C/SMSgt Andrew Scalzo

Although history at times, is more or less, out of sight, out of mind, our past has a large influence on both the present, as well as our future. A part of what makes a good leader, or more specifically, a supportive part of any group or team, is being informed. To be up to date on anything, one needs recent information, and at most times, information of some sort from the past. In many cases, the two intertwine, influencing each other with a sort of cause and effect relationship.

It has been said that history repeats itself, and in many circumstances, this has held true. Over the course of many decades, even centuries, many things have remained constant, if not repeated again and again. By looking into past events, especially ones with definite patterns, you can do two basic things; gain insight into the future, both in long and short terms, and from them, to determine what the best thing to do, or in some cases, what not to do. For example, knowledge of mistakes leaders of any type have made, helps to prevent similar mistakes to be made by those of today. Presidential candidates know the sorts of things to campaign on, from what worked in the past, and by public opinion. On the other hand, politics demonstrate things that may very well destroy the important public image of a party, or cause other major setbacks. One recent occasion was when Trent Lott made headlines for publicly stating his support of a controversial, and mainly negatively viewed policies of segregation. In the Presidential election back in 1948, one main reason Strom Thurman lost the election was because of his platform promoting segregation. Although the statement was probably accidental, Lott failed to learn from past mistakes of former leaders, and in the end, had to step down from being the Senate Majority leader.

Integrating other cultures, customs, and especially languages is where history can once again benefit the effectiveness of a leader. All of these things stem directly from their respective country or society, and basic knowledge of all promote stronger relationships for the future. After all, the fundamental weakness of a leader is not using his staff or subordinates, which also includes peers. Understanding the past of someone makes it much easier to negotiate, compromise, and work together as a team. Awareness of the past can minimize confusion, misunderstandings, and decreases the chance of unnecessary friction between to groups. In Leadership: 2000 and Beyond, it states that to effectively lead, you cannot exclusively work towards your own goals, you must also be aware and supportive of your followers goals. Knowing what they want out of your leadership allows you to be that much more effective. Understanding where your peers are coming from creates a common core of experience; although you have different backgrounds you share the same knowledge. On a larger scale, a basic understanding of the history of a group, country, anything, will assist in you being a better representative of your followers, and your goals for the future.

Even though knowledge, or awareness of the past will not dictate exactly what needs to be done, it leaves the final decision up to the leader, who must utilize the past to mold the future. Hopefully, the chosen path will be one that future leaders will learn from his successes, rather than from his failures.

C/SMsgt Andrew Scalzo