Army doctrine describes self-development as a bridge between the operational and institutional domains, a vital facet of our education that sets conditions for individual growth and learning.
This sounds great, but many leaders find self-development a vague and unfamiliar topic. We are constantly rushed through a variety of competing efforts and aren’t even sure how to maximize what little time we have available. Structured self-development is often not achieved.
This page reviews the concept of self-development as described in FM 6-22 and tailors it for use by Field Grade Leaders across the force.
A Five-Word Definition of Self-Development
First, Dr. Franklin Annis provides a succinct definition of self-development:
Choose learning over nonlearning activities
He goes on to provide insight based on over a decade of research on the topic of adult learning.
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10 Pound Books and a Cellphone: 21st Century Learning
Reading is an essential component of self-development, but how do you make time for it? Many professionals use relative downtime, commutes for example, to absorb knowledge through audio or digital books. In this article, Josh Urness provides a good overview of digital tools available to enable self-development on the go.
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A Review of the Full Focus Planner
Another essential component of self-development is goal setting, however many leaders don’t have a good system to enable progress. In this article, Brad Barron provides a review of The Full Focus Planner, an effective analog tool that enables goal setting.
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The Power of Journaling and Reflection
Finally, leaders who are effective at self-development constantly assess their performance. Reflection and journaling are two powerful tools to use each day, gaining a better understanding of strengths, weaknesses, and leadership gaps. In this article, Kyle Trottier provides a good overview of his process for daily reflection.
Click HERE to read the full article.
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We hope this discussion of self-development has sparked your creativity