Hospitality professionals passionate about advancing their career should take the advice of renowned MBA professor Dr. Linda Herkenhoff in her upcoming leadership webinar
SAN FRANCISCO, CA DECEMBER 5, 2017 – In childhood, “Follow the Leader” was a fun and interactive game. In business, however, followership determines a person’s livelihood and it can impact one’s opportunity for advancement within the organization. Following the wrong type of leader can also be problematic. If the manager is too passive, employees may lack motivation to perform. If the leader is too aggressive, staff may lose self-confidence and end-up hating a job they were once eager to perform.
In the last of her 6-course Hospitality Leadership Webinar Series, Dr. Linda Herkenhoff will deliberate on “Leadership and Followership.” The 45-minute “Bee School” class, produced by workplace communication company Beekeeper, will discuss the importance of leading others to lead themselves. According to the renowned MBA professor and senior management expert, the rules of followership or “being guided and directed by a leader in the work environment,” can have a direct correlation to employment success. Having the willingness to express ideas, the courage to assume responsibility and the courage to challenge those in authority are strong characteristics of followers who will make great leaders.
Bee School Course No. 6 “Leadership and Followership” will be streamed on Tuesday, Dec. 12th at 2:00 p.m. EST. To register for the free course, click here.
“It’s easy to find articles or take classes on leadership; after all, being the leader is what many people aspire to,” said Corey McCarthy, Beekeeper Head of Global Marketing. “What people may not realize is that being an effective follower takes just as much skill as being a good leader – plus it takes a lot more courage. This course packs a powerful message for hospitality workers in both roles. Participants wanting to climb the corporate ladder will hear why it’s important to be a resource for the leader and how followers can help leaders be their best. Establishing a relationship with the leader and viewing him or her realistically without criticizing will go a long way towards personal development and professional advancement. Participants will even learn that it’s okay to disagree with the boss . . . occasionally. The best leaders were once exceptional followers.”
During the webinar, Dr. Herkenhoff will reveal “10 Rules of Followership” crafted by Colonel Phillip S. Meilinger, United States Air Force, and Dean of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Colonel Meilinger holds a BS from the US Air Force Academy, an MA from the University of Colorado, and a PhD in military history from the University of Michigan. A command pilot, he has served as a C-130 aircraft commander and instructor pilot in both Europe and the Pacific. After a tour at the Air Force Academy, he was assigned to the Doctrine Division of the Air Staff at the Pentagon.
Here’s are a just few of Colonel Meilinger’s rules for followership:
- Don’t blame your boss for an unpopular decision or policy; your job is to support, not undermine.
- Fight with your boss if necessary; but do it in private, avoid embarrassing situations.
- Accept responsibility whenever it is offered.
- Make a decision, then run it past the boss; use your initiative.
- If you see a problem, fix it.
“Calling someone a ‘born leader’ is complementary, but it is rarely accurate,” McCarthy said. “At Beekeeper, we believe in ‘developing leaders’ by giving them tools that will direct their performance, keep them interested in work, and motivate their self-potential.
“We hope all those who participated in Bee School 2017 enjoyed the continuing education experience,” she said. “The 2018 Hospitality Leadership Webinar Series will be announced soon.”
About the Professor Dr. Herkenhoff is a full-time professor in the Graduate School of Business at Saint Mary’s College of California where she teaches Leadership and Organizational Behavior and Quantitative Analysis. She serves as the Director of the Global MBA program where she supervises social service projects in countries at the base of the economic pyramid. These projects strive to balance people, planet, and profit.
Her varied career includes 16 years as a geophysicist for Chevron, VP of Human Resources for EDS, and a consulting role for senior management at Bechtel. Additionally, she was the past Executive Director of Human Resources for Stanford University.
Dr. Herkenhoff’s university degrees include: B.S. in Geophysics from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, MBA from Saint Mary’s College, Masters in Engineering from U.C. Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Management at the University of Western Australia.
