I was a little nervous.  It was, after all, my first periodic evaluation as a new officer.  I knew that I had been working hard, taking care of my people and working to move the mission forward but, in the back of my head, questioned if I had done enough.  I walked into my Commanding Officer’s office, shook his hand, and sat down to get his take on my performance.

He gave me a full rundown on my year in review but, what I remember most was him saying, “Chip…what I really like about what you do is that you attack every thing I give you like a bull dog and don’t let go of it until it’s done!”  There was much more to the debrief but, after all these years, that’s all I remember (and, quite frankly, all I cared about at the time).  Above all else, he knew that he could count on me as a follower.

Within our society, we celebrate the leader; the person that moves the mission forward through insurmountable odds.  We focus our attention on how to be better leaders and develop better leaders but leaders can’t lead without great followers.  Without great followers, you’re not a leader (you’re just another crazy person standing in a courtyard with a fruit basket on his head).  From my perspective, I was a great leader because I knew how to follow.   If you are looking to develop your own leadership skills, consider focusing on how you follow in these five ways:

1.  Great followers know how to serve.  They align themselves with the mission and don’t wait for someone to tell them how they fit in.  A great follower figures out how he fits in and gives his talents, unsparingly, to help move the cause forward.  They give until it hurts and then they give a little more.  For the great follower, it’s always about we and never about me.

2.  Great followers are loyal. They have their leaders back, their teammates backs, and don’t violate the trust of the team.  This isn’t always easy, it takes great personal discipline to be obedient and that goes against human nature.  Great followers know the power of the pack and stick around through the toughest times.

3.  Great followers have integrity. They know where they stand on issues, what they value and have the “intestinal fortitude” to stand up for what is right in the face of adversity.  They are not “yes” men (or women).   If a leader or teammate goes against what is morally (or ethically) right, great followers go to that person first to resolve the issue.  Moral rightness is the compass that directs the decisions of the great follower.

4.  Great followers concern themselves with equity; they give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Rewards are nice but not paramount to the great follower; they take their reward from a job well done and moving the mission forward for the team.

5.  Great followers show their humanity. For the great follower, everything is second to the relationships forged within the team.  Great followers share themselves willingly with others and maintain a good attitude for others to be inspired by.  This is the one tenet that separates a good follower from a great follower for nothing is more important than how we get along and how we get things done.

Does it seem like the tenets for great following are parallel to what you’d want from a great leader?  Sure it does!  The starting points are the same but the focus is, strategically, a little bit different.  For me, after two assignments as a Commanding Officer and multiple other leadership jobs, what helped me the most in connecting with my people, understanding the mission, and moving it forward were the lessons I learned in how to follow.  The world is predominately made up of followers, as we can’t all be in charge all of the time.  With that being the case, don’t you want to follow the best you can?  Focusing in on these five areas will lay the groundwork for you to move from great follower to great leader and then back again (if needed).  Grab it like a bulldog and don’t let go!

I will leave you with this final thought:
“When in command, be in command!  When not, be the best DAMN follower you can be!”