“How Did I Learn What I Know”

I have shared at times my childhood ambition of becoming a General in the United States Army.  You may not know that the wallpaper in my bedroom proudly displayed the storied 1^st Cavalry Division insignia.  It is a gold shield trimmed with black piping.  There is a black horsehead in the upper right and a bold black strip centered diagonally dividing the emblem from upper left to lower right.

I recall vividly my first uniform.  I was five or six.  I was set!  Then, a serious reality check.

In only the way a mother can, she informed me that I could not start as a General. I would have to work my way through the ranks. I was crushed.

Little would I know just how profound my mother really was with "you can't start as a General." Thirty some years later and several different roles (ranks) in leadership I now more than ever appreciate the wisdom of "earning" as well as learning about leadership - how to follow as well as how to lead - how to serve rather than being served.

There is a growing impatience; a sense of entitlement; a sense that experience, wisdom, humility, service, and followership, to name just a few qualities, attributes, and “learnings” essential to leadership can be skipped, rushed, or abbreviated.

Not that any of these ensures effective and productive leadership, they are however time tested as requisite experiences leaders have possessed and demonstrated.

I was recently asked how I learned what I know. As I pondered this question I thought, "How do I answer this?" As I prepared a response, my mind raced through the five decades plus of life to think through the people, experiences, situations, places, events, etc., of my life's learnings.

Wow!

I have had some incredible opportunities and experiences. I have worked for and with giants in education, military, business, faith, and public service. I humbly stand on the shoulders of these giants every day.

So, how did I learn what I know?

First and foremost, it does go back to my mother. She taught me to never think myself better than others, never ask someone to do something I would not do myself, and always remember that a ladder goes both ways – up and down. These proverbs grounded in a love for learning, reading and writing served as a pretty solid foundation to learn to lead.

The second to what my mother instilled in me were the lessons my father would teach through his life and athletics. The three sports I grew up playing were baseball, basketball, and football - go figure.

It was not so much the specific sports I played but rather the positions I played that added to mother's foundation. I was a catcher, point guard, and quarterback.

Hmm ... each of these positions required an awareness, understanding, and application of not just my position, but also every other position. My father would take time after every contest or game and ask me about situations, my thinking about decisions, what I would do differently, etc. 

Through review and reflection I learned to constantly and consistently plan, strategize if you will, based on multiple points of input, feedback and data.  I learned to anticipate, adjust, adapt, and “think.” 

In doing so, my father taught me the power of patterns, “connectiveness,” how the game was played, how systems worked, and the interdependence of different positions, situations, and resources. He may have never thought of the long-term leadership impact of his actions. I am convinced he was just teaching and coaching his sons - these lessons however have been invaluable in my leadership development.

As I stated earlier, I stand daily on the shoulders of giants. One giant, Dr. Glen Terrell (retired President of Washington State University) challenged me in my mid twenties with a series of profound questions that candidly left me speechless. He asked me,

"Who will be the leaders of your generation?”

“If not you, then who?”

“If not here, where?” and,

“If not now, when?"

Pretty intimidating questions at any age - I have never forgotten that conversation or those questions.

As I share in the weeks to come just how profound these questions were as well as the role they've played and still play in my life I am confident that I will indeed answer the question, "How did I learn what I know."

It is my best hope in answering this question I will not only add to the body of knowledge about leadership development, but will provide insight to the what, why and how of our work now and in the future.

We do in fact have miles to go and promises to keep!