Junior Officer Relationships

Hornblower

Followership Subordinate personal ambition Loyalty up the Chain of Command Responsibility to comply with orders of leaders Know when to speak up Personal Code of Conduct

You are a leader Leaders and followers have similar traits Your leader is following someone else Know your organization’s personnel wiring diagram

Discussion Being a good follower takes work Professionalism whether a leader or a follower Self-discipline Have goals – best goal is to become a future leader Being a follower is one of the many roles you will assume

Traits of a good follower Self-managed Commitment Competence Courage Compliance Self-knowledge (know your strengths and weaknesses)

Application in Real Life Go beyond the minimum standard. Know your role in the organization and live up to it. Make sound recommendations (based on research and knowledge) but comply with the decision once it is made – Must be free to accomplish mission. Keep the Chain of Command informed.

Understand Human Nature Motivation and discipline Need to understand seniors, peers, and subordinates

First Deployment Emotions Stress Fear Homesickness Loneliness Fatigue Demotivation Your Sailors have the same fears.

Combat your fears Set a positive and cheerful example Talk with your Sailors Instill a sense of confidence, self worth, and self respect Be sincere Fine line, but show compassion, empathy, and understanding

Human Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs –Physiological Needs - air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. –Safety Needs - establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world –Love Needs - Humans have a desire to belong to groups –Esteem Needs - self-esteem and the attention and recognition that comes from others –Self Actualization - Be all that you can be

Professionalism Know your job, know what is going on Dangerous duties demand it Mission accomplishment needs it

When Followership Fails… Potential loss of life Loss of unit effectiveness in combat Failure to complete the unit’s mission

Loyalty Tailhook (example of bad loyalty) Up and down Earned Don’t be a “yes man”

Visibly Support the Orders of Seniors Damn Exec Passing the Buck Give orders in first person. Make them your orders, not your boss’s.

Bypassing the Chain of Command Captain’s Call Suggestion boxes Open door policies numbers Chain of command should be approachable

Summary Being a good follower is training you to become a good leader. The most effective follower is that individual whose goal is being a future (better) leader.