Book Rave: The Loudest Duck by Laura Liswood
I may earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you, thanks!
There are many books I plan to rave about and yet I had to jump ahead and write about this one. I just finished listening to it and cannot stop talking about ducks, elephants, and giraffes, “Oh my!” I must rave about "The Loudest Duck: Moving Beyond Diversity While Embracing Differences" by Laura Liswood now. I will likely reference it many times over in future articles. Liswood explains dominant and non-dominant cultures. Dominant being anyone in the majority group and non-dominant being the minority. In writing this rave, I cannot rewrite her book for you... I found myself attempting in my first version of this post. Instead I will muse over how fitting her book is for the military. Yes, if I could, I would get a copy for every leader…okay, every follower too. There are so many types of groups: race, gender, orientation, even height (and some of my best friends are short!). We don’t have to learn everything about someone not like us. Yet when are cognizant of what group we are in we can acknowledge the differences. Then become more strategic in our approach.
All Aboard!
In the Loudest Duck, Liswood illustrates the Noah’s Ark approach to diversity and its flaws. A corporation will get "two of each" in different groups, bring them together, and call it a day. Then they pat themselves on the back for being diverse. They don’t realize the chaos that ensues on the ship or that there are individuals who struggle. We may have created a similar environment in the military. We don’t necessarily recruit for representation. Yet we are a volunteer force of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines from all walks of life. This diversity is one of our strengths. It is one of the primary reasons I love serving. Having said that, we can do better. how great would it be if we can equip everyone coming in with a few considerations from the Loudest Duck? We all unite to accomplish the mission so we tend to find common ground. I agree with Liswood - we can we move beyond just marching everyone around on our military ark.
Hush Now Child
Liswood says it is natural for the giraffe to look at the zebra with curiosity and judge his stubby neck. Especially if it is the first time she has seen a zebra. She may even wonder why his stripes are so long when her spots are so beautiful. Liswood calls this bringing Grandma to work. Grandma is the accumulation of your beliefs and perspectives on the world. It is everything influencing your current opinion on others. For example, society has expectations of how a man and woman should interact. Biases about women exist in all genders. Grandma does not exclude, she’s with all of us and when she says “young ladies should be nice and quiet.” Young women may hear that statement more than men. One can already guess, my Grandma gave up trying to silence me…
Give Granny a Gun
The military is a melting pot of many talents and backgrounds. Our diversity is our strength. Yet, like anywhere else in society, issues spark because of these broad differences. Women are now allowed to serve in all aspects - no barriers. Furthermore, since 2012, our gay brothers and sisters in arms can be themselves. No more concern of risking their careers for who they love. We all serve, but we must recognize Grandma has her rifle right there with us. What I’ve noticed is there is a general expectation we all “get along.” There are also awkward moments caused by the dominant group not knowing how to relate to the non-dominant group.
If it Walks Like a Duck…
When that awkwardness occurs, we reach for what is safe, good ol’ fashioned avoidance. We try to ignore Grandma as much as possible, she does not belong…or does she? My vote is give her a uniform and let her meet the other Grandmas. The more they talk, the more we can understand each other…maybe they will all play bridge, mahjong, or golf.
Over time, the giraffe will appreciate the color contrast of the zebra. The first step is for her to acknowledge and embrace the fact that they are different animals. Liswood provides many wonderful illustrations and stories. She gently points out challenges and needed consideration for diverse group dynamics. If we follow the Loudest Duck, we can take the time to learn about and pull in all the strengths. Whether you are dominant or non-dominant (and that can vary), we can encourage full participation. We can level the playing field for giraffes, zebras, and ducks.