I recently returned from a trip out to Arizona. We started our journey with a private tour of part of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Words cannot describe the magnificence of that natural wonder.
The next part of our journey involved a visit to Sedona to hike among the beautiful red rocks. After our first day we had gone on a hike and my youngest son mentioned he wanted to hike to Devil’s Bridge. This is a natural bridge hundreds of feet above ground. 
This required an early start so I said if he would get up at 5:30 we could hike the trail to the bridge. He agreed. As I look back on this two-and-a-half-hour experience with my eleven-year-old I thought of three leadership principles we can apply.
Know the Path
The day before we were on a trolley tour and I asked the guide to point out where we had to go to start the hike up to Devil’s Bridge. I had never been to Sedona so I needed to know where to start. Upon arriving at the site I had to find the signs pointing me to the trail. Once I knew the path, we started our hike.
Let’s be honest sometimes as a leader you have no clue what the path is. You know where you want to go but aren’t 100% sure on the path. That is leadership. Leaders go first and hopefully with good advisors around them decide on a course of action and adjust along the way. We look for the signs and keep moving and adjusting as we go.
Hold the Vision
We had been hiking for at least forty-five minutes by this point. I could not see the bridge anywhere. The trail signs we passed confirmed we were going the right direction. The sun was now fully in the sky and we felt the Arizona summer heat. As we continued down the path we were tempted to want to quit but knew the view would be amazing.
The last part before reaching the bridge required a slightly challenging vertical climb. We traversed the climb and arrived at our goal. What would have happened if we quit? We never would have seen the beautiful landscape.
As leaders we may feel like we are grinding away and getting nowhere. This is where we must hold onto the vision for what we are pursuing. Have the vision written down. Have a symbol that reminds you of what you are pursuing and why. When we hold the vision, it gives us the energy to keep going on the days we want to give up. Your vision matters. Hold it in front of you and keep sharing it with your team.
Take the Next Step
When we reached the final ascent the steps were not as easy on the previous parts of the hike. I wasn’t worried we would die, but I had to slow down and be more careful with my steps. Earlier in the hike I could move fast and look way ahead not worrying about my son keeping up. At this point I had to focus on the next step and take it and be sure he was able to take it too.
Leaders see more before and can often see multiple steps ahead. Because of that vision we can be tempted to rush ahead or get frustrated because we aren’t moving as fast as we want. Sometimes in our leadership journey we must slow down to take the next step and wait long enough for our team to keep climbing with us. We may want to go faster, but in doing that are we entering an unnecessary risk for ourselves and our team? Take the next step and keep climbing.
Which of these areas do you need to grow in? Are you in a stage where the path is unclear for you? Contact me for a no cost thinking partner session and allow me to come alongside you to help you think into your vision and the next step. In the meantime, keep climbing and lead well!
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