November 11, 2002
Adventure |
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You are in the midst of a great adventure. The
journey of leadership does not insure what you will find around
the bend. Your actions should move you successfully to the next
bend, but there is no guarantee what is beyond it. Life’s
map is just not that clear.
Consider Merriweather Lewis and William Clark.
Their expedition may have been the most adventurous journey of our
country’s early history. They knew very little about the land
purchased by Thomas Jefferson from France in 1803. But, they were
excited, overwhelmed and committed to the adventure. The only thing
that was relatively clear to them was the destination. Every journey
has a destination. For Lewis and Clark, it was the Pacific Ocean.
The beautiful Pacific Ocean was their vision.
The lack of clarity came as they were mapping
their journey. Lewis and Clark were told that “the land beyond
the big river has volcanoes, giraffes, lions and tigers.”
Jefferson always believed there was a Northwest passage to the Pacific
Ocean. It would have mountainous terrain, rivers to forge and unusual
people to deal with. They questioned what to bring along with them.
As they focused on their vision, it crystallized their thoughts
about the map and the tools required to achieve success. Without
vision, the ideal we are trying to achieve remains out of focus
and not a factor in inspiring people to join you on the adventure.
The confidence that vision instills allows you and your team to
board the rafts and get started.
So, as you are sitting at your desk, thinking
about the day, please consider the following, important questions:
- Where are you going? What is your destination?
What does your personal journey look like?
- After your destination is defined, identify
the map to achieving your vision. What does the map look like?
How does each stop move you to your destination? Is there a purpose
for each stop?
- Are your people excited about the adventure?
Do they understand the vision? What can you do to bring clarity
to the destination?
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