The Fundamental Force of Leadership called Respect is defined in the Latin construction...re- meaning 'again' and specere meaning 'to look at' or 'to see'.
Respecting allows us to see things in a different light. It allows us to take new pieces of information and connect it with our current set of experiences, processes and values. For those that practice this process well, they are find the nuances and mutations that comprise the 5% that other people, teams and organizations don't always see. This leads to transformation.
I'd like to share with you how I first developed my Respecting skills and how it has morphed over time in the hopes it might spark something within you.
Scaffold building to neuron density
In high school and college, I saw my thought and reasoning process as a cubed scaffold framework in my head. I realized that I was progressing from inserting what I was being told was true to comparing new information to what I had already learned and believed. Did the experience connect nicely with my base of knowledge and values? If not, why and was the new information more valid that what I had known historically? This provided me with a stable, consistent, uniform structure on which to learn and grow. The various blocks within the cube represented certain sypes of knowledge... a data repository, so to speak. I had more blocks filled in certain areas than others.
As the years went by, I saw this process more like brain neurons and synapses. Scaffolding was too limiting for me as I became more aware of myself and how learned and reasoned. I saw dense areas of my brain that had a lot of knowledge and wisdom neurons. As I developed stronger and thicker synapses in between those knowledge and value bases, the more intertwined and connected these concept clusters became. Using this concept allowed me to realize and accept I had areas that were weak/less dense. There were thinner connections - opportunities to learn. In such areas, I learned to build and lean on others and their capabilities. It also allowed me to accept I didn't know everything, but I had the capability to understand and connect new ideas into my existing framework.
Neurons and synapses dedicated to reasoning, logic and connecting were strong and tied to specific knowledge because I regularly practiced the process. I could take what I didn't understand and meld it into who I was and reasonably apply it, possibly with the help of others.
Practicing how to Respect
The key to this journey of Respecting and connection building is setting up a foundation to start asking questions, establish processes to take connecting steps proactively, ingrain it in one's own 'culture' and then be able to make something with it that's valuable and additive. Having someone to guide this effort is helpful. Receiving reinforcing support from multiple sources enhances permanent learning and builds denser and stronger connections. Along with building connections with data, there are similar connections build around the practice of Respecting.
If you are a leader, caring enough for the future leaders to help them develop the skill of connecting experience and skills will pay itself so many times over - not only within their overall experience as a human being, but with the tactical training they engage in every day and their performance at work or at school. If you want to become a leader, look at how you can make this happen for you.
See the foundation and structure of learning as one intertwined system, not a group of silos that may or may not tie together. You will have done your greatest work when you set yourself and others on a path towards learning how to better learn, logic, question, reason and communicate on a much different level.
