Tour Guide Leadership vs. Travel Agent Leadership

Because leaders are so focused on accomplishment, they can easily drop their heads and take off without being aware of what is going on around them. They can get so busy trying to move the team forward they forget to make sure the team is still with them. When a leader drops their head and takes off without making sure everyone is on board, they can quickly lose the team and lose respect in the process. It is like the officer who got too far ahead of the Calvary that he was mistaken for the enemy, it didn’t work out so well for him. Leaders tend to be go-getters and are ready to move forward faster than others, but leaders cannot forget about people. A great leader is not always first to cross the finish line. They wait for the people to catch up. Douglas Conant, Former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company said,

 “Too many leaders are so caught up in the momentum of work that they lose sight of the opportunity to connect with people. I discovered that the more fully present I was with other people, the more fully present they were with me, and the more productive our relationship became over time.”

If a leader looks behind him/her and finds there is no one there, they aren’t leading! Like the old proverbs says, “He who thinks he leads but has no one following him, is only taking a walk.” Remember this rule…

When traveling alone you can move at your own pace, but when traveling together you must move at the pace of the team.

I learned this rule early on in my marriage. I am the type of person that wakes up and gets going as fast as I can. I do not like to sit around and take my time. My morning routine of showering, prepping, and gathering my work bag can be expedited to about 20 minutes…15 if I am really focused, and 10 minutes if I am forced! But when I married my beautiful wife Erin, I quickly realized women do not operate at this rate of speed. They are very meticulous about their morning routine and need ample time to feel prepared for the day. Now that we have three children (two of which are girls) the time it takes for everyone to get ready has tripled. When our family goes out shopping, I am the first one out of the car, in the store, and have already purchased an item before the rest of the clan has even gotten their seat belts off. So you can imagine how hard it was for me to travel at the pace of the group.

This is an important leadership lesson; we have to learn how to travel together if we want to accomplish much. Leaders that go out of their way to make sure everyone is unified are the ones that gain respect. My wife should not respect my time if I refused to go out of my way to consider the time she needs to get ready. If I consistently forced her to go at my pace, she would never be able to feel at her best. Leadership in the home means that you move at the pace of the entire family. Leadership at work means that you must move at the pace of the entire team. This does not mean that the leader cannot push the team and challenge them to be more efficient, especially is seasons of fast-paced action. However, it does mean that the leader has to go out of their way to make sure the team is keeping up together. When a leader takes the time to go out of their way and focus on the team they naturally gain the respect of each player.

Leaders have to become like tour guides as opposed to travel agents. Travel agents do not go with you on your trip, they simply point you in the direction and you are on your own. Many leaders operate as travel agents, unwilling to go out of their way. They tell the team what to do and expect it to be done with no accountability; then they wonder why things do not turn out the way they wanted. But to be an effective leader you have to be willing to inspect what you expect. Inspecting means you are present and a part of the process.

Tour guides, on the other hand, go with you, they show you the sites, give you information, and take the time to accompany you on the journey! Tour guides are able to provide a great experience because they have already been to where the group is going. They know what to embrace and what to avoid. Leaders can’t take people where they’ve never been themselves. They go out of their way to ensure the team is all together. And working together secures the respect of the team. Author of, “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” Ken Kesey stated,

 “You don’t lead by pointing a finger and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.”