Bruce Avolio has developed a unique metaphor relating to leadership development that involves the development of the life stream. The life stream represents events that you accumulate to from birth to the present that shape how you choose to influence others and yourself. According to his proposed theory, leaders change over time based upon the events that have happened in their lives. The theory is abstract in nature, but easy for most people not versed in leadership theory to grasp as long as they understand how a river flows.Who says that our life has to be defined by one stream? To build on Avolio's metaphor, my leadership journey could be defined by four separate river valleys; the Yadkin, the Dan, the Neuse and the New. All four of these rivers flow through North Carolina and I have lived in each of the valleys at one time in my life. All of these river valleys have distinctly affected my life stream.
The Yadkin River represents my heritage and my roots. The Edwards family settled on the Little Yadkin River in the 18th century. They began a long heritage of farming passed down for 200 years. I became a part of the first generation to not live on a farm; funny because I later became an agriculture teacher. The Dan River represents my coming of age. Many nights I camped on the banks of this river not realizing how much the skills that I learned in scouting still apply today. The Neuse River represents my first loves; I was married not to far from the banks of the Neuse River and my son was born there several years later. The creek that ran behind my high school agriculture department and that ran through NC State's campus both fed the same river. The New River represents the future. The river is world famous for its rapids, fast-paced and sometimes full of waterfalls like graduate school. The New River eventually flows into the Mississippi River Delta, so it represents not only change but the opportunity for great growth.
Think about your own life. Not everyone is affected by living around four different bodies of water, but each of us has a life stream. Remember the water flow that has made us who we are and how we are will change us into who we want to be.
