A Crash Course in Leadership from White Water Rafting

I almost drowned, but I got an invaluable crash course in leadership.

Story

My husband is a big fan of rafting. I do lots of things for love, even if it means going rafting in white water when I cannot swim.

Once a year, there is a rafting race in the Czech Republic, one of the most difficult ones. It’s called Hamerak. They open a dam, and water floods a narrow creek, full of stones.?

It is fast water, very cold, with 5 waterfalls with a difficulty of WW I-III on a scale where WW-VI means “don’t even think about going there.” That’s not dangerous, but definitely difficult for inexperienced people.?

Most of the people don't manage to stay in the boat. Swimming is not pleasant; the water is cold, the stream is fast, hitting the stones is very painful.

My husband is very good. We make a great team. Last year, we were the only ones from our friends who didn't swim. He is at the back, driving the boat. I am in front, paddling hard, setting the speed of the boat.

One year, I brought a friend. I broke the even number of people. We had to rethink the teams.?

My husband was the only one experienced enough to go alone in a kayak. So, he put me in the boat with somebody else.

Scene 1

At the first waterfall, 2 m high, we were ready to get in, when I heard the guy screaming:

?"Keep the boat straight."?

"Me? I don't know how. This is your job."

We entered at the wrong angle. He fell from the boat.

Scene 2

At the second waterfall, he fell again. I said to myself,?

"OMG, this is a very difficult waterfall with lots of turns. How am I going to make it alone?”

?I survived, don't ask me how.

Scene 3

At the last waterfall, the one where everybody was flipping over, I heard again the dreadful screams: "Keep the boat straight, Keep the boat straight."

This time it was my turn to swim. The water was so strong that it hit me on the stones. After drinking some water, I managed to float up.

The pain in my knees was so bad that I had to sit motionless for a few minutes.?

When I finally caught my breath, my first words were to my partner:?

"Why did you put me in the boat with this guy?"

Scene 4

The second time I went with my husband. Somebody else, who was a great swimmer, decided to sacrifice and make a team with the other guy.?

Everything was fine. He drove the boat so well that we finished with no swimming.?

My pain changed into euphoria. The winning team was back again.?

I felt like I could try one more time.

Scene 5

I was so confident in my husband that, on the second run, at the second waterfall, I saw that we were approaching a big stone. I've done nothing to help him move the boat to the right.?

We flipped over. And my knees... ouch, ouch, ouch.

Leadership Lessons

This experience was like a masterclass in leadership, with gems—or I could say, stones—one after another.

Here are the lessons:

1. Vision and strategy

A team needs a leader to set their direction. Without direction, no matter how good you are, you will not get anywhere. The cause of our failure in the water was the inability of the driver to set the right direction.

2. Empower team members so that they don’t need to rely on leaders all the time

Facing the most challenging waterfall alone taught me that, sometimes, leadership means standing strong in the face of adversity, relying on your skills and resilience. Each individual contributes to the team's success.

3. A strategy is a living thing, not a static document that is not touched for a long time

Once the direction is known, the team members should be empowered to use their own leadership skills. But leaders still need the leader to update and maintain the direction. I was able to survive until the last waterfall when the challenge was too much for me.

4. The team needs to work together

A leader alone is not enough. The cooperation between the leader and the team members is what makes the team successful. The third time I had the best driver in the boat, but I failed to help when we got into bigger trouble.

5. Leaders need to learn the team’s strengths and how to leverage them effectively

Any change in the team can disturb its performance at the beginning. It is important to take that into account and be adaptable. It was my first time swimming in white water. I wasn’t prepared for that.

6. Effective leaders seek and provide constructive feedback

My reaction to my husband about being paired with a less experienced teammate shows the value of feedback and reflection in leadership.

7. Leaders must build trust and confidence

Trust in your team's abilities and fostering confidence can significantly influence outcomes. My high performance with my husband came from the trust and confidence that we have in each other.

Each turn and tumble on the Hameraki creek was packed with lessons on strategy, team topology, empowerment, teamwork, communication, trust, and confidence.

What lessons resonate with you??

What are the areas that you would like to explore more??

• Is your strategy clear??
• Is your team aligned with it??
• Is your team empowered??
• Do they and your stakeholders trust you??
• Are you delivering?

I am opening a few coaching spots for new Leaders in product organizations.

In a 3-month engagement, we will have tailored sessions with topics like:

• Trust
• High-performance teams
• Strategy
• Execution
• Communication
• Emotional Intelligence
• Stress reduction

At the end, you will have:

• A personal leadership development plan
• Clarity of direction
• Set the basis for earning the trust of your team and senior managers
• Gain confidence in your own leadership abilities
• Improved communication and self-awareness
• Set the path for creating empowered teams
• Reduction of overwhelm and increased wellbeing

Interested? DM me to have a conversation and find out more.