Fly Fishing for Leadership

What is leadership? There are probably as many definitions of leadership as there are different types of trout flies. And each definition tends to be fit for the specific situation and context a leader is facing. The same is true for which fly to use. It depends on the condition of the water, the weather, the time of year, the temperature, and various other factors. No one leadership approach fits every situation, just as there is no one fly for all conditions.

Yet we know good leadership when we see it. Just as we know a good fly angler we meet on the river. It's not their age or equipment, or the flies stuck on their wader patch. It's the way they behave towards the river, the fish, the environment, their dog, and their fellow anglers. I always get a sense of calm and confidence when I am around a good fly angler, and it's the same feeling I get in the presence of a good leader.

Can we learn fundamental leadership principles through fly fishing? I believe, yes!

Today, perhaps more than any other time in history, leadership is required to help guide a world in crisis and chart a course for a sustainable future. Yet real leadership seems to be in short supply. There are many people with leadership roles and titles; President, Prime Minister, CEO, Congressman, City Councilor, Physician, Head Nurse, School Teacher, Parent. Yet the majority of people in the world sense a leadership vacuum. Why? What are we looking for in our leaders? I believe some of the answers lie in the principles described in this book.

We can find leadership displayed on the battlefield, the baseball field, the classroom, the operating room, and the Boardroom. And if asked, I believe they would all say that fishing, and fly fishing, in particular, helped build and solidify their character, courage, and leadership skills.

As far as I am concerned, fly fishing provides almost instantaneous feedback; and plenty of it. Every cast gives feedback, every snag of a drifting nymph, every fly hung up in a tree, every day without a tug. These situations, and many more, give us essential feedback. While the average person may ignore these and mentally classify them as bad luck, the curious and determined learner will see them as opportunities to understand, rethink, re-rig, change flies, practice, and improve.

And fly fishing takes skill. You can't just "chuck and duck" in fly fishing unless all you want is arm exercise. Fly fishing requires a thoughtful approach since there are a hundred different things to get right to have some hope of catching a fish. And it's only through experience, feedback, and rethinking your approach that you learn to become a competent fly angler. And the same is true of leadership development. Leaders aren't born, nor are skilled fly anglers. They both develop through numerous and diverse experiences, seasoned with real-time feedback.