Team Encouragement | Full Sail Leadership Academy

4 min read

There’s always more to learn in all aspects of life.

Even masters of their craft will tell you they know nothing. Such is the nature of life.

Taking in our surroundings to adapt our behavior and mindset is a lifelong approach – not a one-off strategy.

As I was recently reminded during our latest Full Sail Workshop, I have plenty more to learn about steward leadership. Every day and every interaction is an opportunity.

Every Moment is an Opportunity for Leadership Coaching

What can a navy seal sailing an 82’ classic schooner teach you about leadership?

Simply put, more than you might think.

I recently had the pleasure to sit in on a training program led by former Navy SEAL Mark Divine. Divine talked about developing self-mastery of our skills and mindset to serve others to the fullest ability.

He stressed that only after we get past our own limiting beliefs and lack of skill can we fully engage ourselves to serve others and be a true steward of a team.

The authors of the book Steward Leadership – A Maturational Approach reinforce this message as well. However, it wasn’t until we did a team debrief after a recent Teams on Course ™ workshop in the Florida Keys that my learning came full circle.

Old Dogs Learn New Tricks in Team Building

We enjoyed the stout and beautiful winds for the sailing portions of our Teams on Course ™ workshop. Our chartered vessel went by the name When and If.

But this isn’t just any sailing vessel you’ll see on a Sunday afternoon on Lake Michigan. This is the boat General George S. Patton commissioned famed naval architect John Alden to build for him.

Patton so eloquently named the vessel When and If proclaiming “Bea [Patton’s wife] and I are going to sail this vessel around the world when and if the war ever ends.”

The boat is a two-mast schooner. Imagine – all original masts from the moment of its first launch.

If you aren’t familiar with sailing, even sailors experienced in modern sloops required some “on the job” training to manage the beauty’s rigging system.

The learning experience also served as a pertinent reminder for the corporate workplace: When organizations onboard fresh staff members, teaching a team’s shared language is critical for achieving success in respect of the mission.

The Ethos of Steward Leadership

In the classroom portion of our workshop, we discussed the importance of maintaining a personal and corporate ethos.

The essence of this ethos doubles as a code of excellence, as Commander Devine describes in his book Unbeatable Mind:

“Excellent results in life are the result of hard work built on a personal code of excellence. I call this your personal ethos. Defining this ethos requires deep introspection and skillful methods leading to a continuous pursuit of self-knowledge and growth. Life without a personal ethos can leave you directionless, not able to answer the question, Why? when faced with life’s many challenges”

Just as individuals can develop a personal ethos, organizations can develop them as well – and they should. For Divine, this includes the Naval Special Warfare ethos embodied nicely in this passage:

“We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depend on me – my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.”

Verbosity is nice, but why bother?

What purpose does an ethos statement serve in a corporate organization?

For starters, it uses a simultaneously shared yet unique language across the entire organization. Also, it dictates a specific yet flexible roll as the chief steward of the organization – in other words, shared qualities with room for individuality.

Again, words are nice, but they’re nothing without action. How does ethos translate into action?

In one way, the ethos provides a dogma for holding team members accountable and caring for them on a personal level – all in relation to their job performance.

The ethos statement should always reference how team members utilize their strengths for the greater good of others, the customers, and the overall organization.

Taking Our Experience Back to Full Sail for Leadership Coaching and Team Building

Post-workshop, our team did a deep dive to evaluate our performance-based largely on our ethos statement. The incredible experience we gained will embolden the value of our future Full Sail workshops with a fresh approach about:

How we as steward leaders can optimize our organization to benefit our customers.
How to identify our most important strengths that will help our clients discover their strengths to the fullest
How to maximize our client’s value from their first investment with us, in both time and money
How to prioritize a culture of psychological and emotional safety in an organization to create an environment where learning can thrive

As you become a steward leader, remember that you need to need to breathe, pause, think, and act so your team becomes stronger and serves your customers better.

Just like we needed some “on the job training” on the classic boat, your organization can benefit from a culture of learning and quest for knowledge.

Join us on our next adventure for a similar yet totally unique experience. Our next Full Sail Summit Workshop embarks from Salem, Massachusetts. We’d also be happy to serve you on Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, or the Seattle area waters during the months of May- October. Contact us for more details.

Alone after watch

I had finished my watch two hours ago. My first watch series on our trip from St Maarten to Grenada was the 9:00 pm to midnight, then back on at 6:00 am to 9:00 am. Our vessel was a 50- foot cruising catamaran (multi-hull sailboat) that was being moved to get it out of the hurricane zone for insurance purposes.

Having just had breakfast of hard-boiled eggs and ham, I kicked back on the windward side of the boat to relax on my off time. Had we been sailing a monohaul sailboat, I would be sitting on the “high side” with other crew members as the boat dug into the water, with one side of the boat almost in the water. A cruising catamaran is meant for stability, and we did not need to gather the crew on the windward side to balance out the boat. The rest of the crew that was not at the helm could relax and rest. For now, it was just me, the wind and the sea spray. All alone to reflect and realize the blessings of developing a crew.

Many people get their start in sailing by serving as “rail meat” which is a terse way to describe racers whose function is to serve solely as movable ballast. These team members move from one side of the boat to the other as the boat tacks through the wind and around the course markers. The only requirements for this position are the ability to listen well, learn well and move quickly and adroitly across the boat as she changes course. Since not everyone is ready to make a boat purchase, or has the goal of owning a boat, serving as “rail meat” allows new sailors to pay their dues in exchange or “pay” in the enjoyment of racing and learning. How the skipper engages the crew serving as movable ballast determines how long they stick with the sport or how far they advance in sailing.

The tale of two teams, or… the new boat vs. the old boat

When we do employee engagement excursions on the sailboats, we often tell the story of two race boats during our time together. It’s a simple but powerful story. You see, there once were two race boats that competed against each other. One boat was a modern racing boat that was sleek, light and had all the latest technology tools. The other boat was an older cruising boat that was broad and heavy. She had some technology, but her mass in the water was still what made her slower than the modern racing boat. But there was some equalization and the older slower boat was often the winning boat.

In sail racing, there is a handicap system that puts boats on a more even playing system. It’s like the system that is used in golf. After the handicap was applied, the old boat and the modern racing boat were closer competitors. On board the modern racing boat, crew members were belittled for lack of knowledge or ability. If something went wrong the captain and first mate accused and looked for fault instead of encouraging and sharing in the responsibility of team improvement. On board the old sailboat, there was a spirit of support, encouragement, growth and learning. The modern boat had a high turnover rate among their crew, the older boat retained and developed people. And the old boat won more races than the modern race boat. The lesson remains the same on the boat or in the boardroom. People want to feel supported, heard from, and encouraged to grow.

“Treat your crew with respect, show them the way, and watch them grow”

~ Captain Don Doggett

Thank you, Captain Don

Over the past few years of my sailing career, I have had the pleasure of partnering with our friends at True North Maritime Academy. They have transformed me from just being a competent sailor into being a Captain, who understands the boat’s systems and bigger picture of the boat upon the sea. It is through Captain Don Doggett’s leadership at True North that I have learned that beyond leading, the Captain’s job is to be respectful of his crew and encourage them to grow. It’s the same in the conference room too. A business owner or unit leader must foster a culture of support, encouragement, growth and learning. These are the hallmarks of highly engaging team.

It doesn’t matter if you are working with the entry level person in the company (similar to rail meat in racing) or a highly skilled knowledge worker, each person wants to feel valued and have the opportunity to grow. Take time to check in with them to see where they want to learn, grow and how they need feedback (feedback will be a topic we’ll get to next time). Make sure you share your vision and keep the spirit alive in the pursuit of the corporate vision as you communicate with your team. While being alone on the windward side of the boat or in a quiet office offers time for reflection and planning, being surrounded by an engaged team is where the excitement and action is.

Want to learn more about creating a fully engaged team and having fun sailing at the same time?

Join my workshop to uncover the hidden threats of employee engagement.

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