It was summertime and we were on vacation in Northern Minnesota. As a youngster, I loved to explore, to find animal tracks, turkey feathers, fossils and unusual rocks. So, I ventured off into the midst of a vast forest preserve. After several hours of walking and discovery, I realized I was lost. Which way had I come in? Which way should I go out? The woods were everywhere.
I sat on a large fallen tree and wondered what to do. Would I be better off waiting for someone to come by and asking for directions? Would I be wise to start a fire and hope someone would see it, or climb a tall pine tree to try and find my exact location? Other thoughts went through my mind, too. Would my parents be mad at me? Would I be home in time for supper? Would my friends laugh at me? Would I be missed?
It’s a well-known fact that many people live in the subjective case of life. They spend great amounts of time in a state of doubt that causes patterns of inaction. Their internal thoughts and conversation are dominated by questions of should and would.
What these people don’t realize is that should and would often get in the way of doing. Such persons consider, reconsider and the reconsider some more. If you’ve ever met a person who took too long to make up his mind, imagine what it would be like to have the person as your manager, pastor or CEO.
Meetings may last for hours and brainstorming sessions are dreaded when an indecisive leader is in the room. Granted, there are some decisions that should not be made quickly. Whom should I hire? Should we initiate a new program? Which area should we pay more attention to in the new budget?
But it is easy to go off into the Woulds: Would this prospective employee quit after eight months? Would we really benefit from this new program? Would we regret this budget decision?
No person in a position of leadership is immune to these thoughts and attitudes, so it is no wonder that some leaders find themselves lost in the Woulds. Unless they find their way out, or in some instances are rescued, they stay lost. Sometimes, entire organizations are also lost, lost in purpose, mission or direction.
Effective leaders must be familiar with the Woulds of organizational dynamics and travel through them. To be lost in the Woulds is not to believe in ourselves or our employees, not to be prepared, and to be overcome by post-decisional regret when we do make a decision.