Leadership is often measured by what we accomplish. What we help others carry forward deserves just as much attention.
A story preserved. A skill taught. An opportunity created for someone else to grow.
Think about someone who helped you get better at something that mattered. Maybe they took the time to explain a decision you didn’t understand. Maybe they trusted you with a responsibility before you felt ready and stayed close enough to help you learn from your mistakes. You may still draw on what they taught you when it’s your turn to lead.
Over the past month, we’ve seen people across the Ranger community make that same choice to share what they know and create opportunities for others to learn.
Give people a way into the story
An author preserves the voices of Rangers who fought generations ago, giving readers the chance to hear what those men remembered in their own words. Two Rangers wrote Founder’s Font, a children’s book that gives young readers a place to begin asking questions about our nation’s history. Each starts with a different audience and considers what will help those readers connect with the past.
Army Ranger veteran Jeff Struecker is making that connection through film. He is leading a $65,000 campaign to complete With Love, Billy, a documentary about Brig. Gen. William O. Darby, who organized and led the Army’s first Ranger battalion of World War II. On October 30, Struecker ran 45 miles through Darby’s hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, to rally support. The film will give a new generation the chance to learn what shaped Darby and how he made decisions under the pressure of combat.
Give someone room to practice
The lessons of service also show up in how people work and teach. A veteran entrepreneur carries principles shaped through military service into the daily decisions of building a business. At the Legacy Summit, competitors, instructors, and families will come together around Brazilian jiu-jitsu. On the mat, a lesson can be as immediate as getting feedback after a difficult round and trying it in the next one.
Our experience becomes more valuable when we use it to develop others. That takes intention. We have to explain why a standard matters, show what it looks like in practice, and give someone a chance to meet it. It also takes humility. Sometimes the most helpful part of a story is where we got it wrong and what we did afterward.
At the Ranger Legacy Foundation, that belief shapes how we preserve history and bring people together. A Ranger’s story can start a conversation about a choice a young person is facing today. A relationship built through the Ranger community can give someone their first opportunity to lead or serve.
Bring to mind one person who could benefit from something you learned the hard way. Tell them about a decision you faced and what you wish you’d known at the time. Ask how they would handle it, and give them room to answer.
As we continue sharing leadership lessons, we look forward to sharing your stories, too.
What have you learned that someone else needs, and what will you do to pass it forward?
