A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be. – Rosalynn Carter
Children are wonderful. They intrinsic curiosity and innate ability to seemingly think outside of the box is a wonderful looking glass for us to peer in. We get to momentarily glimpse a world where imagination runs wild, where barriers exist only as challenges to be overcome. Truth of the matter is, for them there is no box, not yet since it truly is a social construct created most often than not from the purest and most well-meaning intensions.
We place our own children in these imagined boxes seemingly for their own protection. We could show them the way to go to where they want to go, but a parents job, much like a leader’s goal, is to guid our children on the path they ought to be on, even if it might not be their first pick.
As the commanding officer, you have a far bigger picture you look at than the rest of the people under you. Where others might be able to at best connect two dots you can see far larger ramifications for each decision taken.
But how to lead people on a path that only you can ever understand is best? That is the question which answer is the key for great leadership.
Learn to inspire those who look up at you for guidance, have them take small chances and show them the benefits step by step. Build up that unflinching trust and soon you will be able to move mountains together. You’ll do fine.