[March 6, 2018] Working close to the flag is an old military saying that means a soldier works near a senior officer’s headquarters.1 As in any organizational culture, this means greater visibility and more opportunity for that particular military member. Such a position translates into a number of possibilities that can help or harm one’s career.
One of the many ideas that Americans hold dearly is the wish for access to opportunities. For those in the military and others who work in business, being near the flag allows for greater career advancement, pay, respect, perks, and flexibility. Because senior leaders often have the best personnel working for them, it also brings one in contact with top performing individuals as well as higher standards of performance.
Resources are also greater near the flag. Not just money but access to better training possibilities, willing mentors and coaches, newer equipment, and access to the latest and best information. When there is a need for someone to step up and do a job – where a need is sudden – it is not unusual for someone near the flag to be chosen simply because they are more visible and, hopefully, have proven themselves.
The flip side to greater opportunities when near the flag is greater scrutiny and testing of those folks. Underperforming individuals will be identified quicker and moved out away from the flag to allow others an opportunity. In the military, I’ve known mid-grade officers who consistently avoided being close to senior leaders. Their opportunities were less and they wondered why their careers advanced slowly and they were not given a chance to prove themselves.
Anyone who desires to do more and has the motivation to try harder will be rewarded more by working close to the flag. I recommend it but only for the individual who is driven to excellence and doing much more than the minimum.
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- Militaries have existed since before recorded history and have always been associated with formal lines of authority which are symbolized in by the rank of officers. In the U.S. Army, the phrase working close to the flag originally meant working physically alongside a General Officer; thus the term “flag.”
I never heard of this but thanks.
Joey. Once folks begin to work in large organizations they begin to see things a little differently. Since the work closer to very senior members of management, more talk is about strategy rather than tactics, the long-term rather than the short-term, and what is best to accomplish the mission in general rather than in detail. The advantages of working “close to the flag” may not seem obvious at first but it is there. Those workers who are not dedicated, not hard workers, and don’t have a positive attitude will find that working close the to the flag as one of a challenge.
Me and many others have worked “close to the flag” and found it both exciting and worthwhile to our careers. Those who perform well have nothing to fear from it other than a little hard work. Incompetents need not apply. I’ve seen to many lazy (and stupid – heaven forbid I write that) work in various headquarters around the world and become gatekeepers that hinder those who are hard working, smart, and motivated. Hooray for those who are brave enough to work for leaders upholding high standards.
I like your leader blog. I’ m new. Thanks. Great info for me as a new leader.
Agree! Being close to any headquarters gives a soldier (or airman, sailor, Marine) opportunities to excel and for advancement. However, they should also have time in “line units” that do the heavy lifting and prove themselves there too.