how leaders find direction and purpose
" The most powerful weapon on this Earth is the human soul on fire"
- Ferdinand Foch
If you've ever decided to accept a leadership position, willing to expose yourself to the haters and negative people, and putting your personality on full blast, you know it can get very difficult. At times, putting yourself in this position can feel uncertain and even lonely, but to accomplish great things, it comes with the territory.
Standing on your own, going against the thoughts and feelings of everyone else, is challenging, but it's necessary if you have a vision and bird's eye view of the bigger picture.
The sad truth is: a lot of people, even in leadership positions, have the viewpoint of a person walking through a dense jungle at ground level without a compass, hacking away at the thick brush, but never going anywhere. They fail to see the big picture because they fail to stop and tune out the noise of everyday interactions. They don't even climb a tall tree in the jungle to see if they're walking in circles. Everyone follows along, but the leader gets frustrated hoping for a lucky break, then beginning to crumble under the pressure of lacking true direction.
What if they had a map and compass?
What if they taught others to follow the compass and show everyone their final destination?
When you stick to your internal drive, which comes from a solid inner compass, and lean into the unnatural feeling of going against the herd, you can achieve breakthroughs you didn't know were possible.
If you're in the workplace or group of people, and you have a big idea or change, an idea that is out of the ordinary, you will have push back from the very beginning.
Only the individuals the most sure of themselves will be able to persevere through the challenge of making big impacts in their life, instead of being more comfortable fitting into a group. Only the ones with a strong foundation and inner compass will be able to lead a group in the direction they want to go because there is a strong passion and sense of direction, which cannot be stopped, no matter the circumstances.
When things get hard, it's important to remember why you want to put the time, energy and focus on something, which many times, gets little support or attention. After some time and follow through, it can be a new way of doing things.
Without a strong moral compass, you will hit roadblocks of self doubt and uncertainty, which will make it easy to give up on big goals, taking away the ability to be comfortable with the changing the status quo and being average.
How to you create a strong moral compass?
In the book 7 habits of highly effective people, the author explains changing your life by first defining your values. By taking the time to find out what you stand for, you can begin running your life based on those values.
Without first defining what you stand for, you'll be easily influenced by negative people, people pleasing, pursuits of fake success, and prone to weak leadership abilities.
Whether it's in your personal or professional life, defining who you you are seems like an obvious first step, but it's easily overlooked. It is vital to set time aside, spend some time alone, and write down some of your most important values.
When you figure out who you are, what you stand for, and what you will not tolerate, it gives you a solid foundation to begin living a life you want. You begin speaking up for what you believe, and over time, become more and more comfortable with conflict and disagreements. It gives you the ability to be an influential leader to whoever you meet in your lifetime.
The average person doesn't take this first step, instead they walk in circles and never reach another destination.
Don't do this.
Having an inner compass also gives you the ability to not care what other think about you. This alone gives you abilities as a leader most will never realize. To stand firm in your ideas and beliefs, despite what other people will think of you, gives you power and influence because it gives people a reason to follow you. Most people don't have a direction, so when you do, it stands out.
Figuring out a deeper part of yourself, takes time and effort. It is easier to stay distracted, lose focus, and drift back and forth where you stand, depending on the situation.
It's easy to skip looking close at important values in your life, sitting back and winging it, hoping you will reach a destination. It's a hazy destination because you've never really put any real thought or focus into it.
It's a destination you've heard others speak of, and it became yours because you lack the moral compass you need to give your actions a cause. Without a compass, you are lost.
In one of the later stages of Combat Control training, we did an event called Land Navigation. You use a Map and Compass to navigate the the forests in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
This is a week of classroom training, followed by a week of practical training in the forest. In the classroom, we were taught exactly how to use a compass. We learned to plot our route, shoot an azimuth, and use our map and pace count to know exactly where we were. We were taught precisely how to use our map and compass, but there was a temptation to ignore our equipment and follow the dirt trails that led to our points
There were four points to reach in order to pass the course. The points were spread out over many kilometers in the large forest. They were at the intersections of the countless dirt roads, which wound through the forest.
There were a few violations which would disqualify you from the event, and possibly face elimination from training. One specific violation was following the dirt roads to the intersections instead of using our map and compass. It would be easier to find the points by following the dirt roads on the map, since the points were all at the intersections.
We were told to stay 100 meters from any dirt roads. You could only cross the roads. There would be instructors riding around checking us on ATVs.
The objective of land navigation was simple, but actually accomplishing it, was gonna take every ounce of energy and resolve we had.
We were all dropped off at different locations and given 12 hours to reach four points. Once we reached a point, we checked in on the radio, and received coordinates for our next point.
The land navigation course was brutal. The low areas were so thick, you could not walk through them. You had to force your way through, while wearing 100 pounds of gear. You had to trust your compass and map to guide you through unfamiliar territory. A place that looked the same around every corner, could easily turn to panic if you don't trust your equipment.
Not long after starting the evaluation, I became full of self doubt. I doubted my abilities to use my new skill with a map and compass, deciding to follow the dirt roads instead of using what I'd just learned in the classroom.
Like an internal compass, I had a large green one available to guide me through the unfamiliar territory, to keep me moving toward my goal of accomplishing the event. But I wasn't familiar with it, and I didn't trust it. I ended up ignoring this valuable piece of equipment, instead trying to figure out which dirt road I was on so I could take the easy way. I wanted to get the results without putting in the mental effort.
At first, I was excited about following the roads to find my points. Every time I heard an instructor come flying by, I would turn and walk into the woods, like I'd just crossed it.
Like avoiding the work of your inner compass, there were a few problems with using the roads.
Taking the dirt roads meant I was walking a lot further than taking a direct path through the woods. It was the middle of July in the Southeast, but I was okay with the possibility of walking, maybe even twice as far, just to avoid using the compass.
I eventually got lost trying to follow all the confusing roads on the map. I managed to get lucky and find my first point, but it took me most of the day.
After the first point, I hoped my luck would continue and I'd reach my next three points by the cut off. It never happened. I became so lost, the instructors had to find me with a GPS.
I thought it was a joke. How could there be four points out there? It seemed impossible.
The next day, I had to repeat the evaluation. I decided to try what I was actually taught, instead of doing what I thought was a shortcut.
I found all four points in less time than it took me to find one the day before.
Why?
Because I trusted my compass. It led me through thick areas of brush, up big hills, and far away from dirt roads and trails. All I had to do was follow the arrow.
The same is true for your inner compass. It can seem easy to ignore trying to discover your true values. It may seem easier to walk paths and roads already done by other people, blindly walking in circles lost, hoping for luck to assist you in finding your goals.
What values are most important to you?
What do you want to steer you in the right direction? Do you want to be led by the opinions of others, whatever will make the most people happy, or fear of conflict from manipulative people?
You want to be guided by something bigger than your emotions, something to lean on when you are stepping out of the group, the group that was there for your comfort when you were being average. As you become more involved with being a leader, it will cause the strong force of the group to try and draw you back in. It will happen, if you're being true to yourself. You will cave into the pressure, if you are not solid in your direction and purpose.
Don't follow the dirt roads. This may seem like the easy way, but it creates more work for you. It keeps you from getting to where you want to be, but you'll be working hard, eventually burning out. Instead ,figure out what is important to you, what values you want to remember when things get hard. Don't avoid figuring out who you are by staying distracted all the time.
Find some time to figure out who you are. Make this a priority because navigating without a compass, will leave you taking the long, winding dirt roads, which lead you nowhere. By doing this, you will feel less anxiety and guilt from stepping out of the status quo, and begin leading your life where you want it. You will also influence others to take action and be more like themselves by being an influential leader who has an undeniable direction in their life.
Becoming a true leader will feel lonely and overwhelming at times. This is where you need to keep pushing forward, because it's when big breakthroughs can happen. Having the the vision, and motivation to create meaningful impacts on the world, will feel like walking through a huge forest all alone. Don't be afraid to pull out your compass to guide you to your destination.
- Ferdinand Foch
If you've ever decided to accept a leadership position, willing to expose yourself to the haters and negative people, and putting your personality on full blast, you know it can get very difficult. At times, putting yourself in this position can feel uncertain and even lonely, but to accomplish great things, it comes with the territory.
Standing on your own, going against the thoughts and feelings of everyone else, is challenging, but it's necessary if you have a vision and bird's eye view of the bigger picture.
The sad truth is: a lot of people, even in leadership positions, have the viewpoint of a person walking through a dense jungle at ground level without a compass, hacking away at the thick brush, but never going anywhere. They fail to see the big picture because they fail to stop and tune out the noise of everyday interactions. They don't even climb a tall tree in the jungle to see if they're walking in circles. Everyone follows along, but the leader gets frustrated hoping for a lucky break, then beginning to crumble under the pressure of lacking true direction.
What if they had a map and compass?
What if they taught others to follow the compass and show everyone their final destination?
When you stick to your internal drive, which comes from a solid inner compass, and lean into the unnatural feeling of going against the herd, you can achieve breakthroughs you didn't know were possible.
If you're in the workplace or group of people, and you have a big idea or change, an idea that is out of the ordinary, you will have push back from the very beginning.
Only the individuals the most sure of themselves will be able to persevere through the challenge of making big impacts in their life, instead of being more comfortable fitting into a group. Only the ones with a strong foundation and inner compass will be able to lead a group in the direction they want to go because there is a strong passion and sense of direction, which cannot be stopped, no matter the circumstances.
When things get hard, it's important to remember why you want to put the time, energy and focus on something, which many times, gets little support or attention. After some time and follow through, it can be a new way of doing things.
Without a strong moral compass, you will hit roadblocks of self doubt and uncertainty, which will make it easy to give up on big goals, taking away the ability to be comfortable with the changing the status quo and being average.
How to you create a strong moral compass?
In the book 7 habits of highly effective people, the author explains changing your life by first defining your values. By taking the time to find out what you stand for, you can begin running your life based on those values.
Without first defining what you stand for, you'll be easily influenced by negative people, people pleasing, pursuits of fake success, and prone to weak leadership abilities.
Whether it's in your personal or professional life, defining who you you are seems like an obvious first step, but it's easily overlooked. It is vital to set time aside, spend some time alone, and write down some of your most important values.
When you figure out who you are, what you stand for, and what you will not tolerate, it gives you a solid foundation to begin living a life you want. You begin speaking up for what you believe, and over time, become more and more comfortable with conflict and disagreements. It gives you the ability to be an influential leader to whoever you meet in your lifetime.
The average person doesn't take this first step, instead they walk in circles and never reach another destination.
Don't do this.
Having an inner compass also gives you the ability to not care what other think about you. This alone gives you abilities as a leader most will never realize. To stand firm in your ideas and beliefs, despite what other people will think of you, gives you power and influence because it gives people a reason to follow you. Most people don't have a direction, so when you do, it stands out.
Figuring out a deeper part of yourself, takes time and effort. It is easier to stay distracted, lose focus, and drift back and forth where you stand, depending on the situation.
It's easy to skip looking close at important values in your life, sitting back and winging it, hoping you will reach a destination. It's a hazy destination because you've never really put any real thought or focus into it.
It's a destination you've heard others speak of, and it became yours because you lack the moral compass you need to give your actions a cause. Without a compass, you are lost.
What can happen if you don't use your compass
In one of the later stages of Combat Control training, we did an event called Land Navigation. You use a Map and Compass to navigate the the forests in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
This is a week of classroom training, followed by a week of practical training in the forest. In the classroom, we were taught exactly how to use a compass. We learned to plot our route, shoot an azimuth, and use our map and pace count to know exactly where we were. We were taught precisely how to use our map and compass, but there was a temptation to ignore our equipment and follow the dirt trails that led to our points
There were four points to reach in order to pass the course. The points were spread out over many kilometers in the large forest. They were at the intersections of the countless dirt roads, which wound through the forest.
There were a few violations which would disqualify you from the event, and possibly face elimination from training. One specific violation was following the dirt roads to the intersections instead of using our map and compass. It would be easier to find the points by following the dirt roads on the map, since the points were all at the intersections.
We were told to stay 100 meters from any dirt roads. You could only cross the roads. There would be instructors riding around checking us on ATVs.
The objective of land navigation was simple, but actually accomplishing it, was gonna take every ounce of energy and resolve we had.
We were all dropped off at different locations and given 12 hours to reach four points. Once we reached a point, we checked in on the radio, and received coordinates for our next point.
The land navigation course was brutal. The low areas were so thick, you could not walk through them. You had to force your way through, while wearing 100 pounds of gear. You had to trust your compass and map to guide you through unfamiliar territory. A place that looked the same around every corner, could easily turn to panic if you don't trust your equipment.
Not long after starting the evaluation, I became full of self doubt. I doubted my abilities to use my new skill with a map and compass, deciding to follow the dirt roads instead of using what I'd just learned in the classroom.
Like an internal compass, I had a large green one available to guide me through the unfamiliar territory, to keep me moving toward my goal of accomplishing the event. But I wasn't familiar with it, and I didn't trust it. I ended up ignoring this valuable piece of equipment, instead trying to figure out which dirt road I was on so I could take the easy way. I wanted to get the results without putting in the mental effort.
At first, I was excited about following the roads to find my points. Every time I heard an instructor come flying by, I would turn and walk into the woods, like I'd just crossed it.
Like avoiding the work of your inner compass, there were a few problems with using the roads.
Taking the dirt roads meant I was walking a lot further than taking a direct path through the woods. It was the middle of July in the Southeast, but I was okay with the possibility of walking, maybe even twice as far, just to avoid using the compass.
I eventually got lost trying to follow all the confusing roads on the map. I managed to get lucky and find my first point, but it took me most of the day.
After the first point, I hoped my luck would continue and I'd reach my next three points by the cut off. It never happened. I became so lost, the instructors had to find me with a GPS.
I thought it was a joke. How could there be four points out there? It seemed impossible.
The next day, I had to repeat the evaluation. I decided to try what I was actually taught, instead of doing what I thought was a shortcut.
I found all four points in less time than it took me to find one the day before.
Why?
Because I trusted my compass. It led me through thick areas of brush, up big hills, and far away from dirt roads and trails. All I had to do was follow the arrow.
The same is true for your inner compass. It can seem easy to ignore trying to discover your true values. It may seem easier to walk paths and roads already done by other people, blindly walking in circles lost, hoping for luck to assist you in finding your goals.
What values are most important to you?
What do you want to steer you in the right direction? Do you want to be led by the opinions of others, whatever will make the most people happy, or fear of conflict from manipulative people?
You want to be guided by something bigger than your emotions, something to lean on when you are stepping out of the group, the group that was there for your comfort when you were being average. As you become more involved with being a leader, it will cause the strong force of the group to try and draw you back in. It will happen, if you're being true to yourself. You will cave into the pressure, if you are not solid in your direction and purpose.
Don't follow the dirt roads. This may seem like the easy way, but it creates more work for you. It keeps you from getting to where you want to be, but you'll be working hard, eventually burning out. Instead ,figure out what is important to you, what values you want to remember when things get hard. Don't avoid figuring out who you are by staying distracted all the time.
Find some time to figure out who you are. Make this a priority because navigating without a compass, will leave you taking the long, winding dirt roads, which lead you nowhere. By doing this, you will feel less anxiety and guilt from stepping out of the status quo, and begin leading your life where you want it. You will also influence others to take action and be more like themselves by being an influential leader who has an undeniable direction in their life.
Becoming a true leader will feel lonely and overwhelming at times. This is where you need to keep pushing forward, because it's when big breakthroughs can happen. Having the the vision, and motivation to create meaningful impacts on the world, will feel like walking through a huge forest all alone. Don't be afraid to pull out your compass to guide you to your destination.
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