Navigating the Jungle at Night

Last year, I had the opportunity to go to Thailand with a team of amazing individuals. We traveled across the country, building relationships, learning about the culture, and making the sweetest of memories. One day, we spent exploring Khao Sok National Park and marveled at the beauty of the islands, caves, blue water, and delicious fish.

We had an all day excursion exploring the islands and then everyone went back to their treehouse to rest and relax....all except me. I had a mission that evening to live out a dream of mine. See, I love reading and learning about explorers. Reading Teddy Roosevelt's daring excursion on the River of Doubt in Brazil, or Alexander Von Humbolt's exciting adventure climbing the volcanic Chimbarzo in Ecuador, or Shackleton's brave attempt in Antarctica. These people were gruff and brave and daring and courageous and imperfect people with heroic efforts to expand horizons and explore the unknown. I understand that some people have reservations about explorers but personally I believe that they are fascinating and their stories of adventure are truly captivating.

One aspect of these pioneers that seems consistent no matter the excursion or location is the immense importance of survival at night. Nearly all spoke about how the jungle specifically could be deafening loud and somewhat spooky in the dark. I've grown up in the city and I wanted to experience firsthand what I had read about in all of these books. I hired a local villager to take me deep into the jungle for a night safari in Thailand.

The villager arrived at the treehouse in which we were staying and I hopped in the passenger seat of the jeep and we began to drive to the entrance of the national park. I had my water and food and safety kit in my backpack and we both put on our flashlight headgear then slowly began to walk towards the rickety bridge welcoming humans to the animal kingdom. And it was in this amazing, terrifying, exhilarating, risky trek that I learned a lot of things about navigating in the dark.

First, in the dark, it can be easy to be blind to those that are watching. As we were walking on the bridge, the guide instructed me to take my headlight and flash it towards the banks of the river. I did as he instructed and saw flickers of hundreds of little specs. He asked if I saw the specs and I replied affirmative. I assumed that the flickers were the reflection of the rocks and pebbles on the shore. The guide told me that those were not pebbles and rocks. They were the reflection from the eyes of hundreds of different animals - frogs, lizards, snakes, monkeys.....and while I could not see them, there were creatures all over that were watching me.

If you are navigating a larger team or organization in the dark (or the unknown), you might not see everyone that is looking at you. You might not see in every way how your actions and decisions are affecting others. However, the others can't really ignore you, you're the one with the bright blinding flashlight. You also are the one that has to be intentional to see and acknowledge and consider the others in the dark. People are looking to you to illuminate desired focus areas.

Also, when navigating in the dark, the noises get louder. I don't know if this is because the noise is actually louder and the animals behave at a higher decibel or because the absence of sight refocuses ones attention to the the sound. I personally believe that it is the former rather than the latter but either way....the jungle at night is loud!

In same regard, whenever you are navigating the dark (the unknown) you can hear a lot of different noises and sounds and it can be difficult to know where to focus your attention. Determining if a sound is one worth your attention takes a little bit of practice. Are you seeking a specific solution to a challenge? Are you being observant and listening to those around you? Are you listening to those in your team to get a pulse of the organization? Decide what noise merits attention and merits drowning out...now this sounds simple but it really takes the practice and something else...a guide.

See, when navigating in the dark it's critical to have a guide to help you navigate through the terrain. If I tried to experience the jungle at night on my own, I would have surely gotten lost, injured, or worse. As we were walking through the brush, the guide stopped me abruptly and told me to not take another step! I looked to where his flashlight was pointing and right in my path was a huge black and yellow snake slithering by. The guide helped me know what to look for, what to listen for, and offered advice that kept me from major missteps.

He knew what to listen and look for to find a exotic species of monkey, a mouse deer, certain lizards and frogs, ginormous spiders and bugs and how to navigate the winding narrow trails, he knew where the poisonous and dangerous plants and vegetation was, he showed me how to point the flashlight to get a good look at the animals without blinding or frightening them. He was my guide.

I think the number one advice for navigating through the dark is to not do it alone. Know who is one your team. Find a guide that can offer advice, support, and mentorship. Find the people that can guide you, and find people to whom you can be a guide.

So here's what I want you to do when navigating through the dark, know the people that your decisions affect, seek clarity in your decisions, and ask for advice and guidance from trusted mentors. Navigating the dark is everything that I imagined and more from all of those years reading about it in books, the good thing is that you don't have to do it alone.

(Team in Thailand)