In the case of disciplined initiative, followers are even more central. The power of followership robert kelley pdf converter how to#6 The commander must know what makes individuals effective or ineffective as team members, as well as how to leverage strengths and mitigate weaknesses among team members to create positive team dynamics. The commander is responsible for developing teams, but his or her approach to this task must be sensitive to the characteristics of the people that make up the teams. While a commander is largely in the driver’s seat when it comes to creating understanding, providing intent, using mission orders, and accepting risk, followers play a big part in influencing the dynamics of the team. 4 Among the principles of mission command, two in particular are highly sensitive to the quality of followers: build cohesive teams through mutual trust and exercise disciplined initiative. Thomas and Berg show how the six principles of mission command link to Ira Chaleff’s five dimensions of courageous followership, namely the courage to assume responsibility, the courage to support the leader, the courage to challenge, the courage to participate in transformation, and the courage to take moral action. Mission command is crucial because military operations “defy orderly, efficient, and precise control.” 3 By creating conditions that empower followers, the problem of maintaining control in a dynamic operating environment can be overcome. This article aims to help military leaders translate theory into practice by discussing four questions: (1) How do different types of followers respond to mission command? (2) How should military leaders manage different types of followers when exercising mission command? (3) How should teams be formed to maximize performance in mission command? And, (4) how should military leaders develop their followers for better application of mission command? 2īefore delving into application, a quick review of the synergy between mission command and followership is instructive. 1 While the article presents a convincing argument as to why military leaders who exercise mission command stand to benefit from a thorough understanding of followership, it stops short of providing a practical guide on how followership theory can be applied in the context of mission command. In their 2014 article “Followership: Exercising Discretion,” Ted Thomas and Paul Berg discuss the complementary relationship between mission command and followership theory. The image symbolically conveys how leaders must be mindful of how their subordinates operate as followers. Air Force pararescuemen climb a ladder to an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter 7 August 2017 during daytime water rescue operations training in conjunction with exercise Stealth Guardian near Dog Island, Florida.
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