Reposted from September 2020.
My father was a WWII U.S. Navy veteran. He flew the flag every December 7th to remember Pearl Harbor and honor those we lost on that day. He told me “we must always remember!”
My Pearl Harbor is 9/11. Last week, I watched the reciting of all the names of people lost and then all the documentaries on the tragedy. I feel it is my responsibility to help remember what happened that day and to whom it happened. It certainly reminds me how I felt on that day.
While thinking about both these events I realized that remembering is a big part of being a leader. Not on the scale of these two events, but at our people’s level. Remembering what good they did and how they made a difference. Remembering when they went above and beyond and where they made sacrifices. We should also remember what others have done for us personally.
After we remember, we use those memories to better our people and others around us. We can recall events to others in a positive light, or maybe send a note thanking someone. Remembering only helps when we act upon the memories.
It’s also good to remember that none of us are perfect. That we sometimes make mistakes and sometimes the best course is to forgive and move on. I calling it “remembering empathetically”, meaning you have compassion for the one-time error without losing track of repetitive issues that could potentially add up to become real problems.
So, what should we remember as leaders:
– Good efforts (they’re not always successes, but well intended efforts)
– Other people (how they help us or our people, then remember to tell their leaders)
– Selfless acts (things that people do with no reward for themselves)
– To tell other leaders and our leadership, about all these great things
The bottom line; we remember to preserve our history and to honor the actions of others.