WHO IS 'DRIVING THE BOAT' IN YOUR PROGRAM?

A young farmer was covered in sweat as he paddled his boat up the river. He was going upstream to deliver his produce to the village. It was a hot day, and he wanted to make his delivery and get home before dark. As he looked ahead, he spied another vessel, heading rapidly downstream toward his boat. He rowed furiously to get out of the way, but it didn't seem to help.

He shouted, "Change direction! You are going to hit me," but the boat did not move and kept coming right at him. The vessel hit his boat with a violent thud. The farmer shouted, "You idiot! How could you manage to hit my boat in the middle of this wide river?"

As he glared into the boat, seeking out the individual responsible for the accident, he realized no one was there.He had been screaming at an empty boat that had broken free of its moorings and was floating downstream with the current.

This story is exactly the way many organizations operate.They hope for the best and no one is really driving the boat. In sports, coaches will know the technique, scheme, have a practice plan, etc. but that is not what really drives the boat.

This story is in Culture Defeats Strategy 2 to emphasize leaders must be intentional and can't cross their fingers and hope the culture will just 'work out'. If you are the head coach or a leader of any group take charge and direct your people.