I was so fortunate to have had my father in my life. He told me from an early age that there will always be someone better than me. On the surface this sounds very cruel; however, in reality it means that if I want to get into the top tier, I have to earn my way. Not only do I have to earn my way there, I have to ensure I am earning my keep in that role. We constantly have to learn and push ourselves. The moment we stop is the moment another takes our place.
I can’t tell you how many times I have thought about quitting something. Sometimes it is a good thing because it eats up my time with no real reward. Most of the times, the things I want to quit are good things, but I can’t see the reward right now. I have to do my best to employ my: plan, do, next strategy and it seems to truly help. When I look at some menial task as the next step to get to where I want to be, it makes it much easier to push through.
Most of our problems with other people revolves around communication. Either we are not able to clearly communicate our point or we are not able to communicate our perspective. Next time you get upset with someone, think about how you could communicate things differently to them.
The best leaders in my life have always been those who are willing to fulfill whatever role is needed. When we let our positions, job titles, egos or pride drive what we are willing to do, we are putting ourselves before the mission. We need to look for the gaps or weak links and be ready to step in to mentor and move the team forward.
Have you ever had a great idea that you didn’t put into action? What about the times you DID execute a plan? Most of wait for everything to line up just right so we can look like a genius with our plan. I have learned that if everything is just right, it is not something that is wanted or needed. The best things in life are those things we work for.
The value of reading can’t be measured. The challenge is finding the right book and I am always leaning on others for suggestions for my next book. If you are a reader and would like to share your suggestions, let us know. Even better, if you would like to provide a short (or lengthy) book review, we would love to post it. Email me at inspiretomorrow@gmail.com if you are interested.
For most of my time as a SNCO I was afforded the opportunity to make tough decisions. I never wanted to betray this trust by taking the easy way out and doing what everyone else was doing. Instead, mentors taught me to seek out the problems our Amn and NCOs were facing and solve them. I have failed more times than I have succeeded, but every time I was able to move a rock from the path of a teammate, it was worth it.
This is a much harder thing to put into action. We do not get to pick the jobs we do while in the military. I was placed onto a lot of crappy jobs while working as a Crew Chief on the flightline. However, those on the shift found ways to make the best of it. We would tease each other, encourage each other, and basically embrace the suck. I still think of many of those nights doing the worst gigs on the line and look at the moment fondly because of the team. Find that thing in your job that you enjoy: the people, a soft skill like customer service, or whatever gets you fired up…if you’re stuck figuring it out: email me at inspiretomorrow@gmail.com or reach out to me on linkedin.
I can’t tell you how many jobs I approached with fear. “There is no way I can do that!” or “I will never be as good as <predecessor>.” Almost every time, I was able to do the task and sometimes as good as those who came before me. I learned there is an initial fear of the work ahead. Once I understood there was a learning curve and knew I would have to work to learn, my journey was still arduous, but it was possible in my own mind. Don’t look at the next thing with fear of what you can’t do; rather, think about all of the times you did succeed.
