Lessons for Leading in Uncharted Territory
One of the best books on leadership I have read in recent years goes by the provocative title: Canoeing the Mountains with the subtitle, Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.
Using the historical account of the Lewis and Clark expedition as a model, author Tod Bolsinger offers remarkable insights on what it will take to lead when the future looks nothing like the past.
By way of context, consider the fact that Captain Meriwether Lewis received this commission from President Thomas Jefferson in 1804:
To Captain Meriwether Lewis
The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri River, & such principle stream of it, as by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean…may offer the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce.
For over 300 years, explorers had been looking for a water route, a “northwest passage,” that would connect the Missouri to the Pacific. And everyone just knew that it was out there somewhere.
What Lewis discovered was that the experts were completely and utterly wrong. As he got to the source of the Missouri, he looked up, and before him was not a gentle slope down to another navigable river running to the ocean but the towering Rocky Mountains stretching out for as far as the eyes could see.
And at that moment everything that Lewis assumed about his journey changed. He was planning on moving toward his goal by water and believed the canoes that had served him well in the past would continue to serve him well in the future.
Alas, that strategy and those vehicles would work no longer.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery were about to go off the map and into uncharted territory. What lay before them was nothing like what was behind them.
Changed Landscape
The story of the Lewis and Clark expedition is the driving metaphor for our present moment in history. In every field, in every business, in every organization, leaders are rapidly coming to the conclusion that the world in front of us is radically different from everything behind us.
This is no less true of the church. We are now living in a post-Christian culture that considers the church as an optional, out-of-touch, and irrelevant relic of the past.
What’s a leader to do? Well, if you’re like most people, what you do is default to what you know. You do again what you have always done before.
The problem is the landscape has changed. What you have done in the past will no longer work. Such is evidenced by the fact that eight out of ten of the approximately 400,000 churches in the U.S. are either plateaued or declining.
The Solution
Bolsinger suggests that there’s only one solution. If you want to continue forward, if you’re determined not to give up on the mission, you need to change. You need to adapt.
Meriwether Lewis looked out at the miles and miles of snow-covered peaks and knew that to continue his journey, he would have to change his entire approach. The same is true for all who are called to lead beyond the boundaries of what is known.
We keep on course, with the same goal, but adapt to the new reality. We ditch the canoes, ask for help, find horses, and cross the mountains.
Bolsinger describes how Lewis and Clark had to help their men grapple with the new reality without losing passion for the vision. They needed to demonstrate both credibility and competence.
They built trust with their followers and exhibited commitment to their followers. And, in the end, the Corps of Discovery ended up “canoeing the mountains” and made it to the Pacific.
The same is true of us. As we lead our organizations, churches, and even our families into an uncharted future, we need to remember the absolute imperatives of…
Demonstrated Competence
Proven Credibility
Loving Community
If you’re a leader in any field, I think you will find this book to be a gem. It’s not a quick read. It’s not an easy read. But if you make your way through it, I think you will gain some great insights for leading in uncharted territory.
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