"Without clear direction, everyone remains stagnant."
As the operations manager of a large team, I see daily how people get stuck in habits. "We do it this way because we've always done it this way," I hear over and over again. That frustrates me. I want change, movement. But how do you break through that autopilot?
With that question, I stepped into the adventure to Alaska with Blue Lantern. Not a standard leadership training in a room, but an experience that really pulled me - and my team members - out of our comfort zone. Out there in the wilderness, everything became crystal clear. The environment forces you to think about what really matters. What is your direction? How do you communicate? And how do you take responsibility when there is no set path?
Start with a clear story
One of the evenings, at the campfire, I had a conversation with one of my team members that touched me. "I get that you want us to take more initiative," he said. "But honestly ... we're not even sure where we're working toward. The goals of the organization keep changing, there's no clear plan. So yes, we keep doing what we always did, because what else are we supposed to do?"
Those words stuck. I had always thought that my team was simply too comfortable in their routine. But now I realized: it wasn't just them. They had no clear direction. And with no destination, how could I expect people to take the first step?
During a challenging trek through rugged terrain, that insight became even more concrete. We had to navigate ourselves, but without a clear final destination, every choice became arbitrary. It felt like seeing my own team in front of me: they want to move, but without direction they remain stationary.
On returning to the Netherlands, I changed course. Not by steering more tightly or imposing more rules, but by first getting clear on where we actually want to go. Together with the management team we made the goals concrete. Only then did I challenge my teams to come up with their own solutions. And it worked. Small steps, but the mindset changes.
Looking back on the trip now, I realize how valuable it was. Alaska held up the mirror to me that I needed. Not only for my team, but also for myself as a leader.
PASCALLE DE GRUYTER, MAASTRICHT
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