Teach a Girl to Fish

I cannot recall a time when I did not know how to fish.  Apparently my grandparents and Dad taught me as soon as I could hold a pole.  When we would arrive at our cottage in northern Michigan, I would head straight for the dock to see if I could land a blue gill before the car was even unpacked. As a pre-teen, I would spend hours of peaceful isolation out on the lake in the small boat my Dad custom outfitted for me.  Fondly named "Slow Poke II", it was not designed for speed - it was for fishing.

Decades later I found myself back in northern Michigan running a television station. My sales team was having a tough second quarter, and as an incentive I promised them a "Grand" adventure if we hit our number.  They hit it.  They exceeded it.  I was thrilled to makegood on that promise.

I invited them to meet at a particular spot on Grand Traverse Bay on Friday at 11am and dress for a day in the sun.  When they began to arrive, some responded with glee at the unexpected prospect of spending an afternoon on a luxury fishing charter stocked with gourmet food and enough libations to get us through an afternoon on the bay. Others....not so much.  Particularily the girls.  In fact, I quickly learned that only one other female member of the staff  had ever fished before.  Thinking on my feet, I designated one of the charters as the "fishing" group, and the other charter as the "sun bathing" group. The later also had a very nice looking young man as the 1st mate who would help set the downriggers, which was rather well received by the sun bathing group. For the propect of fishing, of course.  

We were launched on one of the most amazing fishing excursions ever, for many reasons.  Comfortable early July temps, clear blue skies with just a wisp of clouds, calm navigation on one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world, and a great group of people enjoying it together. At one point we were wowed by the practice run of the entire Blue Angels Air Show directly overhead. And the fish were biting, at least for us with the "fishing" group.

This is where the story really gets awesome.  About an hour and a half into the trip, we heard a few faint squeals from the "sun bathing" charter, which was located several hundred yards away.  Shortly thereafter, my cell phone rang.  A soft voice on the other end of the phone said sheepishly, "Julie...we caught a fish. Have you guys caught any?".   

One Small Success can ignite the fire of desire for more.

And so it began.  Each time a line was set, and a fish reeled in, the decibel of the squeals from across the lake grew.  My cell phone rang.  The tally was updated.  The squeals were louder. The cell phone rang.  The tally was larger. Louder...larger...louder...larger. You can't throw down a challenge like that and not expect a response, especially from a fired up group of sales people.  Everyone on the lake that day went home with their own personally caught fresh Lake Michigan White Fish, fully filleted by our charter captains and crew. Everyone except me.  

As a leader, we should be all about creating opportunities for success for our team. Inspiring them. Challenging them.  Celebrating with them.  Take time to figure out how to bring new ideas and experiences their way.  By doing that, you will end up creating your own success as well.  What kind of desire for success can you ignite with your team today??? 

P.S.  I was the last to reel in a catch that afternoon...and it was the only King Salmon. The End.