A few weeks ago I had two seemingly unrelated experiences that made me reconsider what it means to lead and inspire people. The first was helping with the ROTC program at my university and the second was attending a rock concert.
For the ROTC event I was helping a squad of cadets on a three day exercise that began with a movement, on foot, to a patrol base. Immediately upon setting off I noticed one cadet who was struggling. The cadet’s gear was ill-fitting, rifle wasn’t slung properly, and helmet kept sliding forward and covering the cadet’s eyes. I wasn’t worried, but I knew that this person needed an extra eye kept on.
After about two and a half miles one of the team leaders came running up to me. I knew exactly what he would ask since I had watched that same cadet get further and further behind the patrol. Did I mention we had been walking through a driving rain for about 45 minutes? Everyone was suffering just a little.
“Sir, Cadet “X” is falling behind, what do I do?”
“Go find the squad leader and tell them what is going on and come up with a plan.”
“Ok, Sir.”
He trotted off as the patrol continued to march; most were oblivious to their compatriot falling farther behind.
A few minutes later, with the patrol still moving, the cadet came trotting back. At this point I sensed they were stagnating and it was a situation that was losing its learning value.
I called the cadet over.
“You need to stop the patrol, get that cadet up to the front, spread load the gear, and figure out what to do. Continuing the movement just spreads us farther apart. Take a pause, no one is shooting at us” (although there were “opposing” forces roaming the area with paintball guns).
The patrol stopped, the cadet was put in front of the group, some of the weight was distributed among the rest of the patrol. Food was eaten, water was drank and we continued. I chatted a little with someone that knew this cadet and came to find out they were a freshman who had just joined ROTC and had never done anything like this before. It may have been the first time this person carried a pack (let alone such a heavy one), had a rifle, wore a helmet and was expected to follow all sorts of rules, and orders, and directions.
In the end the cadet made it, although a little begrudgingly and with some malice, but made it and I was impressed with the fortitude shown. Cadet “X” could have tapped out/given up/called it quits but didn’t.
That night unable to sleep because of my own failure to bring dry clothes and socks, a warm enough sleeping bag, and with no insulating mat to sleep on, I sat shivering through and thought.
“What made Cadet “X” keep putting one foot in front of the other? Why, in the face of pain, suffering, and a crappy situation did she keep going?”
I left the patrol later the next morning thinking about Cadet “X” and what it means when people look for guidance and leadership and how that manifests itself.
This is by no means a simple or one size fits all answer. What works for one group or team may be disaterous for another.
A few days later I was at a rock concert and had a small “ah-ha” moment which I will explore in part II of this post, coming tomorrow.