The Art of Discipline 10/12/17

The Art of Discipline* “We discipline our children so that they will learn self-discipline.” If you look at the synonyms for the word discipline you will see the words; punishment, chastisement and castigation. These negative connotations are often what people think about when they consider discipline. However, other synonyms for discipline include; self-control and self-restraint. Because people usually focus on the negative aspect of discipline they often forget the real goal of discipline, self-mastery. A quick review of great leaders shows self-discipline as a defining characteristic. Powerful leaders can influence others because they have first learned to lead themselves. One reason children, and other followers, don’t respond to discipline is because they don’t see self-discipline in their parent or leader. This kind of person is trying to give/teach something they don’t have themselves and will undoubtedly fail. Great leaders inspire others to self-discipline, often accomplishing unimagined feats. Many who experience this process become great leaders themselves. Learning self-discipline is hard but the rewards are great. Some learn self-discipline as children but most people struggle with developing mature skills. Most books on the subject teach following goals rather than feelings. Like an athlete who is focused on achievement, self-disciplined people always have habits they want to maintain or improve. You can learn self-discipline alone but the most effective way is with a coach or mentor. This is primarily true because it’s almost impossible to be entirely objective about our own performance; our feelings often get in the way of our resolution. In the Christian tradition, discipleship is a core concept. The founder of Christianity, Jesus, spent his three brief years of ministry primarily teaching only twelve disciples. Though he occasionally preached to multitudes, it was these twelve who transmitted his message to the next generation. From that dozen leaders, today’s church numbers over 2.4 billion. For people with courage and discipline there are few limits to what they can accomplish. Discipline has changed the world and we too have the power to strain toward our goals. My prayer is that you have the courage and discipline to reach for, and fulfill, your destiny.** Army Leadership Doctrine: ADRP 6-22, 3-24 says, "Discipline at the individual level is primarily self-discipline, the ability to control one's own behavior. Discipline expresses what the Army Values require - willingly doing what is right." 3-26 says, "Leaders of character develop through continual study, reflection, experience, and feedback." *This is an article I wrote for the Gold Standard paper at Fort Knox in August 2017. Please feel free to respond to with your own observations. **For a religious though on this topic consider http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/january/god-involves-us-in-our-own-discipleship-why-how.html For a spiritual (non-theistic) one consider http://www.thedailymind.com/how-to/the-guide-to-developing-self-discipline-that-lasts/ that recommends practices for self-discipline. Next week I will be out for the Speed of Trust training for Strong Bonds. I expect to have some new leadership thoughts from that source in the weeks to come.