Civil Engineering Hill Pride Hotline Public Affairs Public Affairs Information.. Control Line ; 777-5361 777-4918 777-1856 777-7433 777-5201 777-9696 Military Housing 777-2963. Maintenance Safety Office 777-3333 Union 777-3257 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline... 777-1852 Family Assistance Center... 775-3090 (when activated) "The, U.S. Air Force — meeting the challenge through Global Vigilance, Reach and Power" Hilltop TIMES Weekly Since 1948 Published by Ogdcn Publishing Corp., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Hill AFB. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. 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