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I was fortunate to be with leaders from Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon, Illinois. I presented on "Park Ranger Leadership."
The fable centers on a person who gets lost hiking in the woods. He immediately starts working hard to get back on track. He tries to retrace his steps, look at the location of the sun, searches for moss on the side of a tree, etc. After 30 minutes or so, a park ranger appears. The ranger shares he has tracked the hiker with a satellite, and then leads him to safety. The hiker thanks the park ranger and sends a nice note to the park service administration.
Notice that until the ranger showed up, the lost person spent 100%of his time on finding his way out. It makes sense: He did not know a park ranger was around.
Some years later, the person gets lost again. This time, while he is looking to get out of the park, he isn't quite as worried. In the back of his mind, he is wondering if a park ranger is around. Sure, he tries to find his way out, but because he was rescued previously, the effort is not as great as before. He keeps an eye out for a park ranger, and, sure enough, in 30 minutes, one shows up.
A few years later, the same hiker gets lost again. This time, he doesn't even try to find his way out. He sits down and wonders why the park ranger has not shown up yet.
Being rescued each time had reinforced waiting to be rescued versus problem-solving and self-reliance.
I was told this story by a friend who shared that he felt I led like a park ranger. I like the feeling of helping people. It feeds my ego. Yes, it is good to be helpful. However, if I help too soon and too often, I prevent the person from learning.
When I hold back, I give them the chance to build confidence, sharpen judgment, and grow into someone who doesn't need me next time. That's good for the employee and the organization.
There are times when we need to be very quick to help someone if there is danger or other negative consequences. However, the best leaders take these actions:
1. Evaluate the external and internal environments to make sure you and those you lead are prepared.
2. Create the list of skills those you lead need to be successful in their individual roles.
3. Be a skill-builder. Invest the time and resources to build each person's ability to do their job.
4. Make sure there are updated standard operating procedures in place.
5. Rescue only when it is necessary. Before providing an answer, ask the person, "What do you recommend?" It is a confidence-building question and offers a person a safe way to provide their thoughts. It is important to be supportive of the person making the suggestions.
Yes, it can feel good to give an answer and rescue a person. It feels even better to help someone develop the skills needed to find the solution themselves. Great leaders know the difference. They rescue when it matters and build skills the rest of the time.
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Quint Studer is the author of 16 books on leadership in the workplace and the community. His book Building a Vibrant Community is a valuable resource for civic leaders, business owners, and all citizens who have a stake in building a community they can be proud to call home. In Sundays with Quint, he shares a selection of his popular leadership columns for leaders, employees, and business owners in all industries. He can be reached at Quint@QuintStuder.com.