Machu Picchu: Sacred Valley = Sacred Values

Recently, I was very fortunate be able to journey to Peru. I found the country to be beautiful and the people to be welcoming and very open. The food was incredibly fresh and the landscape varied from mountains and rain forests to jungles and beaches.

While there, I was captivated by the wonders of the Inca civilization, including the ruins of Machu Picchu. Hiking, (and walking!), around this iconic Inca settlement, I was consistently amazed at the strategic planning and implementation that comprised the construction of this site.

Thousands of years ago, the Incas had a vision of how to not just survive but thrive as a culture. Through meticulous planning, sharing, knowledge and execution, they were able to create a civilization that we can marvel at and a civilization in which many of its artifacts are still used by the local Peruvian farmers to this day. Really amazing!

Bringing this full circle to modern day…

  • What was it that the Incas were able to do that many leaders in today’s world are not able to?
  • With every conceivable technology and resource available to us…
  • Why do leaders get stuck in creating a vision?
  • Why do leaders have such a hard time in implementing a vision?
  • What gets in the way of leaders just getting stuff done?
  • Sure, times back then were much simpler…which is a good excuse….but one thing the Inca Empire did really well was to identify and articulate their values. The Inca leaders were very explicit and clear with what the values were and what the values stood for. Thus, the community understood and aligned around these values and were able to implement the vision very

    A leader without clear and identifiable values is like a ship without a rudder. Drifting in the water without any direction and allowing the chaos or calmness of the sea to dictate their success or failure

    So find your voice as a leader and take control of your destiny and your leadership legacy. Don’t hide behind someone else. Speak up. Take a stand. Clearly articulate what is important to you. State your values. People want to hear from you. Don’t waste another second. The Incas certainly didn’t.