Leadership Lessons Learned Sailing the Great Lakes

This past week I had the opportunity to compete with our 36-foot Farr 11s, Trompe le Monde, in the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race presented by National Fleet Services – roughly 200 nautical miles from Port Huron, Mich., to Mackinac Island.

We race with a crew of six – my husband, four of our great friends, and sometimes me. We bought the boat two years ago and in that time the team has quickly progressed from primarily addressing mechanical failures to winning our section in the 2024 Chicago Race to Mackinac.

There were a lot of stakes for this race, coming off a win and it being a milestone event. I’ll cut to the finish – we came in 31st overall in a fleet of 330+ boats, and mid-pack in our class.

On the boat delivery back home to Detroit, my husband and I mused about what worked and what didn’t during the 36-hour event, and how it extrapolates to life.   

• Teams need clear discussion and direction at all times. Seems obvious, until things move quickly. Before going into a tack or changing a sail, we talk through who is on deck and what the maneuver entails. When this doesn’t happen, mistakes occur, people step in to takeover, and morale crashes (hopefully not the boat, too).    

• Leading people is about managing energy.  We were at the head of the pack on Sunday morning, and then the wind died. We sat in the water for hours unable to move, watching our standing drop in the rankings. You could see the effect on the team – drawn faces, minimal conversation, bodies moving slowly as if ache was setting in. When everyone is dragging in low times, someone needs to dig deep and find the energy to change the tide. Crack a joke. Revisit all the actions that can be taken. Focus on the positives (the sunset was gorgeous – even if we’d hoped to see if from the island).   

• Take care of people, not just the task. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to focus on executing on the strategy: rallying everyone to get the boat moving as fast as possible in whatever condition we’re facing. That’s only about 1/3 of what it takes for a crew to win a race. When planning the provisions, choosing sails to carry and making repairs, it’s just as important to remember the crew dinners and how to involve families. And, matching hats! After all, this is the real reason we do it. While first place flags are nice, they always come in second to friendship.

Leave in the comments: What’s your hobby and how has it helped you as a leader?