This is a lesson I learned early on in my career and it has served me well for 30 years. Check out the YouTube Video here.
In the mid 90’s the Army had promoted so many E-4s that promotions to that rank were frozen for a time. So as a Private First Class, (PFC or E-3) I basically was stuck with no hope of promotion for a while until the current crop of E-4s thinned out by either getting promoted or getting out of the Army. This also meant that an exceedingly high number of E-4s were in competition for the limited slots to promote to E-5 or Sergeant. The promotion to Sergeant is a big step and a very intense competition…at least it was in these days. Without belaboring it, there is a point system based on physical fitness, performance at the range, leadership etc…basically all aspects of your technical and tactical proficiency as a soldier.
In this large crop of Sergeant hopefuls, was one Specialist in my platoon. He was a seasoned soldier compared to me and a lot of us younger guys. He had to come to our Psychological Operations Unit from doing his first enlistment in the 82nd Airborne Division and had deployed to Panama barely out of basic training which gave him a lot of credibility. Keep in mind this is 1995-96 so not many of us had seen time in a combat zone in those days. His experience was notable to us younger guys.
I don’t remember the exact numbers, but there were a lot of E-4s competing for Sergeant and they all would talk endlessly about getting their promotion, their points, their awards, etc. This was nothing new. But among all this talk from the lot of E-4s, was this one Specialist that began to stand out to me…as I’m sure he did to leadership as well. I noticed that he was always volunteering to lead PT (physical training), stay late to lead the work party, go to the motor pool to work on our vehicles and basically take on any of the tough jobs that most people would avoid.
One afternoon in about 100 degree heat and 100% humidity at Ft. Bragg, the First Sergeant asks for a volunteer to go clean out and inventory a conex. A conex is a big metal train car or truck trailer usually full of tons of equipment and other junk. If your lucky it’s a conex currently in use so the equipment is clean and well organized and not one of the old ones full of old forgotten equipment in which case you never know what critters you’ll find in there along with old moldy and musty gear.
Of course, this Specialist volunteers and Top (the nickname for First Sergeant is the Army as he is the top ranking enlisted member of the unit) tells him to grab another guy to help him out…and who do you think he chose, ha. At the time I was not so thrilled…but we were buddies and what the hell, I didn’t join the Army to avoid hard work. And in hindsight, I’m glad he chose me because now I have this story to tell.
So as we are sweating our asses off pulling old musty Army equipment from a sweltering metal box, I asked him why he keeps taking all the shit jobs and extra work. This is when he replied to me, “Jason, If you want to be something, act like you already are.”
That hit me and has remained with me until this day. And he DID in fact get promoted the first chance he had over many others that didn’t make the cut that year.
This has always been something that guided me. My careers, both military and government, have been in structured systems, where there was fairly well established path upward and value in showing those above you that you have the capability and professionalism that will make them feel comfortable in choosing you over the competition.
Stepping up to show you already ARE the leader they are looking for makes the decision for them.
And in a less structured environment, the lesson is equally if not more applicable. By acting in a professional manner and showing confidence and competence regardless of what your previous or current station is, those around you can see you to be what you want to be…whether you are technically there yet or not.
Be what you want to be and others will accept you for what you want. The alternative can also be true. You are your actions.