Leading By Knowing Just Where You’ve Been
I wrote about the great band Five Finger Death Punch’s song, “Battle Born,” already in Navigating Life’s Journey: Embracing The Unknown. The other day when spending time in the tractor cab I heard the song and thought about how how the phrase in the song, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I know just where I’ve been (battle born)” relates to a phrase I often use about being the “deer in the headlights.” In my book, Mere Leadership, I said, “Usually, this term is associated with being a bad thing, but I have come to realize that it really is a great thing. To truly gain expertise, become great at leading in a specific area or circumstance, and/or develop empathic concern, which we considered in the previous section, we have had to be the ‘deer in the headlights’” (p. 30).
Getting back to the lyrics, “I don’t know where I’m going, but I know just where I’ve been” reflects a sense of uncertainty about the future combined with a familiarity or perhaps nostalgia for the past. It suggests a feeling of being unsure of the next steps, but having confidence because of our past experiences. Just like having been the deer in the headlights.
We’re reminded to regularly take a moment of pause to allow ourselves to process our experiences and assess situations. Sometimes, taking a fleeting moment to reflect or gather ourselves can lead to better decisions or a clearer understanding inspired by our past experiences.
Leading By Being Adaptable
This week when spending time with a first year teacher that I am coaching and mentoring, he commented that one of the big things he has learned in the first quarter of the school year is that being able to adapt is key. I was impressed and told him that is a very important part of teaching in many ways. The day I was there he had to adapt a lesson because an outside stakeholder who was helping with a project was not able to be at the school. My mentee shifted seamlessly to another lesson. I’ve seen seasoned teachers struggle with making these kind of adaptations.
I love that this teacher has realized the importance of being adaptable. It is such an important leadership attribute. In my latest book, Mere Leadership, I wrote, “In today’s rapidly changing world, leaders need to be able to adapt to new situations and challenges” (p. 60). This is hugely important in teaching. Teachers are leaders and need to be adaptable in various ways to effectively support their students and navigate the dynamic classroom environment.
The teacher that is the focus of this post used adaptability to modify lesson plans and content to meet the needs of students, whether due to curriculum changes, student feedback, or unforeseen circumstances such as remote learning requirements. During our discussion of being adaptable we also discussed the need to adjust teaching methods to suit different learning styles, abilities, and interests of students. This includes using diverse instructional strategies like project-based learning, technology integration, or differentiated instruction.
All leaders need to be malleable. I used that term in Mere Leadership saying, “Malleable leaders are open to new ideas and perspectives. This openness fosters innovation and encourages our team members and those we serve to share their thoughts, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making” (p.p. 158-158). This also means growing professionally. We must continuously update our skills and knowledge through professional development to stay current with research and other innovations.
Wowful Leadership: Merely Living Service, Character, and Presence Every Day
I am excited to share this video with you! It’s only seven minutes long, which research tells us is the ideal length of a keynote for listeners to learn the most from the content. I did this keynote at the Science Center on Harvard University’s campus as part of the London Organization of Skills Development 2026 Skills Live event. This video also serves as a pretty good trailer for my new book, Mere Leadership. You can get the book on Kindle, Audible, paperback, or hardcopy by clicking here. Click here to watch the video.
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