I spent the past few days hiking in Utah with some of my closest friends. It’s our annual “Girls’ Trip” – a break from work, families, responsibilities and all stress!! These four days of ‘checking out’ refresh and rejuvenate us to return to our normal lives with added energy and a fresh perspective. It’s one of my favorite getaway weekends of the year!
Normally on vacation, I enjoy sleeping in. The highlight of this trip, however, is waking up at 6 AM and beginning each day with a brisk hike through the stunning red rock mountains. Every day brings a new adventure with different hiking locations, new hiking leaders and new people in your group.
The variety of the terrain and scenery certainly make a significant difference for each hike. The elevation change, depth of sand in the valley and width of certain ledges determine how hard you are going to work…or fear for your life!
What can really shape your experience, though, is the knowledge and leadership style of the group guide. He/she determines the route, sets the pace and leads the group with a warm and encouraging style or perhaps a strong, competitive edge, getting you to push your limits. They are two very different leadership approaches!
“The Drill Sergeant”
Our first guide, Gene, led us for nearly eight miles and almost 2,000 feet of vertical. WHEW! Gene is a marathoner, personal trainer, and all around competitive guy (by the way, he is 57 years old and in unbelievably good shape!!) If we came close, Gene quickened his pace, and he pushed us even harder. He allowed no negative talk and he often looked back at us and strongly encouraged us to keep going.
He knew he was pushing us as hard as we could go – he could hear us, at times, gasping for more oxygen in the altitude!! Nonetheless, he never slowed and was determined to give us the most challenging endurance hike of our trip! He did, indeed, accomplish this! We had a huge calorie-burn, and we accomplished more than we thought we could…but it doesn’t stick out as the most fun part of the trip. And, in fact, Gene was surprised and devastated when we later changed our future hike to a different one, so we wouldn’t have to anguish through the experience again.
“The Nurturer”
John was our leader for that next hike. He donned a baseball cap and spoke with a loud, gruff voice and a distinct New York accent. Although you wouldn’t have expected it from this big, very masculine guy, John was a nurturer. He cared about our fears, inspired us to take on challenges and celebrated every accomplishment along the hike. He was sensitive to each of us – in touch with our strengths and weaknesses – and also aware of the fact that we were all travelers who were there to get a great workout AND soak in the beautiful Utah landscapes.
We climbed to high vistas and took exquisite pictures; scrambled up, down and across rocks and ledges that I wasn’t confident we could firmly grip; and we even squeezed through crevices (and I’m claustrophobic!) I high-fived John several times after each surprising accomplishment, and I had the best hike of my life. Along the way, he took the time to educate us about proper hiking technique, geology, flora, fauna and history. He enriched our experience, enlivened our senses and helped us accomplish our goals. We were all sad when the hike came to an end.
Gene and John demonstrated two very different leadership styles. Both were effective in different ways, but the distinction was the emotional intelligence, intuition and style of how they led their groups.
How self-aware are you? Do you know what your leadership style is? Do you understand the goals and desires of your team, and are you helping to achieve them? Are you motivating your teams and bringing out their very best? How can you improve your teams’ experiences?
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Erin Schreyer is Owner/Managing Partner of Sagestone Partners, LLC.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Image Source:farm4.static.flickr.com
