Leaders it’s okay to use ‘walking poles’

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is not a feat for the faint hearted but definitely a doable bucket list mission!

Not only is the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro (Kili as she is fondly called) 19,341 feet or 5,895 metres above mean sea level is the highest peak in Africa…..

I was opportuned to attempt summiting this gift of nature but totally, totally underestimated what it does to you. There is no way, I repeat; no way is one ever prepared for the vagaries of climbing Africa’s highest peak except of course they have done it before. Yes people are crazy enough to embark on this journey more than once.

To begin to articulate what it takes, the right gear is absolutely critical but not enough. There isn’t enough room to list out and enumerate the various types of gear. The walking poles top my list of what to start with for the very singular reason – it totally was not considered a needed or essential item– until one discovers it’s a lifesaver!

Trekking poles are a common hiking accessory used to assist walkers with their rhythm and provide stability on rough terrain as defined by Wikipedia.

Since hiking up Kilimanjaro is a multi-day arduous trek, as one ascends and weariness and lack of energy set in, the hiking poles also became “lean on” poles and even an excuse to rest!

Have there been times on your leadership journey when it seemed you didn’t need to lean on or gain balance or require support in any way and as you ascended, you realise the landscape starts to change and the journey becomes more daunting.

It’s okay to figure out what your walking pole is. What or who or where can you go to access your walking pole? When you get it, how are you going to use it?

It’s perfectly okay to use your “walking poles” get support, balance and direction from others.

Walking poles can be you figuring out where to go or which activity to pick up or sessions that provides an outlet.

An outlet is super critical on the leadership hike just as important as it is when one makes the ascent towards Africa’s highest peak. From times it was a gift to have co-adventurers to converse with or share the pain & suffering with, to when you had to chant or meditate on your own or share music from the only powered iPod or just when there was the need to cry from sheer exhaustion!

As line leaders, it’s okay to find what gives you balance at work and in your teams. Its okay to require assistance &get clarity and its okay to talk to someone else about your challenge and definitely okay to find an outlet.

How are you going to identify your “walking poles” and when would you start to do something about it? Start today.

Ngozi Adebiyi