By: Blonde Two
When you work with young people, every now and again you come across one that you kind off recognise, one who catches your eye, one who reminds you of yourself.
I was, I think, a little bit precocious as a girl. Not too much so, three sisters would have kept tight reins on too many tendencies in that direction. I can remember getting into trouble at school, not for poor work or bad behaviour (I was, for the most part, a scholarly young lady) but for over-familiarity with my elders. As you can imagine, this propensity did at times stand me in good stead but at others, probably just irritated the hell out of people.
Precociousness is obviously just self-confidence that has gone a bit too far. The Two Blondes came across a young lady this week who has bags of the latter and maybe just the correct hint of the former. Faced with great disappointment at our cancelled Ten Tors walk, she took it upon herself to visit her head of establishment and ask for some time on Friday to do a replacement one. We Two Blondes know very well that if we had asked the same question, we would have got a negative response. There are few things more impressive, however, than a polite, slightly opinionated, but self-assured young woman and within half an hour, our Would-Be-Blonde had secured an expedition for herself and some of her lucky but less persuasive male comrades.
Do we have a team leader in the making here? Too soon to call it, but my money is on the Blonde!
training leaders of the next generation is probably the most ‘sacred’ duty of all, at least for anyone not obsessed with myopic self-indulgence.
i’m not sure that leadership can be taught ‘a priori’ – as you imply, it needs a certain degree of aptitude and that peculiar attribute, ‘self-confidence’, but, of course, much more if it is not to become dangerous both to the individual and to the led, nor must the training extinguish the spark.
it needs knowledge, judgement and moral resilience – all of which and more can be taught or at least enhanced, by appropriate instruction and guidance, and, crucially, progressive opportunities to exercise power (oops – leadership skills) and take responsibility for both successes and failures (which means, of course, being able to measure them and for the candidate not to fear failure at the expense of later success).
This thinking (if it can be graced with such) was behind my comment about your weather dilemmae last week – what at least partially reconciled me to your decisions was finding that you were talking about, in such terms, a very large group, not a small select band of chosen ones.
So, the object of your post needs more than her winning ways: she needs intensive study and instruction if she is to fulfil her annointed role and not become ‘dangerous to know’: from my observations, I have some confidence you (both) will see she gets these – if only to revivify the ranks of the blonde leadership that you seem to anticipate being needed!
But more, of course. Her country hath need of her – and her like.
But enough pompificating (sic) – the hard facts seem curiously ambiguous – head of establishment ? (ie implies a CO ?): secured an expedition for – were the rest under her orders ? is she already marked out ? – and why a Friday ? – time for ‘planning’ and other ‘bureaucracy’ ? weekends are what we had to make do with in the old days, except in the vacs!
I thought I had worked out some answers to your cunning puzzles, but this post makes me wonder if I am wrong (an unconscionably rare event, as I’m sure you will have realised) !
Gimmer (I really do insist on this capital letter) I sense disappointment in my decision making on Friday. I hope there is none as I may be about to do the same thing again and believe me, I was disappointed enough in myself. I am pleased though that we are managing to maintain an air of mystery – this is, of course, all part of a big plan!
not knowing the party, its composition or size, the terrain, plans or purposes, whilst it was a live issue, any irresponsible outside comment would have been at best impertinent and at worst dangerous: later, however, when such risks are passed, might one wonder aloud: some of our best days in the hills have been when foul weather breaks to reveal the glory.
This year’s storms are an exception in their severity and specially their duration – but C is getting some such rewards even now!
It is easy to urge others to tread the steep and stony way, only to take the primrose path oneself . . . . so please heap coals if warranted, but don’t take too much notice of armchair admirals.