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Episode 05, August 2025
Ahoy!
Out on the ocean, especially in a challenge like the Clipper Race, sailing isn't about going on a fixed course. An ocean voyage is rarely a straight line. It’s a continuous adjustment of the boat to respond to the dynamics of wind, weather, tides, currents, other boat competitors, etc. Sailing involves tactics more complex than most people would expect. Ocean sailing is fundamentally all about problem solving, forcing constant adaptability, changing what is in your control as a response to conditions that are outside your control.
Understanding and Controlling Sails
A sailboat moves using the wind, not just by having it blow from behind. Think of a sail like an airplane wing standing on its side. As the wind flows over the two surfaces of the sail, the air on the inside (concave side) slows down, but the air on the outside (convex side) has a longer distance to travel. To cover this longer distance in the same amount of time, the air on the outside of the sail has to speed up.
As the air speeds up on the outside of the sail, Bernoulli’s Principle comes into play. This principle tells us that as the speed of air increases, its pressure decreases. So, the fast-moving air on the outside of the sail creates an area of low pressure. Meanwhile, the slower-moving air on the inside of the sail creates an area of higher pressure. This difference in pressure generates a powerful force called lift, which effectively pulls the boat forward through the water.
This lift force doesn't just push the boat straight ahead; it has two components: one that drives the boat forward and another that pushes it sideways. When a sail is pulled in tight, more of that lift turns into sideways force. But when the sail is eased out, the lift produces more forward force and less sideways push. The forward component is what battles against drag (friction from the air and water) and makes the boat accelerate. The sideways force, on the other hand, is countered by the keel and rudder – those deep fins under the boat. They also act like underwater wings, creating their own "lift" to stop the boat from just sliding sideways.
To get the most speed and go in the right direction, sailors are constantly adjusting the sails to maximize that crucial forward force. A simple sail trimming rule says: "If in doubt, let it out" and "A flappy sail is an unhappy sail". An over-trimmed sail reduces efficiency and increases sideways force; an under-trimmed one flaps uselessly. The sail performs best just before it begins to collapse.
The Corporate Ocean: When Plans Go Off Course
In the corporate world, the environment is similarly dynamic. Market shifts, emerging technologies, and competitor strategies can pull you off course and demand adjusting your tactics. Just as a plan can fail on the ocean, it can in the office.
I had a tough project failure in my career. I was tasked to deploy an IT solution that would enable a business transformation. That particular IT solution, used at one of the company's small markets, was mandated to be updated, enhanced and become global. My gut told me that the solution was technically weak and lacked the necessary foundations. However I hesitated to challenge and change direction. I was so focused on what I was asked to deliver, that I missed the real business outcome. I got attached to that solution, I felt it would be a failure to declare it would not work, and I ignored the clear warning signs. It was like a skipper staying on the same course, ignoring that the winds have changed.
I learned the lesson from that project, and years later, faced with a similar, even larger, similar global project, I "didn't hesitate". We made significant changes — IT solutions, partners, ways of working—taking a hit but ultimately succeeding on the outcome.
Key Actionable Insight
The path to your target is rarely a straight line, whether at sea or in the office. Success demands adaptability, recognising the aspects outside of your control while focusing on what is within yours.
Focus on the outcome, not the path: Don't get too attached to the initial plan. Instead, anchor on "the why" and the desired outcome.
Recognise what is outside your control: As the stoic Epictetus said: "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
Cultivate decisive action: Recognizing when something you are leading isn't working requires courage. Pivot decisively, just like a sailor responding to shifting winds.
Share the Journey
Thanks for taking the time to read this. If this resonated with you, consider sharing it with a friend who might benefit and also check my UNICEF fundraising where you can make a difference to a child around the world.
May the fair winds be with you.
Breno
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