Every mariner knows that before deciding where to go, they need to know where they are.
At sea, that means fixing your position by taking bearings from several known landmarks and plotting those lines on a chart. Where they intersect gives you your position. The greater the separation between those bearings, the better your fix. Three landmarks clustered together in roughly the same direction may give you three lines to plot, but they don't necessarily give you three useful perspectives. You need bearings coming from very different directions to provide a precise fix.
In the middle of the ocean with clear water in every direction, being slightly wrong about your position may not matter much. But if you're navigating close to shore, entering a harbor, or operating near rocks, shoals, and other hazards, knowing precisely where you are becomes much more important.
We spend a great deal of time working with leaders at all levels. Often, we get into conversations about their goals and desires. What they might want to do next. What they want to accomplish. What kind of leader they want to become.
Those are useful questions. But before plotting a course, it might be worth really understanding where they are right now.
Start with the vessel. Every vessel has different capabilities. A sailboat is different from a powerboat. A cargo ship has a different purpose than a racing boat. Some vessels require a large crew; others can be operated alone. Each has limits on speed, range, maneuverability, cargo, and the conditions it can safely withstand.
The same is true of us. What are you actually built for? What gives you energy? What drains it? What are you unusually good at? Where do you struggle? Do you operate best independently or with a large team? Are you built for speed and change, or for patience and endurance? What kind of responsibility do you want to carry?
Next, determine how seaworthy your vessel is. Leadership development often focuses on adding capabilities, another skill, another degree, or another experience. Sometimes the most important work is understanding the condition of what is already there. A powerful engine doesn't help much if the hull is compromised.
Then comes the fix. Most of us have plenty of information about ourselves. The problem is that much of it comes from the same direction. We listen to people who know us in similar settings. We rely on the same experiences. We seek feedback from people who think like us. We use assessments that reinforce things we already believe.
Those might be multiple bearings, but they may all be coming from the same cluster of landmarks. A stronger fix requires different azimuths. Your boss sees one version of you. Your peers see another. The people you lead may see something entirely different.
No single bearing gives you your position. The value comes from where they intersect.
That is also why conflicting feedback should not automatically be dismissed. The person offering an observation from a different direction may be providing exactly the bearing you need to improve the accuracy of your fix.
Finally comes plotting your course and speed toward a destination. We are always moving somewhere, even when we haven't consciously chosen a destination. Your habits have a direction. Your career has momentum. The commitments you make, people you spend time with, work you accept, and skills you develop are already carrying you on a course.
So before asking where you want to be in five years, perhaps start with understanding your vessel, where you are and where you are currently headed. Only then can you decide whether to maintain course, change speed, or turn toward something different.