Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Lt. Col. Amanda Jane Harrah, civil affairs officer with the 28th Infantry...... read more read more
Most of us have sat through countless training sessions about keeping a positive mindset not only during difficult times in training exercises and deployments, but through the challenges of everyday life. But no matter how much education we receive, it can’t fully prepare us for real life situations.
Lt. Col. Amanda Jane Harrah, civil affairs officer with Operations Company, 28th Infantry Division, has been through many life experiences that would give anyone a negative outlook or jade them. But she maintains a positive and upbeat attitude–and she attributes that to the things she’s experienced, good leaders and soldiers she’s met along the way and a bit of self-reflection.
Harrah has been serving in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard for 29 years, 30 this September. She’s held many jobs from engineer, to logistician, to defense movement coordinator, to sustainment automation systems management officer. She also works full time for the command inspector general for the weapon systems support office for Naval Supply Systems Command, Department of the Navy.
If you met Harrah, you’d think from her warm smile, outgoing personality and positive attitude that there have been a series of great events in her life that led her to be the inspirational leader she is today–but she wasn’t always this way.
“Years ago, you would find me; finding fault, complaining and trying to find all the short-cuts. I was completely unapproachable and yet, I felt by my own measuring stick, that I had it all together, but I had never been more unhappy in life," Harrah said. “I was hard on people, always questioning their intent and authority. I loved making changes at the last minute, just to show power and never offering an explanation. I wanted to be like the leaders in those World War II books I had been reading about. Little did I know that leadership is not one size fits all."
Indeed, leadership is different for everyone, but the tactics of WWII-era leaders are a distant memory. Now, the Army focuses on creating servant leaders that care for their soldiers while still holding a high standard. Harrah learned that from experience.
“After a few deployments and a few more life lessons from experienced senior noncommissioned officers from the Vietnam era, I came to the conclusion that there is absolutely no short cut to happiness.” she said.
Unfortunately for Harrah, she would learn that even when you put in a concerted effort, life can throw you a curve ball. Six years ago, Harrah was homeless while raising her two children. Faced with an unthinkable situation, Harrah took her life, and her children’s, into her own hands and made her life into what she’d always dreamed of.
“I lived in a car in Philadelphia dodging a very abusive situation for a very long three years. It was not a good spot for me. No one knew this about me until it was over. I did not want anyone to think that I was weak or unable to take care of my children,” Harrah said. “I will tell you that going through that, learning how to be resourceful, being so intent on my prayer life, my physical fitness, my positivity--it came from that one valley of pain.”
From this experience, Harrah wanted to give back to others struggling with similar situations. She worked on the Women’s Peace and Security Initiative on her deployment in Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar.
“I heard story after story after story that was so similarly painful to mine,” she continued. “I finally understood why I went through what I did–to help others and have compassion and understanding for the Afghan women in Qatar and the ladies in Jordan and Kuwait that suffer daily from beatings—not just by husbands, but by fathers and brothers.”
Truly paying it forward in a way that most of us wouldn’t be able to do. To look at an awful situation, find that positive in it, and come out stronger on the other end.
“I was humbled. I say all that to say, I would not change the journey for anything in this world," Harrah said. “Acknowledge your pain, loss, disappointment and tell yourself this is not a disorder, a disease or a sign of weakness–it is something that we go through and the scar may be there to forever remind us– but look for those helping hands. Keep climbing, running, walking and crawling until you are where you need to be. Don’t give up and make sure that when you are coming through your pain, that you have healed properly and start helping others.”
She believes that one of the best things to do when you’re healing, or one of the best ways to acknowledge your own situation, is to help others through acts of service.
“If you are hungry, go volunteer at a food pantry. Feeling broken, go volunteer at your nearest children's hospital,” Harrah continued. “It will quickly allow you to keep it in perspective.”
To Harrah, these are the things that make us human. The things that mold us into who we are, and the things that make up how we treat others, lead others, help others and talk to others.
But not every problem is earth-shattering. Sometimes it’s just a bad work meeting, a negative interaction with a fellow soldier, or even an angry driver on your way home from a drill. It’s about how we handle those situations too. Often, they are situations we encounter while we’re in uniform–but as Harrah mentions, it’s everyone’s responsibility to take ownership, step up and shine a light on it as needed.
“You are going to be handed a stack of problems at any time, no matter where you stand in the formation. Take ownership of it, all of it – the negative and the positive,” she continued. “Do not be afraid to step up and take a hard look at the situation, show some positivity where it needs to go, shine the light on where the problem needs to be solved. The best leaders I have served with have admitted when they made a mistake, humbled themselves to self-correct instead of making excuses.”
And instead of the leadership tactics of old, Harrah suggests learning from past experiences, growing from mistakes and being authentic.
“Be Kind. Be yourself. Allow others to share their voice, empower your outside thinkers and watch innovation grow to the next level,” Harrah said. “Authentic Leaders are intentional, servant-led and relentless communicators that are transformational. Leadership is about being involved, accountable and responsible. Ownership is about learning from your mistakes, abstaining from blame and picking yourself and others up along the way--and heading onto the next terrain feature.”
Leadership also means filling your own cup on occasion, and taking care of yourself so you can be the best leader for your team.
“I know that I cannot help others until I know myself, others and keep my own life balanced. In order to do that I have to have what I call the balanced ‘cups,'” said Harrah. “My cups are physical fitness, motivation, my family, my work, life, academics, emotional, social, mental health and spiritual. I look for systems to keep all of my cups balanced.”
Discipline is the way she keeps filling all of her cups, and Harrah believes that discipline is pre-decisional. She can pre-determine each day by choosing to be a good person, and choosing the mood she’ll be in. But having all of her cups filled and balanced are what she says makes her the best leader she can be.
“I do this by making sure I get time with devotionals and prayer each morning, get a run and a lift in, eat good food, take a walk with my dog, read a book with my husband, go to church with my family, take a hike with my daughter, get adequate sleep and of course, spend time laughing,” Harrah said. “Never underestimate the power of a good laugh.”
Or, as she says, a nap, a snack, or a puppy.
After nearly 30 years of service with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, the advice she offers to potential recruits is simply that the journey can be amazing if they allow it to be.
"This uniform has changed the trajectory of my life. It brought me out of the mountains of West Virginia and gave me a life that most people are paying for in vacation savings plans," said Harrah. “We should always be giving back to this country. We owe this country our best effort everyday.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2024 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 469707 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Leading with resilience and heart, by 1LT Lindsey Foulk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Fort Indiantown Gap
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