Lessons in Leadership: What NOT to do...from a Canoe!
When it comes to fishing, my husband takes the lead. But his
lack of leadership ability in a recent canoe trip on the
Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota offered wonderful
lessons on how leaders can unknowingly screw up.
(1) Assign responsibility without authority.
Bill insisted that in order to cast his fishing line, he
needed to be in the back of the canoe. I was to paddle as he
cast and trolled his lure. The only challenge is that the
ability to steer a two-person canoe is handled by the person
in the back. He'd shout directions to me but I had little
authority over the craft. Frustrated, I wanted to turn around
and whack him with the paddle. LESSON: If you assign someone
a task, put them where they have full control to do what is
required rather than hamstring them with your positional
authority.
(2) Hire a skill set but don't let the employee use it.
The Boundary Waters are comprised of many lakes connected with
islands and it is frequently necessary to portage the canoe to
the next lake. I have a good eye for reading navigational
maps. I would identify the portage spot as we approached. On
more than one occasion, Bill would insist I was wrong and we'd
spend time "looking", only to return to the site I had
identified. I felt like throwing the backpacks up the trail.
LESSON: If you hire someone with a skill you don't have let
them take the lead.
(3) Never believe someone closest to the problem.
We were fishing along a rock ledge jutting out from one of the
islands. Bill was a distance from me when I suddenly yelled
for help. "I have a fish and I can't tighten the reel." "No,"
replied Bill, "You don't have a fish." "Yes, I do. Please
help me." He slowly made his way over and took the rod from my
hand. A deft fisherman, he fixed the problem and to his
amazement, pulled out a fish. I wanted to hit him with it.
LESSON: Pay attention to people down line. A removed view
might very well be wrong.
(4) Practice unclear communication.
From my weak directional paddling position Bill would also
holler out a specific direction. "Head toward that tree", he'd
call. Now remember he is sitting behind me. The island is
covered with trees. Just what is that tree? "The GREEN one,"
he'd say. " Sorry, Bill. They are ALL green!" Since the eyes
in the back of my head were shut I couldn't see where his
finger pointed. I wanted to bite that finger. LESSON:
Clairvoyance is not a skill set you can hire. Describe
specifically what you want, andwhat you see. Bring people
along into your vision.
(5) Make others bail you out of the trouble you cause.
As we circled the various islands, Bill would cast toward the
shore. He has a good eye for distance but on occasion his line
would snag the low lying bushes and I'd have to climb out and
untangle the mess. One foot almost landed on the back of a
monstrous rock that moved: a moss covered snapping turtle with
a shell the size of a toilet seat and jaws that could break my
ankle. I screamed. LESSON: You can be bailed out once. But
for repeated errors, get out and do it yourself.
P.S. Concerned about workplace violence? Look at my response
to a person I deeply love. Consider these lessons VERY
carefully.
(c) 2004, McDargh Communications.
Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE is head of McDargh Communications, a
training and consulting practice founded in 1980. She's also
an award-winning author, radio commentator, and on the Board
of the National Speakers Association. Eileen can be reached
at http://www.EileenMcDargh.com
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