I was sitting at a traffic light the other day and found myself reading the back of the vehicle in front of me ~ you know, things like the license plate and the bumper sticker. What caught my eye was the name, Pathfinder, which seemed like a fitting moniker for a sporty all-terrain SUV. I got to thinking about what it means to be a path finder, and it occurred to me that in today’s business climate, just finding the path wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Tough economic times call for path makers. So what’s the difference?

The trusty dictionary defines to find as to come upon by accident; to come upon after a search; to come upon through experience or study; to arrive at. So a path finder is one who finds the path either by accident, search or experience. The definition of to make is to create; to give new form to; to cause to become, acquire a stated characteristic or to behave in a particular manner. So a path maker is one who creates or gives new form to the path.

The distinction may seem subtle but it’s this kind of thinking that could make the difference in how your business fairs in these tough economic times. You can choose to adopt the mindset of a path finder. Through accident, trial and error, seeking and ultimately applying what you learn, you may find the path that keeps your business alive, or even prosper regardless of tough economic times.

Or you could be a path maker where you actually create the path that is most beneficial to your business ~ a path that may not even have existed before you caused it to “be.” Several years ago, a popular book espoused the virtues of leaving behind the you-should, this-is-how-it-must-be approach to life and take the road less traveled. Being a path maker is the same kind of thinking. It goes beyond finding a path that already exists, perhaps a very well-worn path that is no longer useful. It calls for a machete knife and good hiking boots because you will be creating your very own path to success.

So are you a path finder or a path maker? The choice is yours.