Great businesses combine three critical ingredients:
- Leaders who can paint a vision for the future of the business.
- The right people who can work together.
- Day to day execution that moves the people together in the right direction to the vision.
I am an individual who pursues life as enthusiastically as the businesses I help. For many years, I have had a dream to sail across an ocean. While I have had great opportunities to do coastal sailing, including living onboard our sailboat Dragonsinger and home schooling our three children with Karalee for two years in the Mediterranean (learn more here), I have never had an open ocean experience.
Until now.
My friend Dick Leighton has been sailing his boat from Bodrum, Turkey to Barbados in the Caribbean. After months of travel he has arrived in the Canary Islands where I have joined the boat. My dream of sailing across an ocean is coming true. In a few days, weather permitting, we should head off for what should be a 21-28 day passage across the Atlantic Ocean. Dick has done multiple ocean passages as has fellow crew member Rick Lane. As a bonus, Dick’s youngest son Andy Leighton is also part of the crew.
Sailing across an ocean is an exciting challenge. One that is full of manageable risks. If I go back to what makes a business great, I think we have the ingredients for a great trip:
- A shared vision for a safe passage across the Atlantic in a proven sailboat.
- Four crew members who get along supporting each other.
- A plan and three hour watch system 24 hours a day that keeps us moving in the right direction.
It’s trite, but true. Few people dream. Fewer few follow their dreams. I am blessed in that my work, Karalee, Dick, his wife Marian, and many other people in my life are all supportive of my realizing my dream.
What dream are you pursuing today?
p.s. You can follow our adventure at sailvankedisi.wordpress.com.
