Experience Helps or A Fierce Reputation Can Help Win Battles

I have been very fortunate to have had many wonderful opportunities and experiences in my life …more than most. I am ever mindful of just how blessed my life has been. A new opportunity has recently presented itself and I certainly plan to avail myself of it.

A former principal of mine, when I was the superintendent of a school district in Colorado, has been actively involved in the International Baccalaureate Program for a number of years. Actually, he was the principal of the first IB-approved public elementary school in the United States when we first opened it 1998. The school then became a part of the first-ever IB-approved elementary to middle school to high school strand in the world. Because of these experiences he has remained active in the IB community around the world, doing training in many exotic locations.

It was through these connections that he introduced and recommended me to a British group who had just been contracted to perform a series of school inspections/evaluations throughout the United Arab Emirates. They have been kind enough to review my credentials, references and reputation to become a part of this inspection team. Both my wife, who is equally trained, experienced and reputed, and I have been accepted and will work for the month of November in the UAE based out of Dubai. It should be an interesting experience.

While all of this was coming together I had a chance to reflect on how it happened and on what lessons Geronimo might have for me in my book, The Leadership Teachings of Geronimo, published by SterlingHouse. Lesson #37, A Fierce Reputation Can Help Win Battles. In part here is what it says:

Before he was thirty everyone had heard of Geronimo. He was easily the most feared warrior leader in the entire American southwest and northern Mexico. The mere mention of his name sent settlers to army forts for protection. Only the bravest soul ventured across known Geronimo Apache territory.

The reputation that Geronimo had earned slowed the western expansion for decades. ......

Both the American and Mexican armies relied on sheer numbers of soldiers to protect them from the Apache. ….. This fierce reputation gave Geronimo one of the few advantages he had over the “white eyes”. A large number of troops, presented great, logistical difficulties for the army. It was difficult, at best, and impossible, at worst, to outfit large numbers of soldiers with the food, water, and provisions necessary to track and engage Geronimo in the rough terrain in which he and his people lived. It was also much easier to spot approaching troops, especially with the lookout system used by the Apaches. This enabled Geronimo to easily avoid the soldiers until it was to his advantage to do so. Without the reputation that he enjoyed, this would not have been possible.

Teaching

Reputations are built on a series of interactions with others. ….. This is especially true of first interactions. A pattern of anticipated behavior will quickly be formed in the minds of others and will often follow the leader for years after, even if the impression was wrong. ……

It was the reputation I had with this principal that I had established many years before that initially served as my entrée to the company organizing the inspections. It was then the experience I had accumulated during my career and the reputation that I had established with people during those experiences that secured the opportunity to serve on the evaluation team. Leaders in any field need to be mindful of this and to understand that success in later years will often depend on success in earlier years. Relations developed now will either pay dividends later or will cost one dearly. The choice is up to the leader.