Leaving the Army was an incredibly difficult decision, but when I was accepted as a 2012 Teach For America Corps Member, I knew I would be able to continue my service to the country in a meaningful, albeit different, way. In retrospect, I had no idea what I was getting myself into – it turns out that teaching is one of the most challenging jobs I’ve ever taken on – but the lessons I learned in the military helped carry me through.
Instead of giving orders, I could give guidance and empower my Soldiers to excel. My Soldiers knew, and I hope still know, how deeply I care about them. That trust gave us confidence in one another, and gave us each the power to succeed. As a result, the teams I was a part of completed work above and beyond expectations, and we took a great deal of pride in our missions and even our daily responsibilities.
When kids know you care, they are willing to become the people you already know they are. And if they fail, and they will, there is great comfort in knowing that a person they trust will be there to pick them up again, a person they trust to help them start again, and a person they trust cheering them on (willing them even) as they continue to succeed in school and in life.
Another, well known, Army lesson is to lead from the front. At West Point and in Officer training courses, you hear it all the time. As a young leader in the Army, sometimes this means getting to work especially early, putting in longer hours, or just getting down to work and doing the heavy lifting. Regardless of the context, it is leading by example. Read More