“All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” (a book by Robert Fulghum) isn’t quite true for me…but if I substitute “the military” for “Kindergarten” I’d be a lot closer to the truth. While it irks me when I hear the “well, at my last job we did it like this…” refrain, I must say, after 20 years in the military that it’s worth citing those experiences from time to time. Here are some of the things I’ve learned (Jeff, who recently joined the Navy and is on active duty may help me expound on the list…)
I learned:
- The difference between followership and leadership
- The difference between managing and leading
- How to march
- The deeply intrinsic joy of comradeship
- How to follow orders
- How to give orders
- How to train
- How to educate
- How to mentor, guide and coach
- The value of tradition
- The worth of discipline
- The benefits of rules
- The meanings of more acronyms than I can ever need, but also some really good ones! (SNAFU and FUBAR for example)
- The joy of moving, in step, in sync, smoothly and with precision - (with one other Airman, with a flight, or with an entire squadron)
- The meaning of a salute
- Determination
- That “officers compete”
- Love of my country, my family, our flag
- Respect for others – all others, and especially those who gave their limbs and/or lives for me
- How to stand and sit erect (vs. slouching)
- How to ask for forgiveness (and not permission)
- How and when to take risks
- When to disobey orders
- When to stand out, when to step up, and when to sit down
- How to say nothing often (not that I do this much)
- How to make things happen
- How to be a team
So, what brought on this recall? Was it a lesson I taught? Was it an opportunity to lead an activity? Was it a challenge to take charge of an event? Nope. I was walking down the hall. I caught up to a coworker (I walk NY fast), and decided to do a half-step and get into stride with him. We “marched” down the hall. It felt GREAT! I hadn’t even realized that I missed it. I mean, marching was always a chore in the service. It’s hard to describe. Probably synchronized swimmers or ball room dancers would easily understand – but the rest of us, I’m not sure it translates. Being lockstep with someone else, moving together, separate but one. Individual but a team. It feels great.
I miss it.
