最好的領導者都是"山地滑雪嚮導"

MPW Insider is one of several online communities where the biggest names in business answer timely career and leadership questions. This week we ask: What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? The following answer is by Susan Coelius Keplinger, President and COO of Triggit.

MPW內部網絡是一個邀請最有影響力的商界女性及時解答職業與領導力問題的在線社區。本週，我們的問題是：你會給首次擔任領導崗位的人提什麼建議？以下是Triggit公司總裁兼COO蘇珊o科里奧斯o凱普林格的回答。

To be a great leader, first strive to be an amazing guide. Too often folks perceive leadership and promotions as the power to be bossy, or to micromanage their teams every moment. As a 24 year-old founder of an advertising technology company, in an industry and space completely dominated by older men, I learned quickly that by being my best guide, I was my best leader.

要成爲優秀的領導者，首先要成爲出色的嚮導。人們經常將領導和升職視爲發號施令的權力，或者時時刻刻對團隊進行微觀管理。我在24歲創建了這家廣告科技公司，在這個完全由年長男性主導的行業，我迅速學會了一個道理：要成爲最好的領導者，首先要成爲最好的嚮導。

Let me explain. Some of the best guides in the world are big mountain ski guides – they literally hold the lives of their teams and clients in their hands. The guide’s role is not to ski the fastest or jump off the biggest cliff (though typically they are the best skiers in the group), but instead to empower their people to navigate extreme terrain safely, confidently and efficiently. To succeed, guides work tirelessly to understand the abilities of the group (skill levels, experience, etc.), develop achievable tour plans (considering snow conditions, timing, forecasts) and constantly monitor each member to optimize their experience. A great guide therefore not only inspires the confidence to take on big challenges and aggressive tours, but earns the trust of their team to get off the mountain safely, with smiles abound.

我來解釋一下原因。許多世界上最優秀的嚮導，都是高峯山地滑雪嚮導——可以說，團隊和客戶的安危都掌握在他們手中。嚮導的職責並不是滑得最快，或者跳下最高的懸崖（雖然通常情況下，他們都是團隊中最出色的滑雪者），而是讓團隊安全、自信和高效地通過極端的地形。爲了實現成功，嚮導會不知疲倦地研究團隊成員的能力（技術水平、經驗等），制定可以實現的行程計劃（考慮雪情、時間、天氣預報等），並持續監控每一位成員，以優化他們的體驗。因此，一位偉大的嚮導不僅要激發團隊成員接受巨大挑戰和危險旅程的信心，還要贏得團隊的信任，帶領他們安全下山，讓探險之旅充滿快樂。

Translated into business, new leaders (young or old) will find quick success by sticking to these basic principles:

在商界，新的領導者（不論年長還是年輕）只要遵守下列基本原則，很快就能取得成功：

1. Understand the abilities of your team and the tools you have to work with.

1. 瞭解團隊成員的能力，以及你需要使用的工具。

2. Create an achievable “tour” plan that considers the expectations and risk tolerances of your team and company.

2. 考慮團隊和公司的預期與風險承受能力，制定一個切實可行的“旅行”計劃。

3. Optimize for maximum success by finding and suggesting techniques and routes, while avoiding micromanagement and fatigue.

3. 尋找和建議合適的技術與路線，避免微觀管理和疲勞，力爭獲得最大的成功。

There is little more fulfilling in business than achieving success. As a leader, I find my biggest smiles arrive when I can guide a team into completing a project that seemed intimidating and hard at the beginning, but obvious and achievable by the end. Don’t forget to listen to yourself and your gut, you’ve probably already been a guide for quite some time!

在商界，獲得成功能夠給人帶來巨大的成就感。作爲領導者，帶領團隊完成一個看起來令人望而生畏的項目，總是我最快樂的時候。這些項目最初非常困難，但最終你會發現它們其實是完全可以實現的。別忘了聽從自己的內心和直覺。或許你早就是一位優秀的嚮導了！（財富中文網）