Leadership: Learning To Lead Like A National Park Guide

We recently went on a graduation celebration trip with our oldest grandson, Dax Graham Black, to Mesa Verde National Park. We had two different guides take us through a couple of the main attractions there – the Cliff House and the Balcony House.

I had this thought as they inspired and educated us on how the cliff dwellings were created and why they were deserted after hundreds of years. These were specific details that had us hanging on every word.

That’s how we all should be as managers, directors and leadership in our grocery companies. Imagine the team standing around in a huddle, and we’re just teaching them from many years of experience and knowledge on how to be successful in the grocery business and answering any questions they have.

The guides were masters at answering any questions anyone in the group had. They did so first by saying, “That’s a great question.” They’d then share the specifics of the question, and I again wondered how much better our teams would be if we’d just ask them if they had any questions and then answer them with specific details.

The answers to many of the questions on the tour seemed obvious. But it was a great reminder that we should never assume our teams know the things we know after being in the business for 20, 30 or 40-plus years.

A national park tour guide is a fantastic example of leadership in action. It’s not just about showing people around but about inspiring, educating and ensuring a memorable experience. Here’s how leadership qualities come into play:

Charisma and presence

Great guides captivate their audience, making information engaging and bringing the environment to life.
They set the tone of the tour, using storytelling and humor to create connection and curiosity.

Empathy and emotional intelligence

They read the group’s energy – adjusting the pace, checking in on guests and making everyone feel included.
They understand different personalities, ensuring both the solo traveler and the enthusiastic family have a rewarding experience.

Resilience and adaptability

Nature is unpredictable. Guides must stay calm in unforeseen circumstances – weather shifts, lost hikers or unexpected wildlife encounters.
They adjust plans on the fly, knowing when to pivot and when to reassure.

Integrity and responsibility

They prioritize safety, ensuring that visitors respect park rules, wildlife and conservation efforts.
Their knowledge must be accurate. They lead with honesty, admitting when they don’t have an answer rather than making one up.

Customer-centric thinking

Guides also are caretakers of the experience, ensuring visitors feel valued.
They personalize interactions, remembering names, noting interests and making each tour feel special.

Strategic communication and planning

They structure the tour, beginning with an engaging intro, pacing the journey well and leaving guests with a lasting impression.
They anticipate common questions and prepare compelling responses.

This kind of leadership doesn’t just apply to park guides. It’s essential in any role that involves guiding others, fostering engagement and balancing structure with adaptability.

One of my all-time favorite John Maxwell books is, “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” In this book, he shares his experiences with a good tour guide and a bad one.

Think about tours – which ones were memorable? Which ones were disappointing? And what was the biggest difference?

This lesson goes hand in hand with my June leadership article, “Please, please don’t ignore me.” It’s what I call customer-centric engagement, or in this month’s vein, “Lead like a national park guide.” Using these steps, it will build trust and loyalty with customers.

Find common ground – personalization and empathy

Develop a deep understanding of customers – what they value, what they need and how they prefer to engage.
Use personalized messaging in marketing and customer service. Address customers by name, reference past interactions and offer tailored solutions.
Train the team to listen actively and empathize, ensuring each customer feels heard and understood.

Keep it interesting – storytelling and engagement

Craft compelling brand stories that resonate with customers’ values and aspirations. (This is a great way to share the specific details of the fresh products we sell and the story behind the local items we sell.)
Use engaging content across digital platforms – blog posts, social media and video – to make interactions memorable.
Introduce interactive experiences such as customer feedback campaigns, question-and-answer sessions or community-driven content. (This is great when there is space to gather customers for a cooking demonstration or new item launches.)

Inspire with passion – authenticity and energy

Ensure the team embodies enthusiasm and passion for the company’s mission. Customers can sense authenticity. As I always say, we can “feel it” when walking in the door.
Communicate with excitement and confidence in marketing, sales and customer interactions.
Highlight customer success stories with the team to reinforce how a product or service makes a meaningful impact.

Live the message – integrity and consistency

Stay true to the brand’s promises. Transparency and reliability are crucial in building customer trust.
Implement ethical business practices and demonstrate integrity in every transaction.
Encourage team members to represent company values in their interactions with customers.

Connect across different settings – adaptability and reach

Optimize communication for one-on-one interactions (personalized emails or live chat), group engagement (forums or webinars) and broader outreach (ads and newsletters).
Ensure customer service is accessible across multiple channels – phone, chat, email and social media.
Create opportunities for direct customer involvement, such as loyalty programs, ambassador initiatives or networking events.

I believe that a consistent experience is the key to long-term success. When our teams keep customers’ needs in mind – and everyone truly understands the role they need to play in connecting instead of just communicating – we’ll see success we never imagined.

As we all know, the weekly task of buying groceries is one that a lot of people dread. We can make this shopping experience fun if we embody the qualities of a tour guide. As we know, this same mindset works with our teams.

I’ve always loved having morning team huddles on the sales floor. We review the previous day’s sales together and get feedback from each department manager on any issues they’re having.

This is also great for celebrating wins in each department together. Remember, what we focus on gets better – so let’s focus on the wins.

One of my chapters in the book, “The 5 Rules” is titled, “Walk slowly through the crowds.” It is about walking slowly through the store, stopping to engage with customers, checking in with team members and collaborating with vendor partners.

We can do this in an amazing way by slowing down and using this method mixed with the qualities of the tour guide listed above.

This month’s challenge: Be inspiring, educating and ensuring a memorable experience to everyone that comes through the doors. Do that, and we’ll be miles ahead of the competition.

Let’s win this next decade in the grocery business by doing these things every day, in every store and in every department by truly connecting – not just communicating.

Steve Black is CEO and founder of abrighterday.life, a business and leadership coaching organization devoted to helping people and companies with personal growth and implementing simple leadership principles. A 47-year-veteran of the retail grocery arena, Black is the author of “The 5 Rules” and offers an online Masterclass.