Leadership: A Game of Chutes and Ladders

Have you ever played the game of Chutes and Ladders (or if you grew up in Canada like me – Snakes and Ladders*)? If you haven’t played here is how it goes…

To Play: “Spin the spinner and move the pawn up the ladders and down the chutes.”

The Objective: “BE THE FIRST TO REACH THE TOP: Players scramble to the top of the game board without slip-sliding down! Land on good deeds to climb ladders but watch out for the chutes”

I’ve often smiled and likened the game to our career path and quest to climb the corporate ladder. When we start our career we often think there is only one ladder and it is a straight shot to the top...not so.

Here are a few observations from someone who has played the game a few times:

• The game board has you moving the pawn from square one (where we start our career) to square 100 and winning the game (the top leadership role you have dreamed of).

• Early in the game; there are numerous ladders that you can land on and very few chutes. It has you soaring ahead if you hit the right square above the other players and you begin to feel like this is easy. You are killing it and leaving the competition behind.

• The higher up you go on the board (boosted by ladders in opportune moments) the more chutes that start showing up making the journey more and more perilous. You keep hoping on that next spin you will hit that one ladder that wins the game without having to work any harder or encounter any set backs.

• You also start to see other players that were making progress or were slightly ahead of you running into a chute and thinking..."man...I am glad that wasn't me...now I am in a much better position to win".

• Some of the chutes only have you sliding back a few squares while others have you back towards the bottom of the board. Now others are very close to the top. How did that happen so fast?

So…hopefully by now you see where I am going. Couple of additional thoughts as it relates to our quest for promotion throughout our career…

The Ladders: For me, the ladders represent some good luck landing in the right place at the right time…it is also about meeting people who mentor and give you a boost to push you up farther & faster. Hopefully in those moments you are able to maximize your learnings and grow related to your place on the board. As you bask in your position in the game, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that it will last. Try and be humble and respectful of the other players as you may find yourself back with them or below them on the next spin of the dial.

The Chutes: Even though you haven’t changed how you are playing the game…your skill…your outlook…your passion to win… here comes the chute and you are unexpectedly sliding back. Some of the chutes in our leadership journey that come to mind are:

• Company is restructuring and your position is eliminated

• A change in leadership happens and your boss that was your champion is gone. All your eggs were in that basket and your brand was their brand. The new leadership team is looking to change things up and you are not in that plan

• Your company is acquired and your title or position doesn’t fit into the newly combined organization

• You simply rose too fast…tried too hard…the job was bigger than you realized and it gobbled you up

• The business landscape changed and when things were “selling themselves” YOU were a star. Now that the numbers are down…the pressure is on and your plan isn’t working the quicksand is pulling you under

• You misread or didn’t anticipate the politics at the top of the board. Navigating at the C-Suite Level means adjusting your style & approach from previous roles you’ve held

I’m sure YOU can think of a lot more but these are a few I have encountered throughout my career. I have to say that I relished the moments towards the top and all those that mentored and believed in me along the way. I also found the first few slides down the board rough. Each time, I dusted myself off, and went back in to try again. I began to realize that despite best efforts to avoid the chutes that some things were out of my control. I just had to put my arms in the air and embrace the ride, even if I was going in the wrong direction.

Lastly, a comment on how this relates to my perspective on Leadership Karma. Sometimes you find that there are people who have risen high up the board and seem to be unstoppable. You scratch your head on how they have been able to get where they are, how they are staying that high up for so long and with the attitude that they (and those they have around them) will never run into a “chute”. It can be frustrating…and it may take longer than you think…but Karma and the board eventually catch up with them. Who you are in those moments count and hopefully you can learn from their experience to be better if and when that moment happens to you.

My best advice to others is to reflect…learn…grow…and keep the good people you meet along the way. Not sure my kids…my husband…my family…my friends…really care if I only made VP…that I never made SVP (due to a chute or two) or that I am now a Director.

Turns out, a title does not define you. Finding happiness...making enough...helping others...enjoying good health and living the life you were meant to live is far more important and lasts longer than the fleeting moment you held that title that you thought meant so much.

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• What do YOU think of the Chutes and Ladders Analogy to our leadership journey? Do you have another game that comes to mind?

• What are some of the “Ladders” YOU have benefited from over the years as you were making your way along the board?

• What are some most memorable “Chutes” you ran into and what did YOU learn from them?

• What advice would YOU give to others about navigating the Chutes and Ladders of their career?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite

*Side Note: I’ve only ever known the game as Snakes and Ladders, which may be more appropriate way to describe our leadership journey. I googled it to see why it changed names and is different in the USA. Here is what came back: “The most widely known edition of Snakes and Ladders in the United States is Chutes and Ladders released by Milton Bradley in 1943. The playground setting replaced the snakes, which were received negatively by children at the time.” Who knew??