Not So Fast

Early in my career as a Survival Instructor, I participated in the 10 day survival exercise in the Pilbara which I would eventually instruct and lead. We were filmed by National Geographic America. The survivor reality TV genre was really kicking off, and Nat Geo wanted to contrast that trend with something less “reality TV” and more “reality”.

At the time, I had heaps of field experience navigating on the land and water using both observational methods and maps and compass. I’d taught both for a good while too. I was very confident in my ability to find my way in unfamiliar terrain.

With a combination of confidence and charisma, I projected a sense of certainty to my fellow survivors that they latched onto in the otherwise turbulent early hours of our course. They followed me without question, which further drove my confidence. We made good progress.

Following a fairly major dry river bed, down stream, the only challenge was taking a left hand fork when we came to it. The fork appeared, and with a brief glance at the map, I confirmed we were on the right track. On we went. We travelled fast under pressure to reach our next check point.

During a walking break, a fellow participant asked me to show him where we were on the map. I pointed to the spot, and gave him my logic. He said, “If we were there, that cliff face on the gorge wall opposite would be North of us”. I agreed. He showed me a compass and the wall was almost South. The whole over-confident deck of cards collapsed. As is often the case when your blinkers are stripped off, all the erroneous conclusions and assumptions become blindingly obvious. I’d led us on a wrong turn up a tributary of the river. We were further from water, further uphill and further from our destination. And we’d burnt precious resources getting there. Rework, effort and suffering were coming as a direct result of my haste and confidence.

In uncertain times, groups will often latch onto the seeming certainty that a charismatic and confident person promises, even if the promise (like mine) is illusory.

Next week we’ll look at how we can strike a leadership balance between backing ourselves, while remaining open to the possibility we could also be wrong.