Why a Leader Never Leaves Their Compass at Home
When traveling to places less known, following in another’s footsteps can be helpful. A map may be reliable for getting us from here to there. There are situations where a map is not enough; we need more. Leaders may carry a map, but they also have a compass. Their internal compass is the preferred tool when the environment changes or the map is no longer sufficient.
The setting
Father’s Day. Beautiful weather in the forecast where we live. No rain and not too hot should the three of us start early enough. A morning hike was on the agenda and we wouldn’t be going too far so we could take our little 8-pound Shih-Poo too. If Sheldon got too tired, we could carry him in the dog-pack.
Fun
Hiking in great weather is fun and relaxing. For us, getting out of town and breathing the mountain air is soothing and family conversations flow more freely. The first part of any hike might be my favorite part. I enjoy the anticipation about what we might encounter in the next few hours. Some singing, less drama, and picture taking along the way. What could go wrong?
Image Author Created
Work
For us, a worthwhile hike for our family requires some work. Going up switch-backs, navigating down rocky terrain makes us feel like we are accomplishing something as we burn a few extra calories.
We especially enjoy when we can find a loop that isn’t beyond our capability versus a straight up and back. Ideally, if we can find a hike that has a view or some other destination, such as a waterfall is all the better!
Sheldon taking the easier path
Image Author Created
Fatigue
As expected, fatigue sets in a bit as we pass the 60% mark of our intended distance. We feel strong. I’m especially happy as I am not thinking about my job or house projects. Staying in the moment and at times just trying to catch my breath is good enough. Climbing — one step at a time, now with Sheldon on my back, we are all pushing through as we look for our next trail marker to match our map.
Advice
We didn’t find the next trail marker right away. We estimated we walked another mile or so before we found it. We had begun wondering if we somehow missed a turn.
While we now found the marketer, it came with a puzzle. There was a fork in the path. We could go left or remain on the current trial.
It was important that we didn't choose incorrectly because we were all getting tired by now. What if we have difficulty retracing our steps back to our vehicle? Worse yet, going back the way we came might be a little more than we could handle.
While not my typical approach, I suggested we catch our breath and ask the advice of another hiker on the trail. Every so often there would be a hiker or a biker coming from the direction we were headed so we didn't think we would have to wait too long.
10 minutes went by. A runner came up from behind us and we asked him. He wasn’t sure where he was going but told us where he had come from.
Next, a rider came towards us on horseback and advised us not to go from the way she came. The trail was muddy and was not the one we were looking for, she claimed. We proceeded to ask her if she knew where she was going. She said she didn't. She was lost and was looking for guidance herself.
Last, we heard a commotion come up behind us. A lady and a girl (presumably her daughter) came up to us with a pack of 3 dogs barking and yelping. All off-leash -- Yikes!
They were wanting to go after the horse. These newcomers had a map. As they explained where they were going they admitted they sometimes get lost themselves. We were not convinced we should follow their lead in this case.
Decision time
During this time our family had enough advice and guidance we could take and my wife pulled out the compass, looked at the map, and stated quite plainly,
“We have a compass, we know we need to go South. South means we go this way."
Sheldon was exhausted.
Image Author Created
Last thoughts
My wife was right. Going South was the way. While a map was a great way to get us started, on this day it wouldn’t have brought us home. Similarly, when we have goals in work and in life, using our internal compass can help us avoid pitfalls. It can also ensure we arrive at our desired destination.