Days Like This
Last Saturday, I sailed on the Chesapeake Bay with one of my best friends and two other amazing women. As we prepared to head out on our sail, my friend shared that this was the first time she had ever taken this specific boat out without her husband or kids… it was a new experience. Not to get you worried about our safety… she’s been sailing for decades and has lived on sailboats for long periods and knows her way around. Usually, though, she has another experienced sailor with her.
As we prepared to head out of the marina, she let us know that we may just have to motor since the wind wasn’t looking very promising. We were all good with it because it was a beautiful day to be out on the water.
Fast forward… she puts us all to work to get us out of the marina, giving us all instructions and then reframing some of them when she realized we didn’t have the same experience and context she did.
We successfully navigated out of the marina into the bay, and we were off. Once out on the bay, we got lucky because there was wind, and we could sail. We navigated crab pots and a sailing race and sailed beneath the Chesapeake Bay Bridge before we dropped anchor for dinner and the sunset.
As we listened to music during this amazing day, the song “Days Like These” by Van Morrison came on. It was that moment when I knew I had to incorporate this topic into this week’s message.
We couldn’t have asked for a better day…
The sun was out
The temperatures were lovely
The wind was blowing just right for a great sail
It was great company, great food, great conversation, and great music
We got to experience an amazing sunset.
Those are the moments to remember and savor… and commit to creating more of them.
Back to the other leadership lesson, we decided that my friend had demonstrated strong leadership behaviors through how she showed up that day:
She was willing to try something new (heading out on the boat without a co-captain) and coming back into the marina at night to dock alone
Setting her crew up for success by setting expectations - this is new; I’ll need you to play these roles
Clarifying her directions when she realized we didn’t understand
Gently correcting us (me) when I didn’t see the crab pot that was coming up in our way
Asking for help to navigate the crab pots when she realized that she couldn’t do it well alone at the helm
Enjoying the experience
Celebrating the success of the team effort
Whether we’re leading in an organization or leading others on a sailboat, we can demonstrate who we are and how we create impact.
Thoughts to consider today…
What experiences do you want to create more of?
What opportunities outside of work do you have to demonstrate your leadership?
Wishing you an amazing weekend and Labor Day for those celebrating on Monday!
If you’re hoping for more “days like this” in your work life, you can now download my guide, There Is No Such Thing as a Perfect Job as a PDF using this link. If you prefer, it is also available on Amazon.