Day 21 — Dam it! (Learning from the Hoover Dam)
I started meeting with a life coach from a ministry called “Standing Stone.” Their is to “shepherd the shepherds” by providing pastoral care for pastors free of charge. If you know a pastor in need of coaching or support, I highly recommend reaching out to them (www.standingstoneministry.org).
During our last session, my coach (whom I prefer to call my coach rather than my “shepherd”) shared a helpful analogy. He understands that I’m a go-getter who isn’t afraid to disrupt the status quo; in fact, I enjoy disruption and change. I thrive on the challenge of new experiences.
However, I work in an environment that has historically been reluctant, hesitant, and even averse to change. As a pastor and ministry leader, I collaborate with local churches to help them grow in health and effectiveness. The culture of many of the churches I work with is inherently resistant to change.
With this in mind, my coach provided an analogy to guide my approach when working with those who are adverse to change. He told me the story of the Hoover Dam.
The Hoover Dam is one of the greatest engineering feats in human history. Standing over 700 feet tall and nearly a mile long, it spans a gigantic gorge created by the Colorado River and connects Nevada and Arizona. The Hoover Dam is crucial for providing fresh drinking water and electricity to Southern California.
To cross into Arizona from Nevada, you can drive along Highway 93, which is notorious for being a scary two-lane road on top of the Hoover Dam. Although I’m not particularly afraid of heights, crossing Highway 93 makes my knees wobble. Not only is it one of the most intimidating roads, but at times, it’s also one of the most congested. Local commuters often resent the sightseers visiting Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon who clog up the traffic.
To address this issue, some innovative thinkers decided to construct a modern, multi-lane highway bridge beside the Hoover Dam, which would reduce congestion. Today, the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is a four-lane structure 1,900 feet long. It is the first concrete-and-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States and features the widest concrete arch in the Western Hemisphere; it is also the second-highest bridge in the nation.
This bridge cost $240 million and took 21 years of planning along with 10 years of active construction to complete. Remarkably, throughout this entire process, they never altered the original Hoover Dam Highway 93; they simply built a new and improved road right alongside the beloved old road. Now, people enjoy taking a leisurely drive on the historic Hoover Dam road while others zip across the modern Pat Tillman Bridge.
My coach suggested that I adopt a similar approach when helping people embrace change. I realized that to implement change, I don’t necessarily need to dismantle or alter the existing system. Perhaps I should simply construct my new road next to the old one. My new road would differ from the old road; however, it wouldn’t need to be better in every aspect. The original Hoover Dam road is historic and breathtaking — it’s a wonderful sight to see, if you’re Clark Griswold on a family trip to Wally World.
Today, very few people, aside from tourists, drive on the old Hoover Dam road. They appreciate the efficiency of the bridge. The key takeaway here is that they didn’t have to choose one over the other; they now enjoy the benefits of both, and everyone is satisfied.
This serves as a valuable leadership lesson. If I slow down and engage in creative thinking, I may find a solution that accommodates everyone.
How would you apply this lesson in your leadership environment?
Always onwards,
Thien
