Doubt

How often have you asserted something “without a doubt”? But stop and think for a moment – to be truly without a doubt, one of two things must be true.  Either, you have absolutely every single fact required, and have eliminated all possibility of challenge, alternatives, or error.  OR, you have chosen to ignore any possibility of challenge, alternatives, or error.

In all but the simplest decisions, the first is highly unlikely, and the second is impossibly arrogant.

A real leader knows that doubt is inevitable, and in fact necessary. It is doubt that will drive a real leader to explore the alternatives and counter-arguments, and to be prepared for them.  It is doubt that will impel the real leader to step into other people’s shoes and see things from multiple perspectives.  It is self-doubt that guards against hubris, and ensure a life-long commitment to personal improvement.

Let our leaders have a little more doubt, please.

The Sherpa as a leadership model

the Sherpa - a metaphor for leadership

“I am the Sherpa,
I know the way, I show the way, I travel the way.
I have the strength to carry my own load, and the humility to carry yours.
I have the resourcefulness to travel with the lightest load possible, and to use the resources of my surroundings, no matter how bleak, to make the journey successful.”
Unknown source

I really like the metaphor of Sherpa as leader. For me it is characterised by some simple tenets:

• a clear vision of the destination
• familiarity with the route, coupled with the flexibility to adapt to circumstances as they arise
• courage not just to travel dangerous ground, but also to take responsibility for others on the journey
• happiness to let others be the “famous name”, a lack of ego which is so rare when coupled with such strong self-belief.

I invite you to take on the Sherpa qualities; what difference would that make to the way you tackle things? How would it benefit you, and those around you? What resources does your environment offer that could be put to better use? Whose burden can you ease?