Course corrections can change your comfort zone

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." – Lao Tzu  

In 1829, Martin Van Buren, then governor of New York, purportedly wrote the following to the president: “The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads.’ The federal government must preserve our canals for these reasons: if canal boats are supplanted by railroads, serious unemployment will result. Captains, cooks, drivers, hostlers, repairmen, and lock tenders will be left without any means of livelihood. 

"Canal boats are essential to our defense. In the event of trouble with England, the Erie Canal could be the only means by which we could move supplies. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel through the countryside at the breakneck speed of 15 miles per hour."  

Although historians dispute whether this letter was actually written, it is a bit humorous now given how far we have progressed with railroads in the modern era. But the letter reflects the prevailing thinking of the day regarding transportation.   

As leaders, how we perceive change and what measures we are willing to embrace will, in many respects, determine the type of future we can expect. If you are stuck in your thinking and see change as a threat to your current existence, you will eventually be left behind. 

So what is a leader to do? 

Here are a few tips for making course corrections that will be necessary in your leadership. 

BE OPEN TO CORRECTIONS 

It’s important to know that course corrections in your leadership are just that – corrections. 

It’s not that the way you are doing it now is necessarily wrong, but it can be improved. Obviously, the railroad turned out to be a significantly better means of transportation than canals. 

When you are open to corrections and ways to improve your operations, it’s helpful to see them as a path to greater efficiency and productivity, rather than as a threat to the outdated way of doing things. 

GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE 

If the older mindset had prevailed, it would have set back a more efficient way of operating on the canals. And while the shift to railroads was inevitable, many still embraced a canal-boat mindset. 

Think about your own leadership for just a moment. In what areas do you find yourself resisting changes that could actually make you a better leader? Perhaps you’ve held on to the canal boat mentality for a bit too long, and it’s trapped you in a comfort zone that is no longer serving you well. 

EMBRACE CHANGE 

Proper course corrections can position you for greater possibilities when you see them not as a threat but as a benefit. Canal boats did the job, just slower than the railroad. And while the "breakneck speed of 15 miles per hour" may have mistakenly been believed, at the time, to be too fast, consider the cost of slower, inefficient work it would create. 

When you embrace course corrections, it’s not about disrespecting what brought you to where you are; it is about embracing a new future that builds upon it.  

In leadership, you will often be faced with the necessity of course corrections. When you are, embrace the possibilities before you. 

Victor Hugo said, “Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.” And this is your challenge as a leader.  
What course corrections are you making? 

During reflection, ask yourself: Where in my leadership am I resisting change because it feels threatening, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar – even though it may lead to greater effectiveness? 

Am I viewing necessary course corrections as criticism of my past success or as opportunities to build on what I’ve already accomplished? 

What “canal boat mindset” might I still be holding onto, and how could embracing a new direction position me for greater possibilities in the future? 

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