Leading Without a GPS
As we drove for a weekend getaway, I started thinking about how reliant we’ve become on navigation systems to tell us which way to turn, how to avoid traffic and get to our destination quickly. At the surface, the technology is really useful. But, expanding out to consider how our use of GPS technology affects our lives, our leadership got me thinking that GPS has really set us off course. We’re losing essential leadership skills, namely:
Seeing the big picture. GPS systems have trained our brains to look for only the next turn. So we see what is in our immediate surroundings, but we miss the neighborhood, the next street over, the park, the people. Years ago, when my brother came to visit for the first time, we drove around downtown to show him the sights. He had Google maps satellite pulled up on his phone and watched the images of each of the places we drove by. “Look,” he said, pointing to his phone, “you can see that building.” “Look,” my partner said, “look out the window. That building is right there.” By keeping his focus on each turn, he totally missed the environment, the feeling of how close the buildings are together, the rumble of the cobblestone streets, the buzz of the people walking, reading, talking, laughing. He was looking down while we were being there.
Trusting ourselves. When navigating without a GPS you have to watch for landmarks, pay attention to the lay of the land, notice names of roads. You engage parts of your brain that are always running in the background. Then, when you find yourself in that same area again, you say, “Oh, yes, I remember that yellow barn. This is where I turn.” What happens when you’re only relying on the nav system? You stop trusting yourself, your intuition, your sense of knowing. Even though you have been through these parts before, you doubt yourself. You doubt that your own experience can guide you better than a machine.
Finding new ideas. With a GPS, you’re so focused on ‘getting there, ’the efficiency of avoiding traffic and not getting lost. Keeping your focus on the device, you can tune out to the surroundings, the context, the environment. You can blissfully listen to your music or podcast and wait for the next turn to be dispensed. What happens? You miss the waterfall, the antique store, the person selling flowers on the corner. You miss the opportunity to make a connection between unfamiliar and familiar. To make discoveries, creative connections and opportunities for little joys, we have to be open and aware. We have to be looking for the possibilities—even if they are a little out of the way.
What does this mean for us as leaders? We are constantly navigating change. Our landscapes, organizations, communities, funding are always shifting. While there are tons of books, videos and frameworks that can offer insights to your current situation, they were created before. They were made at a different point in time. There is no book, no guide, no one-size-fits-all solution that can tell you where to turn right now. You have to do that. You have to integrate what you know in your head, what you know in your heart, what you feel in your bones with where you and your organization are right now.
You don’t need a leadership GPS. A map, sure. A pathfinder or co-navigator, yes. But when it comes to leading, you have choices, agency and responsibility to see the big picture, trust yourself and be open to creative solutions.
