SSG Ret Shilo A. Harris. Photo by Joanne McCurry

ebruary 19, 2007: That was the day my life became the motto “from tragedy to triumph.” I was proudly and confidently serving in the United States Army. My platoon was traveling to investigate a potential improved explosive device (IED) down a famously explosive road called Route Metallica. All the roads in the area were named after heavy metal bands, and rightfully so.

I was the vehicle commander, riding in the third vehicle in the convoy. All eyes and ears were active, everyone engaged in tactical communication and patrol while navigating around IED holes in the asphalt. The noise, the shatter and the impact happened so fast. My Humvee was blown apart by a 700-pound bomb that took the lives of three of my brothers and changed the lives of everyone in the platoon. For me, it was catastrophic. I was taken from the battlefield and induced into a coma that lasted about 48 days. When I woke up, I learned that I had lost three fingers, my nose and both ears, broke my clavicle, chipped a vertebra in my neck, and endured third-degree burns over 35 percent of my body. This is one of those moments that can break anyone: physically, spiritually and psychologically.

My recovery began at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Waking up took a significant amount of time, as I faded in and out of consciousness, yet I can vividly recall the day I was asked to take five steps. I am a combat soldier. I have done 25-mile marches. I’ve got this, I thought to myself, as I took three agonizing, painful shuffles before collapsing into the nurse’s arms. That was 13 years ago. Today, I skydive, scuba dive, hike, bike, ride my tractor and chop wood. Nothing was or is going to take me down.

It all started with my mindset. I needed to embrace where I was physically, then do the same mentally, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically. The leader I had become, in both my military life and personal life, was obligated to present itself in this most life-altering time. It was my leadership skills that got me through my recovery.

Shaped by Example

Beginning at a young age, I started observing leadership dynamics, both natural and trained. My dad, Allen B. Harris, paved the way by identifying good and bad leadership qualities as we watched movies and the news, read comics and observed others in our community. Long drives for fishing and hunting trips included popping in cassette tapes to listen to motivational speakers Zig Ziglar, Earl Nightingale and Jim Rohn.

Growing up in a combat veteran’s home may have instigated my father’s decision to mentor my leadership capabilities from a young age. My grandfather, A.B. Harris, was a combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War and served in the military during the Vietnam War. My father would talk about his youth as a “military brat,” the child of an active duty military service member. The benefits and drawbacks of traveling frequently and attending different schools were detailed in the stories he shared. Constantly having to make new friends was extremely challenging, yet it forced him to be a leader among his peers.

The leader I had become, in both my military life and personal life, was obligated to present itself in this most life-altering time.

Although I didn’t grow up as a military brat, both my father and my grandfather, each combat veterans, influenced my life. Both men encouraged me become a fearless and fair leader. Unfortunately, at the time I didn’t see how. It was like I knew how to drive but didn’t know how to put the car in gear.

In my teens and early twenties, I had moments of leadership success. Mostly because I finally realized that a leader doesn’t remain in the background. A leader takes responsibility and shows their talents and strengths. A leader is confident in their answers. A leader speaks up when they know what should happen next. A leader leads with action and words when everyone else is idle. A leader drives a group of people to build a team, to embrace and fulfill the goal or mission.

The Humvee and bomb crater.

I studied others who, in my eyes, were successful. I learned how to convey my proposals in a tactful and respectable manner. This meant that I needed to not only be confident enough to know what course of action to take but be strong enough to accept responsibility and recommendations as well.

The noise, the shatter and the impact happened so fast. My Humvee was blown apart by a 700-pound bomb that took the lives of three of my brothers and changed the lives of everyone in the platoon.

It was not until I joined the military in March of 2002, not long after the 9/11 attacks, that I really put my leadership talents to use. I was 27 years old, joining a combat unit in the United States Army, focused on making a difference for our country. I was excited and nervous (no room for fear in my vocabulary) all at the same time. I felt like the old guy among young healthy studs, but throughout my military career my age and maturity would be a constant asset.

Leaders Learn

While in basic training, I was in a leadership position from day one. But leadership doesn’t just mean leading; it also means learning. I recall an important lesson learned during a land navigation exercise. My team was moving between points when one of the team members badly rolled his ankle and was unable to walk, creating a sense of panic among the remaining two team members. I calmly explained that the next point would have an ambulance set up and we could get there quickly if they would follow my lead and trust my tactical and survival skills. The kid that was injured began to protest and said he wanted to go to the road and get a ride from someone passing by. It was a longer route in the opposite direction, yet I found myself unable to convince my team otherwise. No matter how confident or firm I was, three against one they voted to go to the road.

Of course, I stayed with the team, each of us taking turns carrying the injured member.

We got to the ambulance the long way and finished the course in last place. At the end of the night, the drill sergeant asked me what went wrong. After I shared the disappointing details, he said it was a lesson for me to evaluate what went wrong and ensure it didn’t happen on the battlefield. He reassured me that I was a good leader and did the right thing by keeping everyone together.

Before the accident, during recovery and now.

Experience Matters

What I learned that day would later play a role on the battlefield in Baghdad. My team and I, the 1-89 Cav, 10th Mountain Division, were in a small compound of about 20 buildings visiting with community members to see how we could make their lives better. After a few moments in the compound, we heard gunfire and immediately went to investigate. As another officer and I peered around a wall to get a visual, bullets hit the wall directly in front of our faces. This time I did not give anyone a chance to overthink the situation. I immediately told them exactly what needed to happen. We executed the plan and started moving as quickly as possible to engage the enemy. I did not wait for objections or acceptance. We were in action on the move. We took on a few more pop shots, but everyone did their job flawlessly and we made it out unscathed. When in a leadership position, it is not just about making the decisions; it is about implementing the plan quickly and swiftly. Results will impress.

When we got back to the base, everyone was in high spirits. We made it out of a potentially fatal situation, and everyone knew they had done their job exceptionally well.

Shilo, his wife Jamie and their family.

None of the leadership courses I attended and the life lessons I learned would have mattered if I had given up after being blown up. I could have easily looked at my scarred face in the mirror and quit believing in myself, but I did not.

On that same deployment, we worked an area south of Baghdad in the rural farming communities. The roads out there were riddled with IEDs. It was one of the most hostile areas I had witnessed in two deployments. One day, after an IED had detonated near another unit, we decided to check the area again for potential enemy hiding spots.

At first, the terrain appeared flat, making it hard for anyone to hide, but just outside of the blast area we found a cut in the dirt used to hide a wire. There was nothing that indicated someone could hide there and detonate a bomb, so I decided to walk a little further. The platoon sergeant radioed, “Don’t go any further, we can barely see you guys.” I almost gave up the search, but something told me to push past that comfort zone. I requested permission to go a little further. About 15 steps past our comfort zone, we found a large dirt embankment. It was like a mirage with the desert heat. I radioed back to let them know we had found something. They could not see us at all, yet the enemy, from this embankment, would have been able to clearly see the road and the convoy. Eventually, we caught the attackers.

Leadership is knowing success is sometimes just past your comfort zone. If you have a good feeling, lead your team to success.

Sky diving, skiing and surfing – exploring new challenges together.

Staying True to Yourself

None of the leadership courses I attended and the life lessons I learned would have mattered if I had given up after being blown up. I could have easily looked at my scarred face in the mirror and quit believing in myself, but I did not. I pushed myself. I educated myself. I became a motivational speaker and an author. I released my first book, Steel Will, in 2014. I will soon release another book I am writing with my wife, detailing the steps in my recovery. I am also currently working on a movie. Imagine what I will become tomorrow. Whatever it is, I will lead with my personal core values:

I believe great leaders should communicate effectively, learn to adapt to the situation, live by a set of moral values, display confidence in the face of adversity, and lead by example. There are still many qualities and attributes to consider: intelligence, reliability, consistency, caring, hygiene, appearance, fairness – the list goes on. Pick your core values, lead yourself first and others will follow.