Trust the Compass, Not the Map
Recently, on her Dare to Lead podcast, Dr. Brené Brown asked Dr. Susan David, “What is one piece of leadership advice that is so remarkable that you need to share it?” Dr. David said, “Help people to trust the compass, not the map.” This really struck me deeply. I have relied wholeheartedly on maps in my lifetime as a traveler. In addition, I have created “maps” of my experiences in life that have guided my decision-making process. In many cases, I have chosen certain paths in my life based primarily on “the way I have always done it.” However, if this past year has taught us anything, it’s that life can change in a heartbeat. Many of our previous “maps” that we used to navigate life were suddenly useless, irrelevant, or outdated.
To address the seismic shift in our lives, we have had to adjust quickly, coming up with new procedures and routines. We have had to rely on our values and beliefs to construct pathways through the chaos and confusion. While there has been substantial pain and grief in the process, we have discovered new skills and strengths we may not have known we possessed. We have found success and hope by finding our true north and using our “compass” to guide us through the uncertainty.
Alfred Korzybski coined the phrase “The map is not the territory”. These crazy circumstances over the previous months certainly indicate that reality cannot be truly put on paper. There are times to use maps, for sure. However, if we rely solely on them, we can find ourselves lost as the terrain changes all around us. So, it is important to focus on our purpose for our actions. What are the non-negotiables that inform our decisions? What are the critical values that guide our choices?
Over the next few months, we will begin to merge back into prior behaviors and patterns. This is a golden opportunity to evaluate our old “maps”. What needs to remain on our lay-out, what needs to be deleted, and what do we need to add? Let’s use our compasses to chart courses that embrace the hard lessons we’ve learned this past year and allow us to grow into better versions of ourselves.