NCJ Number
157585
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 62 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 28-32
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Community policing requires that police officers become leaders in the community, but leaders are only effective when they have hard-working, competent, dedicated followers.
Abstract
Effective followers must understand the organization's goals and how their work contributes to achieving those goals. They must be enthusiastic about what they do and able to make sound decisions. They must have a personal commitment, both to the organization and to their own work. Followers must be responsible individuals who are willing to act appropriately under stressful circumstances, motivated primarily by the need to feel that they have done their jobs well. Successful "followership" requires skills and behaviors that must be learned, practiced, mastered, and applied. Effective followers have distinctive characteristics; they include character (personal integrity), a vision that guides actions in fulfilling organizational aims, adaptability in using their skills, a belief in the organization's goals, and a union of sentiment and action. Effective followers also take responsibility for their own careers, actions, and development; effectively manage their time and efforts; and recognize the importance of their work even though they do not receive the adulation given a leader.