Your Leadership Journey:
The Road Ahead
As we come to the end of our journey together, it’s time to pull over, take a brief glance in the rearview mirror, and reflect on how far we’ve come. Just to refresh your memory regarding the three key components of the Leadership Journey metaphor, which we discussed briefly in the introduction:
• The Rearview Mirror represents the Past: where we came from…and how we got here. And, as a mirror, it literally reminds us to take the time, as we move along on our journey, to stop…and to “reflect.”
• The Dashboard, with its dials and gauges, represents the Present, and allows us to examine how we’re doing. As Peter Drucker famously put it, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
• And, lastly, the Windshield represents the Future…and directs our attention to the road ahead. While it appears to be blue skies and smooth sailing as far as the eye can see, what’s beyond the horizon is unknown, as our future is unwritten.
But what else? What other metaphors do we see…and not see? And what other questions might we need to answer along the way?
What does the steering wheel symbolize to you, and the tires, and the engine, and the glove compartment, and the trunk?
Should you continue to stay on this road, or take a different route on a road less traveled?
You’re moving full speed ahead. But are you headed in the right direction? What is your map or your GPS telling you? And do you have enough fuel to get you to where you’re going?
Are you prepared for what’s beyond the horizon, should you hit a patch of stormy weather, bumps in the road, or a sudden, unforeseen traffic jam or detour?
Is the fact that there seems to be no other vehicles in sight a good thing or a bad thing? Are you so far ahead that you’ve left everyone else in the dust…or so far behind that you are out of the race?
As important a question as any: who will be accompanying you on your journey?
What about the culture and the climate? The outside conditions are beyond your control…but the climate inside the car is entirely up to you. Are the windows clear enough to see out of? What’s the temperature like? What’s the soundtrack of your journey going to be…and at what volume will you be playing it? From a diversity, inclusion, and belonging perspective…how do the people around you factor into the environment you’ve created?
And, lastly, where should you be, as the leader: when should you be in the driver’s seat, when should you move over to the passenger’s seat to navigate, and when might it be best to take a back seat? As mentioned, Thomas Paine declared that we need to either “lead, follow, or get out of the way”; so, how do you, as a leader, know and decide which to do?
With all of these important questions in mind, now might be as good a time as any to “pull over” and “reflect” on what you may need to do to realize your leadership vision and to reach your ultimate destination…whatever, or wherever, that may be.
In Review
The Big Lesson: The metaphor of “the leadership journey” is a universal and powerful one. While each and every one of us is on our own, individual, life-long journey, at the same time we are all on one big gigantic journey together.
The Big Question: As you reflect on your own journey—past, present, and future—how can you use this metaphor to help you to navigate your life…and to successfully reach your desired destination?
Your Big Insight:
Your Big Action: