Running Trails

The Leadership Challenge, which says that one of the “five practices of exemplary leadership” is to “model the way.” The problem for many leaders is that “the way” isn’t as clear as it needs to be. A leader may think that the path is obvious, just as I did on my run, only to discover that he or she doesn’t have the clarity that is needed. When you come to important “forks,” do you have deeply held values that guide your decision? Do you have confidence in which path you should choose? Do the vision and values of the organization offer the guidance that you need? My run was a solo venture, so no one followed me down the wrong path. It doesn’t work that way for leaders – people are following them. In fact, sometimes those people are relying on the leader to clearly say, “I’ve been there. Here’s the path you need to follow.” If the leader takes a wrong turn or gives poor directions, it impacts the entire organization. Now don’t let this discourage you from leading. Instead, lace up your shoes, check your map, and hit the trail.]]>