Here’s to Many More Years in the Desert: Templates for Flourishing!
This month marks the three-year anniversary of my arrival in Mauritania. My experiences in this country have pushed me further than I thought possible and made me grow more than I could have imagined. Reflecting on Poole’s list of Critical Incidents [1], I couldn’t help but think back to those early days in Mauritania and the situations where I wanted to find the first flight home. Although I still have difficult days, I am more familiar with the different difficult situations that will present themselves to me and I have the tools to handle them well… or well-ish. I loudly hear the echo of Joseph Campbell, “And by a like miracle, so will each whose work is the difficult, dangerous task of self-discovery and self-development be portered across the ocean of life.” [2] Oh, how true this has been!
The best advice I received upon my arrival in Mauritania from a fellow expatriate is to maintain the desire to learn. Poole writes, “…as a species, if we do not keep learning, we are not adapting, which threatens our future survival.” [3] Learning has been essential in Mauritania. However, I must admit that I thought I was a ready and willing learner until I arrived in Africa. I discovered there were things I didn’t want to learn (i.e. residency card processes, currency conversions, mechanics, electricians, an unwritten dialect, etc.). There have been times when I have begrudgingly gone through difficult situations and not retained anything meaningful for similar future situations. In this regard, I appreciated Poole’s 3Rs of adult learning: receptivity, retention, and retrieval. She writes: “All three must work to ensure that learning is acquired, retained and usable.” [4] I was able to process the 3Rs in my context:
Receptiveness. From the first months of my arrival in Nouakchott, I began to take small steps outside the safety of my apartment. I found myself volunteering time in a small clinic to revamp systems to track patient diagnoses. Poole writes, “…learning needs to appeal to our survival instinct. ‘First, is this new?’ Novelty appeals to the collector instinct in your brain. ‘Then, how will this knowledge help me this week, next week, when?’” [5] There was so much new that I often felt exhausted. However, each new experience in the clinic transformed my way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing the community in which the clinic served. [6] Each new step was progress in better understanding the culture. It really was like diving into the deep end.
Retention. I have learned the importance of creating meaning to my life in Africa. I could easily remain passive and allow the critical incidents to fly at me or I can proactively prepare myself for when they come. Poole outlines Vicki Culpin’s mnemonic for retention – MARC – the four key principles necessary to ensure effective storage in long-term memory: Meaning (the organization of material, building on previous knowledge), Attention (effort and motivation), Repetition (rehearsal) and Creativity (distinctiveness and uniqueness). [7] It took me time to understand the agency I had in each difficult situation. Above all, work in the clinic. A very simple example of harnessing this agency was preparing good questions and agenda topics for staff meetings. This required intentionality and foresight as these meetings were often done in two languages, French and Arabic. This was something the clinic director (Kari) and I worked on together. We found staff meetings became more inspired as colleagues were given the space to contribute to the conversation and take ownership of their work. I learned a lot from the local staff this way and was able to find new ways to engage with the culture.
Retrieval. Poole writes, “the quickest way I have found to learn something is to teach it, as soon afterwards as you can.” [8] At the end of December, I stepped away from my position as administrator of a nonprofit clinic in Mauritania. Just yesterday I met with expats and local staff to celebrate the clinic’s 18 years of serving the community. There was a good number of people present and everyone shared their thoughts about the clinic and the things they had learned. I was moved to hear one of the national nurses share the importance of listening to patients and the idea that complete healing comes not only from physical well-being but also from mental well-being. This belief was deeply instilled in the clinic director (Kari) and me, and we sought to pass it on to the staff. Although I am no longer present at the clinic, this belief remains with the staff. Poole describes this as legacy. [9] She states, “Partly as a virtuous discipline, and partly to cement your own learning, a vital element of your leadersmithing will be to become an apprentice master to others.” I will continue to teach the idea of wholeness and I trust the clinic staff will continue to pass it on.
In her TedTalk “Leadersmithing” posted to YouTube on April 12, 2017, Eve Poole describes the formation of pearls from a piece of grit. Literally, grit is a small, loose particle of sand. However, when it comes to leadership, it’s strength of character. I find this strength comes from the building of ‘muscle memory’ or templating. Poole writes, “This means that when [leaders] have to perform any of these activities in their real work they feel resourced to do so. This allows leaders to meet situations head on that would normally make them feel stressed and yet still be able to maintain their cognitive functioning, because they have templates for them.” [10] Upon first arrival in Mauritania, I sensed a lack of agency to make sense of an unfamiliar culture. However, with time, help from expat and national colleagues, and a real understanding of grit, I have learned templates for flourishing, and I am ready to pass them onto others. Here’s to many more years in the desert!
[1] The meaning of Critical Incidents is challenging situations that everyone faces.
[2] Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell) (p. 44). Joseph Campbell Foundation. Kindle Edition.
[3] Eve Poole, Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership (p. 43). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
[4] Ibid, 43.
[5] Ibid, 43.
[6] Jan Meyer and Ray Land, Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (London: Routledge, 2006)
[7] Vicki Culpin, In Leadersmithing: Revealing the Trade Secrets of Leadership (p. 44). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
[8] Eve Poole, Leadersmithing (p. 45)
[9] Eve Poole, Leadersmithing (p. 180)
[10] Eve Poole, Leadersmithing (p. 11)
About the Author
Elysse Burns
11 responses to “Here’s to Many More Years in the Desert: Templates for Flourishing!”
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Elysse, I find it so fascinating that each blog I read brings out something different from Poole’s book. Your discussion of the way to retain lessons learned gave me a new look at it. Thank you. You mentioned that you are no longer at the clinic, but it sounds as though you are still in Mauritania? Is it possible to change the place of your work in a foreign country? You can tell by my question I know little of the mechanics of foreign service. What prompts my question is the sense is that it took courage to make that change.
Hi Elysse,
I enjoyed reading your post. We have something in common – moving into another and finding all the new things to learn and wondering “what I am doing here”. Your reflection on Eve Poole’s analogy of pearls forming from grit and its application to leadership is profound. The idea that strength of character, akin to the transformation of grit into pearls, can be cultivated through “muscle memory” or templating is inspiring.
Your personal experience in Mauritania, transitioning from a sense of unfamiliarity to a readiness to pass on templates for flourishing, exemplifies the power of resilience and adaptation in leadership. Here is to your continued growth and success in navigating unfamiliar territories!
Shela, thank you for your very kind words!
Hi Elysse! Congratulations on your years of service! You seemed to have smoothed out some of the rough spots. and have had an impactful experience. I enjoyed reading and learning more about you. Using Poole’s book as a reference, what areas in Leadersmithing does she describe that helped the grit become pearls?
Daren, a valuable lesson I took away from “Leadersmithing” is the idea that leadership is a lifelong learning process. I used to believe I was a very willing and ready learner, but living overseas for about 4 years has made me realize I still need growth in this area. I believe grit can be turned into pearls when we reconcile ourselves to lifelong learning and make proactive efforts towards transformation.
Hi Elysse, I love reading your reflections on how you have grown as a leader during your time in Mauritania so far. I celebrate with you the recognition of a legacy of lasting change! Looking ahead, is there another theme you hope to impart among those with whom you lead and serve? If yes, how might that come about?
Julie, thank you for your very kind words. I am going to divert from “Leadersmithing” to answer your question. I was really impacted by Tom Camacho’s “Mining for Gold” and the idea of living with an abundance mentality. Something I see so often is a scarcity, victim mentality and the way it paralyzes people from taking action. I know this isn’t just an issue in my context. I would love to impart this belief of living in abundance and see people really own it. I have a few friends I believe would embrace this idea. Recently, I had a great discussion with the mayor of my commune on this very subject. He seemed to catch on to the idea that “gold is everywhere.” I see great potential here! Thanks again.
Hi Elysse, I am so fascinated by your writing and experience (okay, and a little jealous too!)
Just a couple thoughts… what kept you from finding that first flight out… it would have been tempting. Second, what is the single biggest thing you have learned about yourself in your time in Mauritania
Chris, we always welcome visitors in Mauritania! I think the thing that really kept me from finding the first flight home was the bigger purpose I know led me here. And of course, the relationships with the Mauritanians. My national colleagues at the clinic became like family. Now I can’t imagine being anywhere else. Although I do enjoy a change of scenery from time to time in greener countries. I think the biggest thing I learned about myself here in Mauritania is that I can be courageous and do things that scare me. For example, I led my Discovery Workshop in French. I don’t think I could have done that a year ago. In quoting Eve Poole, “There are some things that are more important than fear.” I am growing in this area.
Hi Elysse, your story in Mauretania is very interesting. Not only that but it is very informative as well; I learn a lot of good and important lessons about leadership. You talked about your stepping aside as the administrator, does that mean it is now a local administrator is in place? What do you see as the most important element to beware of in this kind of transition?
Noel, the clinic is still overseen by expats. However, the local staff do a lot of the heavy lifting. They have really grown in this area. I think something to be aware of in a transition like this is the loss of staff morale. I really wanted to impart to the staff confidence in their ability to continue the work and to do it well.