"Hard winter training"

We here it a lot this time of year.  Teachers tell us how much their students have regressed over the summer vacation, which usually necessitates reviewing the previous year's material in the first couple of weeks of school.  As a matter of fact, one of the justifications for moving to "year-round school" is to prevent this so-called "Summer learning loss".  Another way to mitigate against the regression that inevitably occurs over the long summer break is for teachers to assign summer homework.  My four kids all usually had specific books that they had to read or math problems that they were required to complete over the summer break.  My wife, a middle school math teacher, told her students that they had to finish their math workbooks over the summer, and the vast majority of them did complete the workbooks (it probably helped that she told them they would be given a grade for doing it).

What's my point here?  I have been reading a lot of Stoic philosophy lately - I find comfort in some of the main precepts of the early Greek and Roman Stoic philosophers, Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Cato (the Younger).  I have enjoyed reading the works of Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, former POW during the Vietnam War, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and one-time candidate for Vice-President, who used Stoic philosophy to help him survive over 7 years as a Prisoner of War in the famous "Hanoi Hilton".  It was Epictetus who said, "We must undergo a hard winter training and not rush into things for which we haven't prepared."  Recall that in the time of the ancient Greeks, wars were not fought during the winter, a practice that continued well past the American Revolution - recall that George Washington "wintered" his troops at Valley Forge.  Epictetus is using an analogy here, suggesting that during the winter months when the ancient Greek armies did not (and probably could not) fight, they should have spent their time (and history suggests that some actually did) training for the battles that would come with the Spring.  Also recall that Washington spent the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge training the Continental Army - the Prussian General, Baron von Steuben helped mold the rough, inexperienced militia men into professional soldiers.  The Continental Army came out of that winter much better trained, a fighting force to be reckoned with, and a fighting force that eventually did what many thought was not possible, defeat the British Army.

The lesson here is that we need to prepare ourselves and practice - as they saying goes, Practice makes perfect.  You wouldn't go out and try to run a marathon without training, correct?  My wife and I officially start training for the Disney Marathon tomorrow, September 4th.  We are going to follow a specific training plan.  In other words, we are not going to "rush into things for which we haven't prepared."  Hopefully, by January 7th, we will be in tiptop shape to accomplish our goal of finishing a marathon.

As it turns out, leaders need to practice and continually improve their leadership skills.  Some of the greatest leaders in business, the military, and government were known to be avid readers.  Successful leaders read all the time.  Leaders are always looking for new experiences to further develop, refine, and improve their leadership skills.  A diversity of experience is very useful - and in some ways, it is the absolute essential ingredient for leadership success.  Leaders need that "hard winter training" that Epictetus talks about, so that they can become better at their craft.

I recently listened to a couple of really great audiobooks while driving our youngest daughter to college and back (thirteen hour trip each way).  I told my daughter that I had a lot more reading to do, as I wanted to go back and validate, clarify, and learn more about several of the topics discussed in these two audiobooks (The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain).  I have my own "hard winter training" to finish, in more ways than one.  I also told my daughter that I had a lot of new ideas for my blog, so stay tuned for more.  But for now, keep training yourselves to become better leaders - start your own "hard winter training" and avoid the "Summer learning loss."