lessons on leadership by lewis & clark (preparing vs. planning)

8/9/2019 Lessons on Leadership by Lewis & Clark (Preparing vs. Planning)

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Working Title: Lessons on Leadership by Lewis & Clark

Preparing vs. Planning

By: Jay W. BadryWord Count: 1,541

When Early American explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark headed west on

August 31, 1803, they had no way of knowing what lay ahead. No white man who ever traveled

that territory had written of, mapped out or left any kind of record to guide the band of brave

men. They had no idea of the dangers and challenges they would face.

Where were the rivers located; the rapids; the water falls? Were the tribes of Indians they

would encounter hostile or friendly? Would they discover wild and dangerous beasts waiting to

take their lives? What about the plants; were they poisonous or nutritious?

These and many other questions surely filled their minds, but they had no answers. How

could they possiblyplan for the unknown? The answer is they couldnt! No one can create a

contingency plan for the unimaginable. The best they could do wasprepare for any contingency

and adapt to every situation that arose.

One innovation illustrates how these creative leaders approached their expedition. Lewis

and Clark needed to carry sufficient gun powder and shot for the extensive journey, but how


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could they possibly keep barrels of powder dry while going down unexplored rivers or shooting

unknown rapids? They decided to carry the gun powder in lead containers. This would not only

keep the powder dry, but the container could actually be melted down for shot.

According to World Book Encyclopedia: During the summer of 1803, Lewis spent

time studying in Philadelphia. He learned how to classify plants and animals and how to

determine geographical position by observing the stars. He then went to Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania, and, in late August, left the city in a large flat-bottomed boat... Near Louisville,

Ky., he was joined by Clark, who had been recruiting men from nearby Army posts. For the

expedition, the explorers chose skilled woodsmen and hunters who were accustomed to manual

labor and military discipline. Most of the men were soldiers.

Notice how one leader familiarized himself as best he could with the possible conditions

and challenges they would face: plants, animals, determining direction, etc. The other leader

sought men that matched the demands of the journey: military men with extensive back-woods

experience who could be led. Preparing for an organizations future will require just this kind of

leadership. Some will serve in development or marketing while others will need to seek those

men and women who are up to the challenge and organize them in a way that benefits the overall

objectives of the organization. This is more than developing a business plan.

The difference between planning and preparing is more than merely semantic. Planning

assumes a known and static reality while preparing assumes the potential, even probability of

chaos and catastrophe. Planning works in situations where one can clearly see and anticipate

future events. But life is rarely that predictable. As one commercial reminds us, Life comes at

you hard and fast.


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Preparation, on the other hand is much more fluid and adaptive. Preparation expects to

be surprised by future events and is thereby, less surprised by them and more likely to adapt to

and absorb the unexpected.

The cry of companies and corporations today is, Weve got to be more nimble! And no

wonder. The economic climate is filled with storms and the winds of adversity. The volatility of

the markets can be frightening and the landscape of business has become so tied to a global

economy that events halfway around the world can impact even small-town American commerce

in a matter of weeks or even days.

And corporate success is no safeguard against these rapidly changing forces. In fact,

success can actually foster new challenges which must be addressed and met. The father of

modern management, Peter F. Drucker wrote, Success always makes obsolete the very behavior

that achieved it. It always creates new realities. It always creates, above all, its own and

different problems. Only the fairy tale ends, They lived happily ever after. Forget the idea

that only stagnant companies with depressed profits or rising tides of red ink need adapt to

market forces.

In order for the 21st Century organization to flourish in the modern era, they must have

those who are constantly scanning the horizon. At times, they will be able to anticipate the

winds of change while at other times they will need to quickly assess and adapt to the

unexpected. It will take special people to meet this challenge; men and women of creativity and

vision who are not shackled to past systems and protocols no matter how well they have served

the organization.

The need is for strategic thinkers and strong leaders who will be entrusted with

positioning the organization for maximum impact. They will be tasked with, not only the job of


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analysis and adaptation, but also building confidence in new structures and systems. In other

words, for the organization to meet its challenge there must be both maximizers and mobilizers.

The role ofinnovation will be much easier than that ofimplementation for that will involve

change and as one man put it, The only ones who really like to be changed are babies.

Great leaders know how to move people from one mental model to another. They dont

leadfrom consensus, but rathertowardconsensus. Managing the change process is essential to

preparing for the future and positioning the organization to catch the winds and waves of change

and not be capsized by them. Yet, how does a leader manage this change process?

I remember when I learned how to work cattle on a small Oklahoma ranch. The son of

the ranch owner, Mark was a couple of years younger than my 23 years and was virtually born

on horseback. We saddled up one morning and went out to move the small herd toward the

penning area so the cattle could receive medication and the young bullseruhtransformed

into steers.

Mark taught me how to cut out the most compliant of the herd and move them toward the

pens. Next, we moved those who were easily influenced by the cattle already moving in the

right direction. I guess they figured that since some of their fellows were going in a particular

direction it must be right. Finally, we went back for the old mossy horned, cantankerous of the

herd. Those we had to drive toward the pens, but they finally went. Mark told me that if we had

tried to move the entire herd at once, they would have scattered over the whole range.

I think organizations are much like that herd. There are those who have the innate ability

to accept and adapt to new models, systems and structures. Even if it wasnt their idea, they

quickly grasp the wisdom of the new direction. Others may not understand the whys of

change, but they will go with the flow if those they trust believe it is right. Sadly, there will


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always be the non-compliant among us who stubbornly grip the familiar yet outdated methods in

a futile attempt to hang on to the comfortable. These will need to be driven toward the goals and

objectives of the organization, but a wise leader will not attempt to do so until the rest of the

team is well on their way toward the target.

Every sailor knows that progress can be made even when the tides are against us. It is a

proven fact that companies can actually achieve goals in a downward market. One home builder

I know actually gained greater market-share in a greatly depressed economic environment. They

made decisions which positioned them for market growth even though they did not see great

profits to the bottom line. While others in their industry were content with mere survival, this

company moved ahead of their competition and became #1 in the industry! One business leader

put it this way, If you do what everyone else is doing then you end up where everyone else is

going.

One word of caution, however: The changes necessary to adjust to the challenges of the

present and the future are not always radical. Often they are quite subtle. In fact, many people

may not even notice the change. Remaining relevant and viable need not require complete re-

structuring. Preparation may be as simple as packing gun powder in lead containers instead of

barrels. It might not require re-branding or developing a new flow chart, but remember it is not

the amountof change but the wisdom of change that is the hallmark of a great organization.

The winds of business culture and climate turn in an instant and it will be the

organization willing to address these new dynamics honestly and adjust to them intentionally that

sustains a positive direction. Preparation and not planning will drive the modern organization

and determine its future. Reading the winds of culture and responding to them actively and


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decisively will make all the difference. Making the necessary adjustments in a timely manner

will assure a direction toward success.

As Ella Wheeler Wilcox wrote,

One ship sails east and another sails west

With the self-same winds that blow.

Tis the set of the sail and not the gale

Which determines the way they go.

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