What Yellowstone Taught Me About Leading People
- Aug 11
- 6 min read
I took an amazing trip to Wyoming this summer – to the foothills of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. A dream come true, and of course my camera in hand. There was no bad angle for the nature out there, and I have far more photos than I know what to do with. In a recent LinkedIn post I talked a little bit about my photography journey, if you’re interested. Suffice it to say that I love nature and wildlife photography, and this trip was chalk full of it!
We had two different moose families visit the house we were staying in on two different evenings, and it felt magical. A mother and her babies were right outside our dining room window all during dinner and we were all in awe of the proximity that we could see these majestic beauties. A few days later, Ryan and I took a scenic drive on our way to Yellowstone. We were winding our way up to the mountain top views and drove right by a bear cub in the lime green grass under pine trees. Another unexpected treasure when we weren't looking for it, when we decided to go off the main road.
Once we were in Yellowstone, we woke up before dawn several times to go to Lamar and Haden Valley’s on our ‘western safaris’ in the pursuit of more animal kingdom magic. We both kept verbalizing what we were hoping to see and encounter to bring it into reality. Every time I heard what Ryan wanted to see, I felt emboldened to dream bigger – and guess what most of those things actually happened!
While I may have been carrying a camera to capture something that was from uniquely my point of view, the world of wildlife photography is not an individual sport in the least. Everyone on those roads at 5am were wide eyed and looking for clues for the hidden treasures of Pronghorn in the distance, and Wolves in their packs. Clues included cars on the side of the road with folks intently looking through binoculars way out into the distance. When a lot of people were gathering, we would turn our car around or look very closely, because we knew something fantastic must be happening. We would roll down our windows and ask for information with responses like “There’s a bear up there!”, or “Wolves are making their way down the valley!”
Waiting on one hillside, we were unequipped to see things at a great distance, but a fellow seeker offered her scope so that we could more easily see a pack of black wolves making their way to the Lamar River. Someone sharing their scope with us felt like we were in a generous community and it was AWESOME.
As the wolves eventually sauntered further and further away we decided to keep it moving. We later found out from someone we were chatting with that we left too soon. The wolves ended up making their way back across the road, but the good news is we did get a picture of it from her! I wonder what we would have experienced if we waited just a little longer.
All kinds of people were there in the valleys looking for wildlife. Novices, experts and tour groups from around the world. Some acted in ways that made you scratch your head, or question where common sense has gone, while others reminded you that there’s magic to be found in humanity and nature. What I kept coming back to was this incredible goal that we all shared out there. We all wanted to see something beautiful, rare, wild and special.
The day we left Yellowstone there was a news piece that sensationalized an older gentleman getting flung like a toy by a Bison. I understand the interest in this, but that’s not the only story that could have been told. He was there for the same common goal that everyone else was there for. He faced the same uncertainty that nature brings, only he became the clear target. The visual of this man getting flung in the air is what had everyone looking, and yes he had to go to the hospital for surgery. But by staying glued to the narrative that was being told, I think people missed out on what mattered even more.
It got me thinking that in the workplace, people get proverbially 'flung in the air' all the time by the unexpected life event, by making a mistake that cost thousands, or by being shamed publicly, just to name a few. We have a choice about what we choose to focus on, where we put our time and energy, and how we choose to come together even during unfortunate events.
In this picture is a beautiful pronghorn. Did you know that one of the closest living relatives is the giraffe - endemic to the other side of the world?? Maybe we are more alike than we want to admit.
The are many more links to lessons that I took away from this trip, and I want to share them with you now. With a bit of a different context, perhaps the message will land differently (no pun intended).
Leadership Lessons from Yellowstone
🦉 GAIN A NEW PERSPECTIVE: Being behind the scenes (aka behind the camera) is a great way to get a different view. The role of the observer is critical. The quiet ones often have something profound to say in the critical moments, so be careful to reward the ones who speak just to have their presence known.
🦉 REMEMBER YOUR COMMON GOALS: Zooming out on why you, your team or even your company exists is a powerful reminder of what really matters. This can help you come back to connection and commitment.
🦉 SEEDS OVER FORCE: Not everyone is going to act the way you want them to, or the way you have been taught. Some were taught to ‘poke the bear’ while others were taught to leave them alone. A constructive choice is in planting seeds (by showing and telling) over and over again, so people can see the option to choose the path of respect and integrity.
🦉 SHARE YOUR UNDERSTANDING: Being generous creates a domino effect that you might not be able to see. Share what you know, and you might come to answers sooner on top of just plain feeling good about being a giving person.
🦉 LEAVE THE BISON ALONE: Thinking you are going to change the wild ones is a futile effort. Keeping your distance is (usually) the best way to avoid attack.
🦉 SPECTACLE IS DRAINING: Watch the jazz hands! While everyone wants to focus on the drama and who’s getting ‘flung in the air’, see what constructive insights are lurking.
🦉 PURSUE YOUR INTERESTS: Step away from your day-to-day and remember that the different parts of your life are connected. Not only will following your passions feed your soul, the pursuit will also provide a new lens to see your world with, and communicate with it.
🦉 PATIENCE REVEALS BEAUTY: Space and patience are needed for magic to unfold, whether waiting for the perfect picture, or in the journey of leading others.
🦉 NAME YOUR GOALS: Let other people (including yourself) know what your vision or goals are. They just might be inspired by what you dare to dream.
Coming home to Brooklyn after such beauty and awe was bittersweet. I was thinking that the lack of such interesting subjects of Bison and Moose would mean that I wouldn’t be inspired to pick up the camera for a while. But I was so wrong. On the first night back we had dinner on the deck with a subject that was camera worthy. There was a dragonfly in the afternoon sun on my trumpet vines and it reminded me that there is ALWAYS a worthy subject. A great reminder that the best opportunity to be a leader is right where you are. Don’t wait for the next job, company or boss to step up and be the person your team needs you to be.
If you’re ready to inspire your team to think differently about their leadership, reach out to discuss masterclasses that last beyond the session itself. It’s hard to forget the feeling you get when you see a moose. I can be your moose. ;)
Cheers to new perspectives,
