Leading from the Middle in the Military

Leading from the Middle: Effective Followership
In a system where there are many levels of leadership, sometimes it is the leader in the middle of the pack who has the most influence on those around him. This is because the middle leader is like the sun around which so many moving parts interact. He is the one who sets the tone and mood and atmosphere and attitude for followers because he is visible and interacts with them on a daily basis, whereas the leader at the top may set the agenda and provide the vision but in terms of real leadership his example is not witnessed firsthand by most followers. Indeed, these followers in turn then help to be leaders in their own right as they reflect the ideals and principles demonstrated to them by their own immediate superior. Being a good follower of the right ideas and principles can thus make followership into a type of leadership that promotes, ultimately, the vision of the organization in a positive and influential manner. This paper will show how leading from the middle can lead to effective followership by providing examples from “A Long Year in 1st Brigade.”
Followership can help a leader improve an organization by showing that when one serves the ideals and principles of the organization one essentially leads others to those ideals. For example, LTC Allen shows Major Eric that “the brigade staff’s duty was to always support the brigade Soldiers….The major challenge for the staff as adapting and improvising to stay on course with the brigade commander’s intent and never let the brigade fail.”[footnoteRef:2] In other words, followership is all about following the rules and being a good servant of the organization and knowing what is expected of one. This in turn helps the leader to lead more effectively because the various parts and components of the whole are operating as they should. As Chaleff points out, “it is the quality of the relationship of leaders and followers, all the way up and down the organization chart, that makes or breaks organizations.”[footnoteRef:3] [2: Art of Command: Leading from the Middle, 2.] [3: Ira Chaleff, “Courageous Followers, Courageous Leaders,” Ideas for Leaders, 1.]

The responsibilities of followership in an organization are for the follower to assume responsibility for his own actions and not be concerned about the shortcomings or limitations of one’s leader. If one knows the organization vision, mission and principles, one will be able to maintain a path towards them in spite of leadership faults. The follower is adhering to the spirit of the mission—and that is the main goal of followership. The importance of communicating effectively as a follower is demonstrated by LTC Allen, as he explains to Major Eric why Col Brown comes across the way he does and why the brigade has to focus on doing its mission and adhering to the vision. While Brown may lack certain interpersonal skills, he knows the vision and wants the brigade to adhere to it—and Allen effectively communicates this principle of followership to Eric so that they can both be successful.[footnoteRef:4] [4: Art of Command: Leading from the Middle, 2.]

In conclusion, followership can be an effective way to leadership as it represents the ideals and principles that an organization should embody in order to be successful. Followers in other words play a substantial part in seeing that the vision of the leader is executed correctly even if the leader himself lacks certain skills to communicate effectively. If the follower has done his due diligence and maintained a clear sight of the goals and the way to achieve them he will have done his part in making sure the organization is successful. The success of the organization is what is most important to the leader and by being a follower who is mindful of this goal, the follower demonstrates effective leadership skills himself.
Bibliography
Art of Command: Leading from the Middle.
Chaleff, Ira. “Courageous Followers, Courageous Leaders,” Ideas for Leaders.