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In 1974, the American military underwent one of the most important changes in our 241 year history. By effectively ending the use of the draft, we became an all-volunteer force and took a giant leap forward as a profession. The free enlistment of soldiers and officers is one of the most valued aspects of our profession of arms.
However, despite what the term “all-volunteer” force might imply, we are only volunteers on one or a few days during our careers: those days when we raise our hands, swear an oath, and sign on the dotted line. You choose to serve, but you don’t always get to choose how, when, or where. There is still a sense that you’re being forced to do something and that can breed pessimism, a sense of futility, and other negativity.
Negativity isn’t exclusive to the military. Look no further than the iconic comedy film “Office Space” to see that all the same social issues are rampant in civilian jobs, too. “Looks like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.” What’s worse is that those characters are employees and truly “all volunteers”.
Pessimism and negativity in the military, however, seems to be at odds with the honor and pride of serving. Service is, by definition, an act of hardship for the benefit of others. If everyone around you is a cynic, it can feel odd to come to work with a smile every day. Group dynamics can easily be overwhelming.
The core message in last week’s post was that we are all stronger than we realize. We fall victim to our own dread and fear of the unknown and forget that hard times in life are short lived and usually not nearly as bad as we imagine them. Conventional wisdom (and therefore the group mentality) is that “Ranger School is hell,” and so we assume that our hunger, coldness, or fatigue must be extreme. “I must be starving/freezing/exhausted.” But that simply isn’t true.
One way to make clearer sense of this is to actively engage your resiliency and grit. Flip your switch to “On.” In other words: embrace the suck – at the office, at Ranger School, at home. The best way to embrace the suck comes from a story that an E-3 from 2nd Ranger Battalion taught me.
The words aren’t actually his – they came from his squad leader. He and I were in the same squad during Darby Phase of Ranger School and remained in the same platoon for the next nine weeks, ultimately graduating together without recycling. He was a 19 year old PFC while I was a 28 year old CPT and I will never forget how well he handled that stress.
Before leaving Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington for Fort Benning, his squad leader sat him and the other soldiers down and told them his perspective on the challenge ahead of them. He told them about grit in a way that you’d expect from a no b.s. special operations infantryman.
He said, “Ranger School is like a big shit sandwich. You can either aim for the corner and hope for a lot of bread; or you can go for the middle.” He told this story to everyone in the platoon at some point, so it was soon abbreviated to a mantra: “Aim for the middle.” It’s not the prettiest analogy, but the core message is clear: if you’re going to take credit for something hard, don’t shirk.
Hard experiences are supposed to be hard. The Ranger tab wouldn’t be valued if Ranger School were easy (same for SEAL tridents, green berets, and our other insignia). Yet, in the middle of the schools and selections, candidates often choose the easy path – they aim for the corner and hope for a lot of bread.
Even if you’ve only been to basic training (or even Beast Barracks), everyone has been part of a team that has had someone not pulling their weight. They avoid carrying an ounce more than they absolutely have to. They do the minimum and put the onus on the rest of the team to pick up the slack. They say things like “That’s not my job.”
This is where it’s easy to see why negativity and cynicism can flourish. It can be impossible to motivate some people and if the group mentality starts to go south, then it’s a true uphill battle.
The mantra “aim for the middle” has stuck with me since I heard the sandwich story at Ranger School. It’s a great phrase. It’s like an athlete’s trigger to “get in the zone” or “do your job” – the phrase used by Coach Bill Belichick as he has led the New England Patriots to consistent dominant performances.
If it works for athletes, it can work for you. This mantra (or others) can change you and your group’s mentality – it can change how you fuel your motivation. For our platoon of tired and hungry Ranger students, once everyone in the platoon had heard the story, the group mentality was team focused and positive. The group norm was to grab the heavier rucksacks and to share the load.
In the end, grit and motivation are truly individual assets. You hone them on your own. Badges and tabs are awarded to individuals. That said, there is clearly a group component to grit and success, so don’t miss the opportunity to build a stronger team.
Most importantly, this lesson about grit came from a conversation between two people and that conversation led to other conversations which led to yet more. Resiliency and grit both take time to develop and mentoring is a complimentary piece of professional growth. If our all-volunteer profession requires leaders who are positive and optimistic, then we need to develop them.
If you’re a leader with plenty of experience, consider having this conversation with someone who looks up to you. Start a conversation and spark a transformation.
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