On a hike, walk at the back sometimes. That’s where you find out who’s actually struggling.
LEADERSHIP
WHAT THIS MEANS
The front of a group is where the pace gets set and the strongest people talk to each other. Nobody at the back is going to announce that they are struggling, so the only way to know is to be there, where the conversation is quieter and the limping is visible. Position decides what you get to find out.
Spend some time this week at the back of whatever you are part of. Walk with the slowest, sit with whoever is on their own, work the station nobody checks. Ask how it is going, then wait longer than feels comfortable for the answer.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Who is falling behind while you lead from the front?
MORE IN LEADERSHIP & INFLUENCE
- First aid trainers teach you to point at one person and say “you, call 911.” A crowd waits. A named person moves.
- You can’t fake caring for long. People notice whether you remember what they told you last week.
- Lose an argument with your own team gracefully. They’ll trust you more when you win the next one.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.