Following Through the Fog

Have you ever been in a fog that was so dense it seemed you could reach out and touch it?

Late one night, I was driving home after a long day and found myself engulfed in that type of mist. Even from inside my car, it felt tangible. It was pitch black night outside, and the fog was an extra layer hindering my visibility.

And to make matters worse, I was driving onto a bridge.

Scenes from many a classic spook film flew into my mind, but I pushed them aside as I gripped the steering wheel tightly. No efforts on my part helped my vision improve. If you’ve ever driven in fog, you know high beams don’t improve visibility. If anything, they compromise it. I could barely see a few feet in front of my car.

I dared not stop, or even drive too slowly as the cars following me couldn’t see any further than I could. 

I looked for any clear signs that I was on the road, in my lane. Reflectors on the guard rails and lining the bridge. The tail lights of a truck in front of me. Headlights of a car in the oncoming traffic lane. Anything clear enough to come into focus was a reassuring sign I was on the right track. 

No matter what industry we lead in, there are times our followers can’t see anything but our tail lights, just a few steps ahead of them. Sometimes there’s no real-time opportunity for conversations around philosophy, theory, or strategy. We just keep moving forward. Because stopping is dangerous.

In Andy Stanley’s book “Communicate for a Change,” he discusses what our followers most need. While people say they want to follow vision, they actually follow clarity. 

(An aside: I lead a group of young leaders who broadcast a weekly program which – inadvertently – has the same name. Check it out here.)

My organization has recently undergone a great deal of transition. We couldn’t see very far into the future. Yet, several followers stepped into roles with more influence and responsibility, leading even more followers. They did so not because their vision for the future was clear. They did so when the next steps became clear. 

When I was driving that fog-as-thick-as-pea-soup night, I didn’t have much vision. But the familiar markers gave me just enough to continue. Just that bit of clarity I needed to keep moving forward.

It was enough to make it over the bridge. Just a little clarity can be enough to keep our teams going in the right direction. To continue making progress. To follow and lead until the fog clears. 

I’d love to hear your experiences with followership and read your thoughts in the comment section.