Running head: FOLLOWING EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Following Effective Leadership
Introduction
The process of being an effective follower is an important step toward becoming a great leader, or what I like to call a follower-leader. No effective leader ever truly leads without taking the input and guidance of others. To become a skilled follower is not an overnight experience; knowledge of the skills of good followership is a lifelong endeavor that is nurtured by exposure to a wide variety of experiences. Effective followers seek out the skills of winning leadership and are continually learning success at all levels.
Observing Mentorship
I am the acting Instructional Systems Specialist at a San Diego Naval teaching facility. The command is performing the yearly evaluations of the Second Class Petty Officers and a debate ensued as to the level of importance of the Master Training Specialist Qualification (MTS), with regard to the ranking process. The qualification is voluntary, but there is no question that promotion boards view this qualification highly when ranking Sailors for advancement. With this said, there was still some controversy as to its importance. As the evaluator of all of the command's training policies and procedures, I must remain as objective as possible; otherwise, I jeopardize the trust of the command when setting the operational goals of curriculum development and training evaluation. I have no specific people working directly under me; therefore, fewer opportunities arise that may compromise my objectivity.
I studied the list of Second Class Petty Officers, comparing their performance and ranking. Next, I looked at the personnel in the list that had the MTS qualification vice those who didn't. There ar ...