MAHONEY’S MOMENTS
Jim has written regular leadership-related blog posts, along with other several other leaders, for Ohio University’s Voinovich Academy. On this page, you can read his monthly blog posts, Mahoney’s Moments. These moments are aimed at a variety of topics and the content is designed for the moment and intended to cause you to reflect, perhaps consider an approach, or entertain a new idea in your life or work. Enjoy!
September 2025: Are You Headed in the Right Direction?
Sometimes when I start presentations in a room full of people, I’ll ask them to close their eyes and then use their right hand and arm to point north. Because they are often in an enclosed room without windows, the answer isn’t quickly obvious. I tell them to keep hands and arms pointed north but to open their eyes. They laugh when they see each other because hands are pointed in every direction. Knowing direction is vital for a leader. Former President Johnson famously observed, “doing the right thing is not the problem. Knowing what the right thing is, that’s the challenge.”
Consider these three pieces to your leadership direction. Be a compass first. We all need maps, GPS systems, or strategic plans to get us to our final destination, but we need to go in the right direction in the first place. And everyone needs to know that direction and why. Details follow. Your compass helps guide you with proper values, mission, and propositions. In Stephen Covey language, “begin with the ending in mind.”
Before you establish direction make sure you do number two—check the landscape. Is it conducive, consistent, and cooperative with where you want to go? Are you trying to be in the culture or shape it? Sometimes timing is just right and other times, you are going against the flow. For example, last month an Uber driver picked me up in a Tesla. I asked if I could sit in the front seat and he asked if he could use the self-driving feature of the car. We both got what we wanted. For the next twenty-five miles I got a tutorial in automotive automation as the car drove on the interstate, sped up, slowed down, and essentially drove us to the airport safely in lots of traffic. I left convinced this type of vehicle is going to be part of our traveling future. It will be part of the new landscape.
Lastly, after you’ve checked the landscape and established your direction, expect detours. Years ago, when I was beginning in the school superintendent role, a seasoned pro gave me some salient advice. He began by asking me how many buses we had (25 at the time), how many miles they went each day (3000), how many kids, teachers, etc. etc. My collective answers reminded me of the complexity and breadth of my work. After he had taken me through those questions, he advised “only a fool would expect this to go smoothly.” Adaptation will be a centerpiece of your moving forward. Good luck moving forward—in the right direction.