JROTC_ LE 200 8-2

List five suggestions for building effective relationships with leaders.

- Always help the leader succeed - Understand the leader's world - Educate your leader - Keep your leader informed - Adapt to your leader's style

Describe three actions you can take to be an effective follower.

- Be honest: Followers need to be honest and dependable. If a follower does not have integrity, it doesn't matter how many other great qualities or talents he or she might have. No one wants to work with someone who isn't trustworthy. After integrity, leaders value dependability. They value workers who have reliable work habits, accomplish assigned tasks at the right time in the right order, and do what they promise. - Don't gripe: Part of a follower's job is to help the team work well. Ideally, the leader does this, but sometimes the team must carry on despite its leader. Poor leadership is an enormous burden. But complaining about policies and poor leadership is never productive. A follower who gripes only further undermines the leader's authority and the team's ability to function. - Be proactive: Being proactive means taking the initiative and assuming part of the responsibility to make things happen. This includes building a good relationship with your leader. A proactive follower critically considers policies and presents suggestions to the leader that will contribute to team success. A follower must buy into the task of making the team better. - Make sound decisions: Once you have taken a proactive approach to followership and are confident in your role, you will need to make sound decisions. Your decisions will affect those around you. Step up and use your expertise. - Be enthusiastic: Enthusiasm is contagious energy. An enthusiastic follower can have a great influence over the team and its leader. Be upbeat and energetic when performing and promoting tasks. Success rests with the followers' enthusiasm as well as the leader's. - Be versatile and flexible: Hitting your head repeatedly against a brick wall isn't the most efficient way to get to the other side. When a problem comes up, take a few minutes to reevaluate a task. Use your brain rather than your skull. A second look will often reveal a better way around the wall.

What is the readiness level of a team member who has the ability and commitment to perform the job?

Able and willing

What must a leader be aware of as their followers' confidence levels shift and change? (Short Answer)

As a leader, you must be aware of your followers' changing levels of confidence and competence. Followers usually become increasingly confident as work proceeds.

What should you do if your leader does not set clear expectations?

Ask for clarification

How can you be an effective follower?

Be honest

If you are a leader and need to assess the ability levels of your followers or team members, what should you do?

Consider the task you will be assigning and its desired outcome

What do leaders value after integrity?

Dependability

What levels of readiness are team members at as they face each task?

Different levels

Which is a contagious energy?

Enthusiasm

T/F: The differences between a leader and a follower are quite large.

False

T/F: The leader alone determines the quality of the relationship between leader and follower

False

T/F: The role of the follower is often included in studies of leadership.

False

Which of the following are common traits of a leader and follower?

Honest

When might team members show unwillingness?

If they are not confident that their performance will meet the standard

What happens when a follower gripes?

It undermines the leader's authority

If the team fails, who should the blame fall on?

Leader and followers

What does a proactive follower do?

Presents suggestions to the leader

How can followers make a great contribution to a team's success?

Recognizing and trying to help overcome a leader's shortcomings

What should an effective follower do when a problem comes up?

Reevaluate the task

What types of decisions do effective followers make?

Sound

What does a new leader almost always need?

Team members' help

What does the readiness factor of "willingness" consist of?

The ability to do the work, a sense of duty in doing it, and a desire to do it

What is the readiness factor of "ability" partly based on?

The experience a team member has gained from doing previous tasks

What are followers?

The heart and soul of a team

Where do good leaders emerge from?

The ranks of able followers

What occurs in the readiness factor of "confidence"?

They learn more and become more competent

How can followers have power?

They possess knowledge and skills the team needs

Which of the following is a responsibility of followers?

To adapt to the leader's style

How can a follower affect team behavior and exert considerable power? (Short Answer)

To the degree that the team needs your knowledge and skills, you as a follower can affect team behavior and exert considerable power. Your skill may even be the power of your personality. A popular follower, as an individual, can change the behavior of a group. It's up to the team leader to decide how to use the individual strengths of each follower for the team's overall good.

T/F: Confidence plays a role in readiness.

True

T/F: The relationship between follower and leader sometimes blurs.

True

What is the readiness level of a team member who lacks ability but is motivated and makes an effort to complete the task?

Unable but willing

How can you strengthen the leader-follower relationship?

Understand the leader's world