Lost in the Rain Forest of Ecuador
Read Vincent's thoughts on this experience.
Running Leadership Training and Development excursions was one of the most exciting parts of my journey. The one thing about leadership adventures is that you can not plan some of the challenges you run into, and this was the case on one particular leadership adventure through the Amazon Rain Forest. Traveling down a tributary of the Amazon our boat ran into some shallow water. Our guide assured us this was not an issue. We would get out and walk for 10 minutes and then catch the dugout canoe further down the river. The jungle was extremely dense, we walked single file. It was also excruciatingly hot. At one point the conga line stopped, with the guide at the front and me pulling up the rear. Someone yelled to the back of the line, "our guide is lost." There is one reason you want to keep moving in the jungle, ants, big biting ants. You might have thought panic would ensue, but it did not. It took our Ecuadorian guide about 10 minute to recalculate his bearings but eventually he picked up the sound of the river and within 15 minutes we were back in our dugout. The lesson learned and discussed later that evening was 'Calm in the midst of a storm'. The story was not so much about our guide never getting lost but that he never lost his composure, he did not become emotionally lost. His composure gave permission for everyone to remain composed.
Here are three principles that naturally emerge from your experience:
So 3 quick thoughts we came away with:
01
Panic narrows perspective, calm expands it.
02
Stop, Assess, Then Action
03
Trust What Is Constant
Our guide never once panicked-Panic narrows perspective, Calm expands it. Our guide stopped gathered himself, and recalculated. Leaders don't have to have immediate answers, but they do have to provide emotional stability. Calm is often the first solution.
Leadership Principle: Your emotional state will often determine your team's ability to solve the problem.
But movement alone is not always progress.."
When panic erupts the natural instinct is often to do something. But movement alone is not always progress.." Yet the guide understood that continuing in the wrong direction would only make matters worse. He paused long enough to regain his bearings before moving forward.
Leadership Principle: Wise leaders resist the pressure to react quickly and instead choose to respond thoughtfully.
Our guide couldn't see the river, he knew it was there. He stopped long enough to listen for something dependable. Once he heard the current, he knew which direction to lead us.
Business leaders face the same challenge. Markets shift. Plans fail. People become uncertain. In those moments, leaders must return to what doesn't change-their values, their mission, their purpose, and the principles that have guided them before.
Leadership Principle: When circumstances become uncertain, let enduring principles-not changing emotions-set your direction.
What did our team learn in the turbulence of the situation:
Stay Calm
Assess clearly
Follow what is constant
Control your emotions before allowing your emotions to control you
Pause long enough to understand reality before acting.
Let purpose and principles guide your next steps.