GET AWAY FROM YOUR PEOPLE

My brother-in-law and his sons visited us from Texas last weekend and wanted to take a little pack trip. I had a foolproof plan. We drove our trucks and trailers to the other side of the small mountain range just west of our ranch. While there was no actual trail, and we would have to do a little bushwacking, my son and nephew would be our guides. They assured us they had scouted a cool canyon several months ago that would lead safely through the mountains and to our rigs. 

Well, you guessed it, things went wrong. We got lost, one of my nephews was scraped off his horse trying to go through an overgrown canyon, and we had to scramble to make an emergency camp. As nightfall descended and we realized our predicament, we all started criticizing and second-guessing our guides.   The problem was that they were both riding “herd horses.” These are horses that go crazy when they are separated from the other horses. So, instead of riding up on a ridgeline to see the right path forward, they were stuck with us in the tree-choaked, dark winding canyons. Early the next morning, while the rest of us broke camp, our scouts mounted different horses (not herd horses) and climbed a nearby hill. With this broader perspective, they quickly found the right canyon that safely led us out.

Most leadership advice these days is about the value of staying close to your people. However, leaders must sometimes separate themselves from their people and get out of the trees to gain the elevated perspective required to see the right path forward. It’s also nice to get a break from criticism and second-guessing.