I just got back from a few days of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. It never ceases to amaze me what it feels like when sailing into the different wind directions.

It’s not possible to sail head on into the wind, but you can maneuver at an angle into the wind. It’s actually quite amazing that this is possible. The reason this is possible is that the sail acts like an airfoil—similar to the wing of a plane—and it’s able to move the boat, not because the wind pushes it but because the wind moves along it.

You can also sail with the wind and have the wind behind you. In this case, the sail doesn’t act like an airfoil but like a big parachute. The wind then pushes the sail and the boat.

Here are some more amazing facts about sailing in the wind. First, the boat can have a higher speed when the sail acts as an airfoil (i.e., with the boat heading into the wind). Second, it’s much more exciting and fun to sail into the wind rather than with the wind. With the former, you feel the wind that comes your way along with the wind from your own movement. However, with the latter, your own movement is with the wind. Because you are moving with the wind, you don’t feel it (or you feel very little of the wind). Even though there may be a good wind, it will feel pretty calm.

What does this mean when applied to leadership?

1. You can sail into the wind—you don’t have to follow everyone else.
2. Sometimes, you can get somewhere faster if you don’t follow what everyone else is doing.
3. It can be much more exciting and fun to go against the trend and do something different.