Compare and Contrast Followership and Servant Leadership

These are important as a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) because they contain valuable qualities that will be beneficial to anyone serving in, or striving to serve in a leadership position. This essay will explain what followership and servant leadership are, and compare and contrast both of these roles.  

The definition of followership is “the capacity or willingness to follow within a team or organization” (ausa.org). Some followers may have the capacity and willingness to follow, but lack the self-discipline to do so without direction first. A good follower will exercise initiative in the absence of orders and be willing to share constructive feedback while also achieving a specific task. Servant leadership “begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (Robert Greenleaf). Some qualities of a servant leader are active listening, persuasion, and building community. A servant leader’s role is to take care of their Soldiers first and then coach the Soldiers to become effective leaders. There may be times where Soldiers will find themselves in the role of both a follower and a servant leader. Although these two traits go hand in hand, they also have distinct differences in their specific roles. 

 Followers and servant leaders share many similarities. Both the follower and the servant leader take initiative in completing a mission. A follower and a servant leader are trustworthy and knowledgeable.  They both also abide by the same values: loyalty, duty, respect, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Although the follower and servant leader have many similarities, their responsibilities within their role are different. 

The follower does not have as much responsibility as a servant leader. A follower is responsible for accomplishing a mission as required utilizing the resources available. A follower is not required to provide counsel to their peers or be concerned about the morale of their organization. A servant leader has more responsibility because while they are accomplishing their own daily tasks, they are also taking care of Soldiers. A servant leader’s role does not end when the mission does. They are always working in and out of uniform to ensure that the mission is accomplished and the welfare of their Soldiers is up to par. 

This essay has defined followership and servant leadership and given a comparison and contrast of both roles. Followership and servant leadership share many similarities but both have different responsibilities within their roles. It is important to understand both of these roles because as Aristotle said “he who cannot be a good follower, cannot be a great leader” (B112 lesson plan).