You Are Here!

I was scanning through television stations last evening and in the process stopped on a C-SPAN. This is not a network that I regularly watch but the person on the screen caught my attention. It was General David Petraeus; Commander of US Central Command. I have been a fan of General Petraeus since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq when news reports of his economic development strategies in the Northern territory became public. General Petraeus understood at that time that his "military" success with the Kurds would depend on putting the local men to work more than his troop's ability to patrol and control militarily.

Since then, General Petraeus has been promoted several times and is now responsible for all American Military in Iraq and Afghanistan. What caught me during the General's address to the Marine Corp University was his understanding of the importance of context in leadership. His intimate and realistic assessment of each situation in which his troops find themselves is an important factor in his success as a leader.

During the audience questions the General offered a phrase that every leader should keep in the forefront, "trapped by experience." Because we all look for patterns in our past to guide our current and future actions we can quickly become trapped in what we know, ignoring the context in which our leadership is demonstrated. In every leadership situation look for the markers that will tell you the context in which you are operating. Understanding leadership context is much like the maps you encounter as you tour a theme park. Each one of those maps has an ever present and critical point of reference; You Are Here! Knowing and appreciating the context in which your leadership is demonstrated is critical to your success and the success of those you lead.