Palm Trees on the Horizon

Hello, and happy Monday.

Words to Navigate By: “People need something worth sailing toward.” — The Captain’s Log

Over the past several weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time standing on the shoreline of our tomorrows.

We’ve imagined storms. We’ve worried about dragons. We’ve questioned the stories we tell ourselves. And most recently, we’ve considered the Shore Guards in our lives, the people who care about us and sometimes remind us of everything we could lose by leaving.

Where are we this week?

The Captain’s Chart – Part VI: Palm Trees on the Horizon

The Captain’s Chart

Maybe it’s time to turn around.

Instead of looking back at the safety of the shore, let’s look forward to the horizon. That’s where our future is.

What do the palm trees on your horizon look like?

Palm Trees on the Horizon

Years ago, when I began thinking and teaching about leading people through change, I noticed something.

Leaders often do a pretty good job of explaining why change is necessary.

We have data. Excel spreadsheets. Profit-and-loss statements. Market projections. Competitive analysis and so forth.

All those things matter. They help people intellectually understand why an organization can’t continue doing exactly what it has always done.

But there’s a problem if facts and figures are all we use to explain a pending change.

Spreadsheets rarely inspire anyone to get on the boat and sail into the unknown.

Human beings aren’t purely logical creatures. We have hopes, fears, dreams, families, aspirations, and emotions.

We don’t just want to know why we need to leave where we are.

We also want to know where we’re going and whether there might be something better waiting for us when we get there.

That’s where the metaphorical palm trees come in.

Help People See a Better Future and Their Role in that Future.

Imagine standing on a shoreline preparing for a difficult voyage.

The waters ahead are uncertain. There will likely be storms. There will almost certainly be unexpected challenges and dangers.

Now imagine looking toward the horizon and seeing the faint outline of palm trees in the distance. You can’t see everything. You don’t know exactly what the island looks like.

You certainly don’t know everything that will happen between here and there.

But you can see, imagine, and describe something worth sailing toward.

I believe that’s one of the most important responsibilities of leadership during times of change:

Help people imagine a better future and help them imagine themselves as part of it.

Not with false promises. Not by pretending the journey will be easy. And not by ignoring the very real challenges people may encounter along the way.

But, by creating a picture of the future that is both believable enough to trust and desirable enough to pursue.

Data can explain why we need to leave the shore.

Vision helps us imagine why the journey might be worth taking.

What Are Your Palm Trees?

This isn’t only a leadership responsibility. It’s a personal leadership skill as well.

When we’re facing significant change in our lives, we can spend an enormous amount of energy thinking about what we’re leaving behind.

The job. The title. The paycheck. The house. The relationship. The familiar routines. The people and friends we know.

The shore.

But what are we moving toward?

Maybe your palm trees reflect your purpose and values.

Maybe they’re meaningful work. Greater independence. More time with people you love. A healthier life. Starting your own business. Learning something new. Making a contribution you’ve always wanted to make. Making the world a better place.

Or perhaps you don’t yet know exactly what they are.

That’s okay. You don’t need the exact latitude and longitude.

You need enough of a picture to give you direction and purpose.

Palm Trees Help Us Through the Storms of Life

There’s another reason the palm trees matter. The voyage won’t always go as planned.

There will be storms. There will be headwinds. There may be moments when there is no land in sight.

Those are the moments when remembering what we’re sailing toward becomes especially important. Our palm trees remind us of why we left.

They help us decide whether the discomfort we’re experiencing is a reason to turn around, adjust our sails, or simply part of the journey.

They give us something beyond today’s rough waters to focus on.

Change asks us to leave something. Vision gives us something worth leaving for.

Before You Choose Your Ship

And this brings us to an important next question.

Once we have some idea of the future we’re hoping to create, how are we going to get there?

Standing on the dock of the bay, there may be dozens, or even hundreds, of ships preparing to leave for places both known and unknown.

A new company. A different career. Going back to school. Starting a business. Consulting. Retirement. Career reinvention.

Some of those ships may be perfectly seaworthy. But they’re not all going toward your palm trees.

So before choosing your ship, spend some time looking toward the horizon.

What matters to you now? What will be important in your future?

What would you like the next chapter of your work or life to look like?

What do you want more of? What do you want less of?

And perhaps most importantly:

What future can you imagine that’s worth leaving the shore to pursue?

Because next week, we’re going to walk down to the docks… and choose the correct ship for the next part of our journey.

Captain’s Log Below

How will you live, love, or lead, differently, or better, this week?

Sincerely,

Bryan Yager

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From the Captain’s Log: “Palm Trees on the Horizon”

• People need something worth sailing toward.

• Data can explain why we need to leave the shore. Vision helps us imagine why the journey might be worth taking.

• Change asks us to leave something. Vision gives us something worth leaving for.

• You don’t need the exact latitude and longitude. You need enough of a picture to give you direction and purpose.

• One of leadership’s responsibilities is helping people see the palm trees on the horizon and imagine themselves as part of that future.