In the United States Army, leadership is one of the core values, and it is impressed upon all soldiers to learn the science of leadership. My experience with the Army in terms of leadership and followership when I first enlisted was a feeling of confusion. As a specialist in the Army, not a day went by when I did not hear a superior chastise a fellow soldier for lack of leadership, yet this is an organization that perpetuates the idea of "do as you are told". I remember in basic training, a fellow soldier had tried to be creative and innovative by initiating to do something in an efficient way better than what our Drill Sergeant had instructed as to do. I remember my Drill Sergeant yelling at him and I quote "Private, you are not paid to think, I do the thinking and you just have to execute what I tell you". As I progressed in the Army, I realized that it was equally important to be a follower as being a leader. Star followers are encouraged in the Army so as to help guide their leaders who are confronted with difficult decisions every single day. In the Army, comradeship is one of the many paths used by followers. According to Hickman comradeship happens when people are working together for a good cause (Hickman, p. 187).
With respect to informal leadership, soldiers are trained to take up leadership mantle instantly especially in combat environment when their leaders are killed or wounded. Even though they may be followers, soldiers are trained with leadership instincts and are ready to take up the formal leadership slot when it becomes vacant. These star followers are those who make their superiors look excellent in the eyes of their audience and the general public at large. Informal leadership as a concept examines the influence of followers who do not occupy any official position in an organization. Even though they consider themselves as followers, they