Q & A Table of Contents
They're Making Me A Leader, But How Do I Gain Followers?
From: Kerry, Bury, United Kingdom
Question: I need some negotiation advice, ok I am 18 years old and am a sergeant at my local Air Training Corps. The problem is I just can't gain any respect from the cadets, but the commanding officer is wanting to promote me to flight sergeant and I don't feel ready. How can I gain that respect and feel confident?
Response: Look at the interests of the various stakeholders in the situation. You have your own interests in advancement, gaining respect, and deriving whatever other benefits you can gain from becoming flight sergeant. Your commanding officer want to develop young leadership, may want to have someone to whom s/he can delegate more authority, and make room to promote someone else to the sergeant position you currently hold. The other cadets need
to feel they have leaders they respect, that the promotion is justified, that they will be treated fairly.
One could expand this list of both stakeholders and their interests. If you look at all of the parties and their interests, it will help you figure out what questions to ask and what kind of answers to those questions will yield the desired results. For an extreme example, if the cadets are looking for a flight sergeant whose physical force is greater than anyone else's, you need to determine whether you can fill the relevant criteria. The other cadets may be looking for other qualities in their leader or in the process of promotion (e.g. more democracy). They may be looking for a peer leader who has excellent taste in music, is attractive to the opposite sex, or drives an impressive car.
The critical issues, however, relate to your own self-image. You need to look hard at who and what you are and determine how you can become more enthusiastic about yourself. When you believe in yourself with confidence and not arrogance, that will communicate itself to the other cadets and should help you gain their belief in you and enthusiasm about your leadership.
Good luck,
Steve
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