Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen (Louis L'Amour).
Tales from the Wild West
Bowdrie ... Hondo ... Sackett ... Sitka ... Taggert ... Lando ... Shalako ... Louis L'Amour's tales of the Wild West captivated me, and Granddad owned every last one of L'Amour's novels and many of his short stories. When we visited that Oklahoma farm, I made a beeline for Granddad's stack of books, picking out the first in a series of tales to devour during my stay. Through his books, I learned the value of education. His characters were well-read in Shakespeare, Bacon, Plato, and many redeemed their time on horseback by reading Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England as they rode through the American Southwest. Â I learned the value of a second chances. Many of his characters used the American West as a place to build a new identity and to become a different person. But the lesson I use the most goes something like this--when walking a trail, be sure to turn around and see where you came from, so you can see how it will look when you return.
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"Where did you come from? Where did you go?"
Looking back and recognizing where you've been is also a valuable leadership lesson. It gives space for remembering co-travelers and the events that transpired. It provides space for considering the lessons learned (both good and bad) and to decide which to carry forward and which to discard. It allows you to recognize where healing, as well as damage, might have occurred.
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During my military career, I have taken the time to look back at the experiences each military base offered me and my family, especially in the area of leadership. Because I have stopped to look back, I can see where I learned the following:
--Use military rank to knock down obstacles for other people so they can thrive;
--As the new boss, survey the landscape before making decisions;
--Creating space for self-care is a MUST;
--Building trust requires constant communication, good mentorship, and a level of intrusive leadership;
--Delegate until it hurts, and then do it some more;
--When your team has written you off, you have failed as a leader.
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Now for the How!
Here's my format for reflecting on the old as preparation for the new.
Section 1: Where? When? What? Include deployments!
Section 2: Who traveled this trail with me?
Section 3: What are the pros and cons of this assignment?
Section 4: What major things happened during your tenure here?
Section 5: What leadership principles did I learn?
Section 6: Miscellaneous
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Reflection
Looking back helps us go forward. It allows us to repack our emotional rucksacks; it provide space for grieving and rejoicing (when necessary); it gives time to laugh at the dumb things we did (and got away with!) and to be astounded at the new opportunities we had! Finally, it's important for recognizing how past experiences have defined or will define us, depending on how recent the event is, and let's us discern who we will be going forward.
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Warning ...
I tend to be a bit more creative when I do this, and I encourage you to do the same. It's your reflection--knock yourself out! See sample below.
