The Ten Rules of Good Followership

Masjid Sultan Salahudin Abdul Aziz, Selangor, Malaysia

1. Don’t blame your boss for an unpopular decision or
policy; your job is to support, not undermine.


2. Fight with your boss if necessary; but do it in private,
avoid embarrassing situations, and never reveal to others
what was discussed.


3. Make the decision, then run it past the boss; use your
initiative.


4. Accept responsibility whenever it is offered.


5. Tell the truth and don’t quibble; your boss will be giving
advice up the chain of command based on what you said.


6. Do your homework; give your boss all the information
needed to make a decision; anticipate possible questions.


7. When making a recommendation, remember who will
probably have to implement it. This means you must know
your own limitations and weaknesses as well as your
strengths.


8. Keep your boss informed of what’s going on in the
unit; people will be reluctant to tell him or her their problems
and successes. You should do it for them, and assume
someone else will tell the boss about yours.


9. If you see a problem, fix it. Don’t worry about who
would have gotten the blame or who now gets the praise.


10. Put in more than an honest day’s work, but don’t ever
forget the needs of your family. If they are unhappy, you will
be too, and your job performance will suffer accordingly.


By Col Phillip S. Meilinger in The Ten Rules of Good Followership