As summer transitioned to fall not long ago, it was time for our annual adventure in the BWCA. (For those farther afield, Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area is over a million acres of waterways and forest on the Canadian border, virtually as it was when the glaciers retreated 10,0

Once again this season, our sloop LOON is serving up life and leadership lessons, and in unexpected ways.  The first this year began when a charterer reported a small fresh water leak at the base of LOON’s toilet – by itself not serious as long as the head’s seacocks were closed, one

by Al Watts and Lola Fredrickson Who’s the wisest person you know?  Why does that person come to mind, and what are some characteristics of other wise people you know? Competency, skills and expertise are desirable, but cannot take the place of wisdom.  There are competent, highly ski

by Bill Gjetson (This month’s guest author is Bill Gjetson, who shares my belief that stories play an important role shaping a leader’s and organization’s identity.  After a 30 year career in Human Resources  with Caterpillar, Bill is now engaged in experience-based leader

We pulled out a time-honored family recipe over the holidays, and that got me thinking about what a recipe for success in 2012 might be.  I tried to follow the criteria for most good recipes: they should be relatively simple and clear, employ what is ideally at our disposal, allow for

This article is brought to you by my left hand (I’m right-handed) – courtesy of a torn rotator cuff and surgery a few weeks ago.  I am a firm believer that almost any hardship, unfamiliar situation or adventure offers lessons for life and leadership, and a few weeks with my righ