In my organization strategy is formulated by consensus of
both lower and upward leadership. Once a task has been given, it is up to
leadership at the lower levels to execute specific tasks. How they do it is
totally up to them so long as it is meeting the overall intent of our main
leadership. There are times when no subordinate leadership input is heard
during the strategic process. As Oblensky (2010) stated “ So how a leader
behaves will dictate to some degree the level of followership maturity.” (p.
149) There are times when leadership does not empower nor trust our subordinate
leaders because it is not in their job description to do such a thing. However
there are times (for the most part when I am involved) is where ill give
ownership of ideas to my subordinates and pitch it to the strategic meeting
table. Kelley (1988) describes the term of “Effective Followers” who are self-thinkers
and carry out their directives with motivation with little to no complaints.
(p. 3)
In Oblensky (2010) text on figure 9.5 on the “vicious circle
for leaders” my organization to include myself goes through the same process.
During my deployment especially for my junior leaders when it came to the
operations side of the house, I would
constantly get phone calls through the middle of the night for them to receive guidance
on particular mission processes that we already had gone over time and time
again. I would have thought or assumed after going through so much training
with me that they would have got the concept or intent that I was looking for.
Yet, I knew in part that it was my fault as I was under the assumption that
they were good to go.
They never received the constant training to mission
directives like I did so it didn’t make sense when I explained the concept
numerous times to them. It was a pattern, scheme, or motion what in what I expected
from them. When it comes to this sort of questioning by my subordinates the
intent from my higher ups will not be met and it eventually falls down in my
lap to fix. I took this excerpt from Kolb (2015) “So we all need a strategy for
everyday negotiations that will allow us to come away not only successful but
also still held in high regard by bosses and colleagues.” (p. 2) the answer to
the question of on the diagram 9.5 of Oblensky (2010) is to train or trust
subordinates with decision making and correct errors as they go, never putting
down an individual because of their mistakes. Just like how we do in the Army
we have what is called an After Actions Review (AAR) to fix and keep the
strengths and improves of strategic decisions within the organization.
In the operations side of the house in my organization
empowering those and not putting down the subordinate leaders ideas or
decisions when it comes to the strategic planning of our organization will go a
long way in the development of those subordinate leaders. Transformational
Leadership is the key to this process. Bartram & Casimir (2007) discuss
that “transformational leaders engage in inspirational behaviors by acting as
mentors and in this way they build followers’ self-confidence with respect to goal
attainment” (p. 5) this will best fix or create a new circle of followership
and instill confidence in those followers. Without them learning from their
mistakes (exactly what us leaders go through as no one is perfect) there would
never be no progress in the organization. Because once one leader retires, the
next one up to bat has to step to the plate and it is up to us as mentors to
shape and mold these young subordinates as they will become the future.
References:
Bartram, T., & Casimir, G. (2007). The relationship
between leadership and follower in-role performance and satisfaction with the
leader. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 28(1), 4-19.
doi:10.1108/01437730710718218
Kelley, R. E. (1988). In Praise of Followers Harvard
Business Review, 66(6), 142-148.
Kolb, D.M., (2015). Be Your Own Best Advocate Harvard Business Review, 93(11), 130-133.
Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex adaptive leadership. (20nd
edition.). London, UK: Gower/Ashgate
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