There was no GPS in 1991 when I joined shipping. I learned navigation using heavenly bodies such as the stars, the sun, the moon & the planets.
We used a sextant, which allowed us to measure angles and altitudes, and then we managed to perform complex manual calculations to arrive at the ship’s position which was fairly accurate, sometimes within 5 meters off the actual position!
With automated position systems developed we start using SatNav (Satellite Navigation) to the current GPS and lost the significance of stars. Where there were 6000+ stars visible to the naked eye but only 58 stars are bright enough to be used for navigation.
Even when I quit sailing I forgot some of them still I can identify the main ones on a clear night. One such star is the Pole Star, also known as Polaris or North Star.
You must have heard these phrases a lot, especially used by leadership coaches :

“Find your Pole Star” or

“Find your True North”, right?

What it really means?
Why Pole Star and not any other star?

The Pole Star is a bright star, above the Earth’s North Pole. It shows the geographic True North.So if you keep following the Pole Star, you will reach the North Pole on the Earth’s surface.
Its position remains constant. It does not appear to rise or set.
So you can also use it as a fixed frame of reference for direction finding when you dont have any other navigation aids, you can still find direction.
And that’s the real meaning of finding your True North as a leader …

..Your core values & your beliefs that drive you
..Your true intention as a leader
..Your true mission
..What is your true purpose?
..Who do you really want to be?

Once you find your True North and start aligning towards it. Every action you take, every decision you make helps you move in the right direction. Have YOU discovered your True North as yet?