Accelerated Leadership Curve: Getting shot at isn’t always required.

Leadership skills are just that, SKILLS. They are something that is learned, practiced, and honed over the course of years. Is there any way to make it take less time? Well…maybe.

In the military we would often joke that people learned one of two ways; either through constant repetition, or through blunt force trauma. Insinuating that either you can practice to gain proficiency, or circumstances might just force the function for you.

This became very clear when my first unit deployed during the invasion of Iraq. In the entire battalion we had only a handful of leaders who’d ever deployed before and by handful, I mean maybe 6 out of 600! Not a ton of real-world experience there to say the least.

Sure, we were all proficient in battle drills, doctrine, and had spent months training assuming we’d be headed somewhere soon. All the training in the world however doesn’t fully prepare you for the reality of being deployed and adapting those practiced skill into something effective for the landscape. And as I mentioned, we were short a few hundred leaders who’d ever been through it.

Enter the blunt force trauma! The first mission we went on was supposed to be a three-day operation to get familiar with the area. It turned into three weeks of continuous operations, counterinsurgency work, flash check points, IED’s, small arms fire, raids, and don’t forget Christmas dinner in a landfill. Typing it out like that make it sound a little daunting and at the time it was.

The results of that initial mission though were exactly what we needed. It FORCED us all to rise to the occasion. Those who were already in leadership positions had to make hard, complex, asymmetrical decisions. Many times with limited to no operational oversight. Those who were not in leadership positions distinguished themselves as leaders among their peers, as well as trusted advisors to senior leadership. So,

Travis what’ the point? The point is it didn’t take us long to get it right when we had no other option. The military is notorious (in a good way) for doing this. I can tell you that I hadn’t mastered any position I was in while I served until, I was promoted to the next one. You are promoted off of leadership “potential” not ability. You are forced to rise to the occasion.

Let me tell you a secret. This is not mutually exclusive to those who serve in the military. We weren’t imbued with special powers. For the most part we were kids, most in our twenties. Yet we were capable of making big decision when people’s live were on the line, and out leaders knew it.

As a leader you have to acknowledge the potential in those around you. You have to empower them not only with the knowledge required to complete tasks but also the ability to make decisions. This is how new leaders are made and that should be the ultimate goal of any real leader, to make more!

There is a huge difference between being “in charge” and being RESPONSIBLE. When you empower your people with the responsibility of getting things accomplished as well as the ability to make decisions you will see a huge difference in the impact they can have. At the end of the day that’s what we all want.

So I challenge you to force the function of the leadership skill curve by utilizing a little situational “blunt force trauma” now and then. The impact you can have by doing that can be huge. Not just for the accomplishment of the goal, but the development of the individual!