Leadership Lessons from Around the World - New Zealand: What Kind of Hiker Are You?

?As our family journey around the world continues to take us deeper into the southern hemisphere, we arrive at the incredibly scenic land of New Zealand. Home to some of the most majestic mountains, including Mt. Cook / Aoraki, the tallest mountain in Australasia (and Mt. Doom, the scariest mountain in all Middle Earth), the great outdoors beckons us from the moment we set foot on the island. Over the course of the past week, my family and I have ventured out on several hikes to explore these heavenly wonders.

During our hikes, we have also encountered people from all over the world, similarly enchanted by New Zealand’s natural beauty with the same intention as us – to absorb as much of the beauty of the landscape as possible. Interestingly though, during these many hours of trekking over ice, rock, mud and sand, I started to observe these global hikers’ styles and patterns of behavior. I then began to wonder how these instinctive traits inform us about our everyday tendencies, behaviors and how we show up as leaders, workers, students, or family members.

I have outlined 12 distinct hiking styles below:

1.???????? The Zen One is the hiker who is present and ever mindful of their surroundings, goes with the flow, exerts focused effort, moves in an intentional way, and avoids those on the trail who may be blocking their attempt to connect to a unifying higher force. They never try to aggressively get ahead or ruffle any feathers along the way, they never complain about the challenge of the hike, nor do they want to be the last to finish the trek; success for them is becoming one with the journey itself.

2.???????? The Bully barrels through the crowd and must always be the first to go when found in a pack of hikers. When it comes to single lane passes, they always push ahead, oblivious to what is in front of them, often resulting in putting themselves and others in harm’s way (especially on a suspended walking bridge over Hooker Glacier Valley – you know who I’m talking about tourist with the black and white bandana)!

3.???????? The Selfie Absorbed is always stopping along the trail to take pictures of themselves, often at the expense of other people’s line of sight. It’s all about how they will look after the hike is over when they post their masterpieces on social media. It is hard to imagine that they have been present in the moment with nature’s grandeur, but if the image they took was composed just right (with or without a selfie stick), they are happy as the clams they stepped on and probably didn’t notice in the first place. ?

4.???????? The Deferrer always gives way to others on the hiking trail even if it means they fall behind in their own journey. When amidst a log jam of hikers, they are the ones who will be looking for the person in the most rush (see Bully or Speed Demon) and find a way to let them pass, so that they don’t risk getting knocked over from behind. It’s hard not to give the Deferrer a big smile and say thank you when you walk by them, because they may be standing there for a while.

5.?????? The Caretaker is usually someone assisting a less capable hiker or is responsible for a larger clan or family. These individuals are almost always carrying a fully loaded backpack (and front pack) replete with snacks, drinks, extra clothes, diapers, and even the occasional mini-port-a-potty. Even though the Caretaker may take twice as long to finish the hike, the rest of their group would be utterly lost without their support, supplies, and endless patience.

6. The Speed Demon revels in hiking at a rapid pace, sometimes even running, to get to their end destination (also known as the Trail Runner). Whether the hike is sanctioned as an official race, to the Speed Demon everything is a competition, and finishing second is simply being the first loser. If you need to squeeze in the view from that last scenic lookout before your flight takes off, try to keep up with the Speed Demon.

7.???????The Off Tracker is the trailblazer who actively seeks out new paths for themselves and for others in their quest to overcome obstacles and discover new routes. When a trail has been blocked by a fallen tree or flooded crater, these individuals are the ones who have no fear in taking on the snowdrifts and carving out a new trail to get to their end goal. You can also bet the Off Tracker is wearing the most waterproof boots on the market!

8.???????? The Weaver subtlety and smoothly moves between groups to pass people without being noticed. They have mastered the art of disguise and blend in seamlessly with any size group of hikers, and at the right moment, they leap from one group to join another slightly ahead on the trail. Very rarely does the Weaver go noticed making them highly effective in their hike to the top, even though there may be no visible evidence they were there in the first place.?

9.???????? The Fashionista (one of my favorites to observe) is the type of hiker who always looks good no matter what conditions they are facing. Whether they are hiking in snow and ice or wading through rain and mudslides, they still manage to wear bedazzled jeweled jackets (for real), fluffy fur coats (no joke), and heavenly high heels (I’m not even kidding that I saw this miracle) to ensure that even if they are attacked by a mountain lion or grizzly bear, they will at least go down as the best-looking meal of the day.

10.????? The Chatterbox is the hiker that suffers from the unfortunate case of verbal diarrhea. Unable to hold themselves back from commenting on every nook and cranny of the trail, they also find ways to supplement the crisp air with a talk track about every random thought that comes into their mind. Want to know the latest show to binge watch? Check! Curious about who Taylor Swift was seen with last? Done! Need that deep quiet self-reflective time to process your inner most thoughts? Look elsewhere (ideally for the Zen One)!

11.????? The Expert is the one that emerges from a camper van or tent in full combat gear, merino wool leggings, dual hiking sticks, cargo pants, heavy packs, GPS watches, super powered flashlights, and moves at a rapid but efficient pace. These are the ones who are a walking woolen clad First Aid Kit that every group needs to know or have around nearby. You will rarely find them anywhere near a Chatterbox as they usually travel alone, but you know they know what they are doing and so do they.?

12.????? The Dragged Along are those loveable, poor unfortunate souls whom we all know just don’t want to be out on the trail in the first place. They are pulled into the journey by an overly enthusiastic friend or partner, and at each step they will remind you that this was the worst idea ever, and today, of all the miserable days in their life, is the one that will live in infamy. Should you see one of these shivering sidekicks at your scenic lookout destination, give them a big hug and remind them that they only have two more hours to hike back up the mountain from which they just traversed down.

I recognize that it may be easy to label others (be they on or off the mountain) based on our own personal biases. The reality is that each of these styles may be required in different circumstances in organizations, on leadership teams, and across communities. However, before we can assess others’ styles, like any good leader, the key is to start with ourselves. So, in closing, I will leave you with this simple question from New Zealand:

What kind of hiker are you?

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