Quarantine. It disrupts our sanity and results in day drinking, homeschooling, Zoom meetings, and TikTok challenges. For me, a mandatory quarantine in the desert provided an opportunity for self-development. While COVID-19 became a global pandemic, I watched as novel obstacles confounded long-established systems. Yet despite the surprising fragility of our societal constructs, people and organizations adjusted to our “new normal.” By observing this resiliency, I solidified a core belief: the leader who adapts earns the opportunity to develop.
“Developed”
Talent management of the Officer Corps is a consistent source of focus amongst top military leaders. So much so that in 2012, the Air Force conducted a study analyzing trends in Officer education, training, and experiences. Surprisingly the report concluded that our Officers require more development than previously thought. This begs the question, where are our efforts falling short?
The current Air Force and Army leadership curriculum involves three vital components: education, training, and experience. Ultimately, officers must be adaptive, creative, and knowledgeable- regardless of the issues they face. Before my recent deployment, I felt reasonably confident in all three components. As an O-3, I have attended countless practitioner courses, held specialty roles, and fulfilled various leadership opportunities. You would expect with these boxes checked, I would feel “developed”. But when I took a knee to look at my path of progress, I found myself lost on a trail. One with winding roads and off-shoot dirt roads. I soon found it would take a humbling experience to navigate out.
I deployed to Kuwait this year amidst the initial outbreaks of COVID-19. Information on the virus was sparse and unclear during those first few months. Precautions and standard operating procedure (SOPs) for “flatten[ing] the curve” were constantly being rewritten as a result. As host nations shut their borders, we agonized over the movement and supply of critical personnel and logistics. The crisis of COVID-19 had our heads spinning as we scrambled to coordinate support for our units.
Removing the Blinders
Anecdotes of war and combat suggest the strongest bonds are often forged by mutual hardships. So in the face of a deployment plagued by worldwide sickness and national civil unrest, one would expect a narrative imbued with brother/sisterhood. However, while I worked well with my peers, I failed to connect on a deeper level with most. There was constant underlying friction that I couldn’t trace back to a single event. I needed to get feedback and understand their perspectives, but I didn’t know how or when to ask. I admit- I was also wary about what might be said.
To my initial dismay but ultimate benefit, I was placed on quarantine with the aforementioned. There were no more excuses. I took the plunge, asked for direct feedback, and got it. That candid feedback fed a hunger for further self-development. Why did it taken until I was an O-3 to identify blind spots so apparent to others? With nothing to do but stare at walls and wait on meals, I knew there was no reason to delay this question any further.
My first step was reaching out to a friend who spent 23 years developing our country’s military leaders. After asking if I could take a look at his curriculum he responded: “Liz, no one becomes a better leader through PowerPoint. Yes, we can learn management skills and tools, focus on processes, and understand theories. But leadership development is difficult. It’s something that academia, industry, and militaries struggle with.” As an academic who prefers passive learning this was not what I wanted to hear. If I shouldn’t rely on studies and theories, what does that leave me with? In typical military fashion, I found an acronym that provided the answer. The ACS (Assessment, Challenge, and Support) is a three-step model created by the Center for Creative Leadership. By using these steps to analyze a situation or experience, a leader can maximize their number of lessons learned towards self-development.
The ACS Mirror
I decided to go in order- starting with “Assessments”. This stage focuses on promoting self-awareness through identification of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and current situation. Utilizing a formal measurement of behavior called the Predictive Index (PI), I found a theme of “selling” in myself. This means that while I have a passion for learning and sharing information, I have to be cognizant that others may perceive condescension. In my drive to mentor, I would forget to first take the time and ask what they already knew. As a result, it falsely communicated the assumption: “You know nothing. Here is this product”.
Experience challenges/”C”. Leaders should be cognizant of seeking unfamiliar opportunities rather than striving for subject matter expertise. This allows for the development of wider perspectives and new skills. My challenge during this period was learning to serve in a role slotted for someone of higher rank. Because of this I found myself awkwardly responsible for the development of my peers. I approached this duty with the same fervor as I always did, diving into research and “sharing” lessons when I could. As a result, I of course ran into the same consequence as mentioned above. However, if I had known the lesson of my Assessment prior to deployment, this could have been a perfect chance to practice.
Seek and obtain support. Many leaders feel that they are “in the game alone” despite being the head of a team. The ACS identifies how deprecating this sentiment is by advising leaders on the importance of a robust support system. And just like with challenges, it promotes seeking diversity in the company we keep. We all need a team of counselors, friends, cheerleaders, teammates, mentors, sponsors, leaders, and coaches to survive. To capitalize on the “S,” I reached out to three mentors in my support system and assessed my interactions by dissecting words and actions. It was maddening how often I imposed lessons learned rather than supporting their own ACS process.
Return to Duty
As I come off of my last days in quarantine I will be editing and reediting my blueprint of leadership. With the help of systems like ACS, I know I can adapt into the leader I want to become. I plan on pursuing additional assessments to further self-awareness. I hope to help dismantle bias, starting with identification of it within myself. Only by purposefully committing to these measures can I hope to lead diverse teams in the future. Let us take a hard look in the mirror before we turn it around on others.
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