Can You Trust a Leader with a Map?

2020 has exposed some tragic leadership flaws. This year forced leaders in all industries and at all levels to lead through a landscape they have never explored. Companies, organizations, educational institutions, and small business owners aren’t certified in Leading through a Global Pandemic. As a result, many leaders have made decisions and acted in ways that have put their people in harm’s way.

During this global health crisis, we have turned to our leaders for guidance. There is a general expectation that leaders should know the way forward. However, any wilderness explorer will tell you that when you are lost there are two ways to seek direction: a map or a compass. Healthy leaders are able to transition smoothly from a map to a compass.

A map can be a great tool in leadership. It provides instant answers and a clear path forward. A map creates confidence because it is a plan that you can rely on. A map will guide you toward the path of least resistance. However, a map requires that you know where you are starting and where you want to finish. Maps are not so helpful when you are completely lost. A detailed map of Chicago does you no good when you are unknowingly lost in Nashville.

Another option for seeking direction is a compass. While a map may provide a turn-by-turn guide, a compass provides a more general sense of direction. This is challenging because you can’t anticipate what you may encounter along the way. Most people want clarity and specific details. But unlike a map, a compass does not require you to know where you are; a compass can lead you out of any place.

During this pandemic we have had a front row seat as we witness the mass causalities of leaders who are only able to lead with a map. Unfortunately, their maps are outdated and no longer work, and their people are paying a price for this. These map-holders are ultimately holding on to limiting beliefs in order to keep something alive. When leaders can’t let go of an old map it may be a signal that they need to let go of a relationship and, in this case, it may be the relationship they have with themselves as leaders.

Leaders who claim to hold a map are often applauded as confident and bold, but to be led with only a map is disorienting for those who are following. It causes people to question everything they have ever known about their respected leader. It creates a culture where people have one foot in and one foot out. Productivity grinds to halt as people investigate every micro leadership decision out of fear that their leader will once again fail them. This reminds me of an episode of The Office when Michael Scott, Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin, drove his car into a lake because his GPS told him to take a right. He blindly trusted his map even though he could see what was about to happen. This is what many people are experiencing in 2020—leaders who cannot (or will not) set down the map and acknowledge what is in front of them. It is difficult to rebuild trust as a leader after a singular moment of leadership failure, but a prolonged state of distrust is not something from which most leaders can recover.

On the other hand, we are seeing a small number of leaders who are aligned with their internal compass and they are emerging as authentic leaders during a very difficult time. For these leaders, their compass is set to one thing: people. Leaders whose internal compasses were already people-centric are thriving during this pandemic, while those who are picking up their compasses for the first time are proving to be utter failures. Our best leaders are embracing this moment by leading from within. These leaders understand that lives are on the line. We need to change the narrative so that this kind of leadership becomes the norm, the baseline of expectation in our culture.

 When we are on the other side of COVID I do believe that culturally we will hold a different standard for leaders. We have experienced firsthand how poor leadership — those who lack a strong people-centric compass — directly impact the quality of our lives. Going forward we will likely reprioritize personal and professional growth, as well as leadership development for those we choose to follow. We have the opportunity to create a new leadership standard where human capital is our most valued asset. In doing so we create a culture of emotional wellness where everyone thrives.

 Healthy leadership is less about a clear Ten-Step Strategic Vision and more about a finely tuned compass. If I am lost in a landscape that is foreign to me, I want a leader who has a people-centric compass, not an ancient map of Mesopotamia. If leadership requires us to lead people into new and uncharted spaces, then a leader holding onto an old map is a clear cause for concern.

Set down your map. Can you still lead?

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