In June, more than 160 chapter leaders and volunteers had the unique opportunity to attend the Ruck Leadership Institute. I think we can all agree that the five-day institute was a life-changing experience. The mission of Ruck Leadership Institute is, “Teaching the few to impact the many.” Because of that, I would like to share some of my biggest takeaways and lessons from Ruck in hopes that at least one of these points will impact someone for the better.
Get Out of the Box
There are far too many things in life that people allow to place them in a box. Whether it be our ego, comfort zone, something happening in our personal life, closed mindedness, fear of judgement, laziness — this list could go on and on. Whatever box you are in, get out of it. You may not realize it, but that box is preventing you from growing personally as well as positively impacting those around you. The box is like a set of blinders that only causes you to see the world very narrowly. The moment you step — no, jump — out of that box, is the moment that you begin to see the world through new lenses and can begin working as an effective leader.
Work the Halls
Leadership is a team sport. If the entire team does not fully understand a play, the pass will be intercepted, and the team will not score. When coming up with a new plan, it is imperative to work the halls. It will only benefit us to go out and talk with those that are going to be affected by a new initiative to gauge their thoughts and feelings on the topic at hand. This gives both sides the opportunity to explain their viewpoints and rationale. The initiator of the plan will then have the chance to revise the plan, work the halls again, and create an effective game plan that will lead the team to victory.
Learn from Those Around You
Some of the greatest lessons from Ruck did not necessarily come from our world-class facilitators, they came from our peers sitting right next to us. I am in no way, shape or form talking down on our amazing facilitators. I am reminding everyone, just as I was reminded at Ruck, of the importance of seeking advice and knowledge from those around you, especially your peers. Our peers know exactly what we are going through and how to get through it; yet, all too often, we don’t take advantage of that or completely overlook it. We must seek advice from those standing right next to us. For all we know, they could have the perfect solution to our problems.
Change. Just Do It.
For some unbeknownst reason, we all get very uneasy when it comes to change. Perhaps it is because we fear the unknown. Perhaps we fear that we will be worse off if we change. Perhaps we are simply too lazy to take on the challenge of change. Whatever our excuse, it is time to overcome it. Just because something has been done the same way for a considerable length of time does not mean that it’s the best or most efficient way of doing it. It’s all about getting out of the box and trying something new. The worst that could happen is you find that you gain the experience of thinking in a different way.
There are no Plateaus
We often speak of reaching a plateau in various aspects of life. It may be a fitness plateau or a personal growth plateau. Whatever your plateau may be, it does not exist. There are no plateaus in life or in leadership. We are either constantly climbing up the mountain or sliding down the mountain. We cannot lead from a plateau. We may not realize it, but when we are on a supposed plateau, we are not maintaining like we often suspect we are. Instead, we are slipping down the slippery slope of the mountain, bouncing off every rock and ridge along the way. By the time we reach the end of our supposed plateau, we are actually much farther down the mountain than we were when we started. Say “no” to the plateau.
Know Yourself First
In order to properly lead and model the way for others, we must first have a solid grasp on what we value and stand for. Unless we have a clear understanding of ourselves, we will not be able to develop a clear understanding of those who we are leading. This is comparable to the flight safety instructions we have all heard countless times: “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others with their oxygen masks.” We have to prepare ourselves to lead before we can model the way for others to lead.
Failure is a Good Thing
“It is better to have tried and failed than to never try at all.” This cliche quote rang true at Ruck. The best and worst thing that can come from failure is a new experience that makes you better in the future. All too often, we see failure as a negative situation when in reality it is the best way that we grow and learn as humans. This relates to the previous lesson regarding change in that it takes a little push to get out of your comfort zone, but you will learn that great things will come because of it. I was personally struck by a quote from one of the Ruck lessons, “Fail often in order to succeed sooner.”
Leaders Must Listen
Listening is essential to leading. Without listening, we will not be able to discern what needs to be done, what others feel about new initiatives, new ideas and more. This goes further than working the halls. We must work the halls, yet still go above and beyond that by simply listening actively to the needs and values of those around us. Knowing what others stand for makes it much easier for us to push them to their full potential.
Stop Limiting Yourself
Limits do not exist. They are merely a figment of our imagination. We are the ones that limit ourselves. Often, it takes someone else pushing us past our limits to break those barriers down. Throughout the sound body workout and the high ropes course, there were many times I told myself I could not do something. Fortunately, my brothers continued to encourage me and help push me past my limits and to my full potential. This idea goes much further than physical ability. As leaders, we must work with people to move past their limits. We have to recognize others’ potential and lead them to it.
Inspire, Enable, & Empower
One of my biggest lessons at Ruck was to remember the importance of those around me and how important it is to help grow them as well. I personally have a major issue with taking those around me for granted. Ruck truly helped to open my eyes to the importance of others. As I said before, leadership is a team sport. “There are leaders and those who lead. Those who lead inspire those around them.” This quote was a very important one for me. I have been starkly failing to inspire, enable and empower those around me. This hinders others’ growth, as well as hinders my own growth. Inspiring, enabling, and empowering others is the heart of leading. Learn from my mistake, and take this lesson to the heart.
In closing, thank you. Thank you to my brothers and facilitators on Team Hartman. You all made this experience an impactful one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you to the Headquarters staff that put in countless hours to make this institute possible. Most importantly, thank you to all of the Team Hartman and Ruck Leadership Institute donors. Without your help, this event that teaches the few to impact the many simply would not happen. Give yourselves a pat on the back, knowing that you helped another 160 men join the ranks of Ruck Leadership Institute alumni who are changing SigEp, and the world, for the better.
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