“Leaders know the way, go the way, and show the way.” – John C. Maxwell
Have you ever been lost and needed directions? Have you ever stopped at a gas station or store to ask for help? If you have, I’m sure you’ve experienced the difference between being told where to go and using a GPS unit that actually guides you along turn by turn.
Leaders should function more like a GPS unit than the worker at the gas station spouting off some generic directions. We should walk alongside our followers, guiding them to places where we’ve been before. Even when we are leading them somewhere we have never been, we need to step up and go first for the sake of the team.
Telling people what to do or where to go when we’ve never experienced it can be detrimental to everyone, but guiding people along can be impactful. As a leader, you must know the way first. Then you must go the way to experience it. Finally you must show the way by bringing others along with you.
Don’t expect faithful followers if you are sending them places you’ve never been before. Be like a tour guide rather than a travel agent. Tour guides are experts in the places they are leading people to experience. Travel agents are simply directing us to places they’ve often never been before.
As you examine your leadership, are you going first? If not, make the decision right now to become a guide to your followers. Show them where to go and what to do, don’t just tell them.
Be Intentionally Great Today!
