III.+Followership+Styles

III. Followership Styles - Describe the followership styles of the Brigadier General Frank Savage’s key subordinates.

Characters:

Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately - degraded him to airplane commander with "leper colony" painted on it because he shirked his responsibilities. - ability but no motivation / needs direction. Passive? He ends up flying three missions with a fractured spine before the General finds out. The General visits him in hospital and offers him anything he needs. Gately declines but thanks him. He seems to have gained motivation. The nurse says the General commended him and puts him back in his former position. Towards the end Gately takes over for Savage showing that he has progressed from passive to exemplary, able to lead the mission with some success. He has proven himself a leader to Savage

Major Joe Cobb - alienated (warmed up to the general) they first meet in the bar on base where he is drinking whisky. The General offers to buy him a second drink and he tries to refuse but is rebuked. The general then decides to move him into Gately's position. After the group decides to stick with the General and withdraw their requests to transfer, he suggests to the General that he grants three day passes to London to "make good" with the men. He then does not understand why the General puts them to work even harder! He is a skeptic but does follow the General. He levels with him and tells him about all the stowaways. He is a good follower. Once Gately is back in position Cobb goes back to flying missions. He is killed on a mission.

Major Stovall - able and willing but takes initiative with direction - telling. he slows down the processing of the transfer papers to buy the General more time to transform the group at the General's "request". He does not hesitate to talk to Savage with his opinions. He is a good follower. Not a "Yes man".

2nd Lieutenant Jesse Bishop - youngest who bailed on first mission to return. He is called into Savage's office but he says he has no confidence at all in anything. He says he does not know how he even feels. He is glad all the planes came back safe but does not want to fly anymore at all. He does have the experience, just not the confidence. Passive follower. He needs persuasion from the General who attempts to give him a pep talk. He ends up giving the rest of the group a talking to and convinces them all to stay and withdraw their requests to transfer. He is lost during a mission.

Major Kaiser? Med Has a different relationship because he is not part of the group in the same way.

McIllhenny - Sargent / Private / Sargent / Private / Sargent. Confidence and ability... telling He sneaks on to missions to be a gunner even though he is not meant to.