Ever since the kids were small, we’ve tried to encourage their spirit of adventure. Often there has been a wide gulf between the adventure we imagined, and the way it actually turned out.
There was the B.A.C. (Big Ass Canoe) adventure where we left 6-year old Alex stranded on a rock where he’d gotten stuck while trailing on a rope in his life preserver behind the canoe. “Um…guys? Guys?!” This was poor Alex politely interrupting his parents who were floating on down the river arguing about who should be in charge based on our perception of who had the most floating experience.
Then there was the hiking trip at Ha Ha Tonka State Park where 4-year old Emina was determined that she & I should follow her big brother and dad down a trail clearly marked for its intensity and greater-than-4-year-old stamina. In the end, we did make it down (and back up!) the trail. We even invented a new family song which WE WILL NEVER FORGET: “The less you talk, the more you walk, the faster we get to the car,” because by that time at least ONE of us was not doing much walking!
But the trip that taught me the most was the Kaw Valley Pirate Float of 2010, which I share with you below, and is captured in the collage above. [NOTE: The rapids in the first picture are actually on the Current River in Arkansas, not the Kansas River. But this is exactly what the Kansas River FELT LIKE once I jumped in!]
All in all, it was a really great trip. Alex had just turned 8. We were several hours into the float and had pulled over to hang on to trees at the edge of the river after navigating a difficult bend. As we waited for a few other canoes that had capsized (feeling quite proud that we had not done so ourselves) we saw many items from the overturned canoes floating downstream towards us. I vividly remember a small red Igloo cooler bobbing down the river, and this was what moved me into heroic action. I was determined to save that cooler. I nimbly jumped into the river and immediately realized my first error. As seen from the canoe above, the sun sparkled on the quickly (but not too quickly) moving water. But now that I was IN the water (with no life jacket – error #2) the water was moving quickly indeed – TOO quickly. Luckily, when I jumped to save the cooler my timing was good and I had actually been able to grab it. Even MORE lucky was the fact that the cooler was staying airtight, which meant thankfully it was now saving ME!
The lessons I learned that day are equally applicable to leadership. You may wish to be helpful, it may in fact even be your greatest desire, but without the appropriate skills (did I mention I’m not a strong swimmer?), safety equipment (why in the world was I not wearing my life jacket?), and a true understanding of how fast the river is going, you will not succeed. If you do manage to succeed in spite of all that, you will indeed be as lucky as I was that day.
You will be better able to achieve your desired Vision (save the cooler!) if you first arm yourself with an Environmental Scan (how fast is the river? what obstacles are there?), then use that knowledge to develop a Strategic Plan (what do you want to achieve and by when?), then determine which Priorities need to come first (stay afloat yourself), and finally allocate or develop the appropriate Resources to achieve them (do you have the right skills and equipment?).
What is YOUR desired vision? How fast is the river moving in your environment? Do you have a strategic plan and corresponding priorities? What do you need to put in motion to move your organization forward? Let's get started!
Talk to you soon,
Jenny
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