Spilling the Wind

Last weekend I went for an overnight cruise in my 24’ foot sailing boat, Lorelei.

She is a 50 year old wooden sloop and being traditionally rigged, is not set up for easy single-handed sailing. 

On Sunday morning I had to beat homeward against a fickle wind that shifted 10-20 degrees every few minutes. It was the turn of the tide, too, with no predictable flow of the current, only huge swirling eddies. Twice a light rain squall came through, with a gust of wind heeling the boat over on her ear. Both times I had to spill the wind from the sails to keep the dishes from flying across the cabin. 

Halfway home it hit me: this is just like navigating through this pandemic - the wind and current is constantly shifting and when the wind does make up its mind, it’s enough to blow us over. 

The other realization was that single-handed sailing is a messy process and that’s ok.

I can’t do everything at once. I can’t do everything perfectly.

But if I keep calm, I can do what needs to be done to get the job done.

Leading my business and supporting my clients through this non-stop series of squalls requires taking risks, making compromises and continually adjusting our sails. 

As I tied up to the mooring, tired but happy, I tipped my cap to Mother Nature for yet again providing me with the experiential reminder of what it takes to keep on sailing, no matter the conditions.

All of our Quest programs draw on experiential learning and non-negotiable feedback. Our newest program, BridgeQuest, allows entirely virtual teams to navigate ships through a crisis in a digital forensics simulation. Learn more about BridgeQuest.