Air Force Followership

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BACKGROUND PAPER ON FOLLOWERSHIP 1. In today's ever changing Air Force, it is becoming more and more important to become effective followers. With a downsizing force and an increasing demand on the force, we are required to expand the scope of our work and become both effective leaders and followers. The two dimensional model of followership helps us do this by braking down to the two components of followership; critical thinking and participation. 2. Critical thinking is about the analyzing information beyond the face value of it. It is about thinking outside the box and figuring out all possible solutions with a creative process. Similarly, someone who shows high participation is someone to be active in finding solutions rather than …show more content…

Performance initiative is the commitment one has to put forth their best efforts to produce quality work and from this we can derive four characteristics. The first aspect is being able to work with others. Followers must set aside personal interests to find a goal that the team has in common. This will ensure that everyone is working together and has an interest in the task. The next is embracing any change, which might positively impact the organization. For example accepting any changes to reduce waste or increase productivity. The next aspect is competence. A good follower must know what is being asked of him and strive to do his personal best because of his own high standards. The last aspect is viewing yourself as a high value asset to the organization. This ensures that you understand the importance of your work and will motivate you to put forth the effort required. All these aspects point towards someone who is conscientious and willing to put forth full …show more content…

Relationship initiative is the level, in which, a follower shares in the responsibilities of the work and takes on the same obligation as the leader. He may not be ultimately responsible for it but he takes on the work as if he was. Relationship initiative can be broken down into four-sub components the first being building trust. This is where a follower encourages feedback and input for self-improvement; this demonstrates they are reliable and self motivated. The next aspect is to communicate courageously, which means to be able to give and take constructive criticism even if it makes you uncomfortable. The third element is to identify with the leader so you are able to partner with them and share in the satisfaction of their success. Lastly, it is important for a follower to take on the leader’s vision and be as passionate about it as they are. This will ensure they have a clear understanding of priorities and objectives for the broad

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