Leadership Lessons From the Back of the Line

For my birthday, I asked for one thing. Get up early and go on an 8-mile hike.

It is something we used to do often. I realized we hadn't attempted it in nearly five years.

Part of the reason was the dog. We no longer have a dog. When you have a large dog, you find a lot of reasons to get out and move, mostly to wear the beast out. The other reasons were less flattering. Laziness. The increasing inflexibility of muscles and tendons that comes with age.

But we went. And we did it. And I'm proud. It was AWEsome. (This ain't no flat path hike.)

We got out early. In the first two hours we saw three other people. In the last two and a half, we crossed paths with 42. I counted. Life & leadership rule: always get on the path early.

Some of you might opt now to skip the leadership lesson and enjoy the flora I snapped along this creekside trail. I hope it brings you some pleasure and inspires awe. Maybe it will event tempt you to go outside for a walk.

For those of you wired for enrichment and learning, enjoy the photos while you noodle on this: Leaders usually take the lead. They go first. They chart the course. They take the risks.

On this hike, I was walking with someone who was not feeling physically strong. They needed a slower pace and time to place their boots carefully around the rocks and boulders on the path.

For some leaders, that kind of pace generates impatience. We could go faster. Let's cut the slack.

In earlier years, I would have chafed at it too. The pauses to gather balance and breath would have gnawed at me. I'd have wanted to rush ahead to get to the "finish line" & likely would've missed a lot along the way.

This year, I accepted something different. Being a leader can mean taking the last position in the line. Putting others ahead of you, for their wellbeing, and to calibrate the team.

Because this is what we do to our teams, too. We set the pace from the front. We move at the speed that suits us. Then we wonder why people fall behind, or stop telling us they are struggling, or quietly step off the climb.

Here is what I noticed from the back. I could stop. I could take photos. I could look around, up, down, everywhere. I could observe and be fully present.

That is a gift. Presence is a Human Intelligence skill, and it lets you see what the front of the line never will. It gives you perspective. It lets you recalibrate. Awareness, patience, presence. These are Humanity Skills, and the machines can't learn them.

Going last was not abdicating the lead. It was an intentional choice about where I was most useful that day. Some days you set the pace from the front. Some days you guard the back and keep everyone on the trail. The leader's job is to read which one the moment calls for.

If you want more ideas like this, my Mini but Mighty℠ Leadership Lessons drop every week on YouTube. Real context, a sprinkle of encouragement, practical insights, and actionable guidance.  

And when you are ready to build these skills on purpose rather than by default, that is exactly what my courses, workshops, and coaching are built to do.

Lead yourself. Then lead others. Be a Boss.