From Error to Opportunity

Mistakes happen. Errors happen. Miscalculations happen.

When a mistake is made, there are four questions you need to ask:

  1. Has there been enough training to prevent this?
  2. Was it intentionally done wrong or malicious?
  3. Did it happen from carelessness or laziness?
  4. Has a lesson been learned and corrected?

It is easy to place blame, point fingers or drop your head when a mistake made. Those responses are sure to turn one mistake into two mistakes. If you want to right the mistake or error, find the cause and correct it.

We aren’t perfect, but we should always be looking to improve and learn. Effective leadership can take a mistake and turn it into an opportunity for growth and improvement.


If we knew mistakes would never be made, we wouldn’t need life boats or rings. 



Lost in the Moment





Deschutes Camp



My Team, My Responsibility

The synergy of a team can be the difference in good versus great… or terrible. There are two types of teams that we can be part of, and although they are different, our actions as a member of that team are the same.

The first type of team is the one that you put together yourself. This is your opportunity to pick who is on the team and determine the roles of the members. This structure is empowering. It is your team, your responsibility.

The second type of team is the one that you are placed on. You are handed this team and maybe handed your role. Although this is not your hand-picked team, it is your team. You are still responsible for its success. Your actions as a team member remain the same. You have the choice to look around and feel hopeless at the lack of control and selection of the team OR you could be a leader and make this team the best they can be. It is still your team, your responsibility.

When you can build a team, select the best. When you are given a team, make them their best.

Dog Sled ride

Dog sled team

“Teamwork requires some sacrifice up front; people who work as a team have to put the collective needs of the group ahead of their individual interests.” -Patrick Lencioni

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Rafting team shooting through Deschutes River rapids

Many More Hills To Climb

Three Sisters

Three Sisters, volcanic peaks of Oregon (from atop the South Sister)


This famous quote by Nelson Mandela can evoke an image of work that is never done. To some, it signifies a daunting vision of what lies ahead, yet, to the contrary, how fortunate we are to have endless challenges ahead to overcome. Challenges give us goals, value, meaning, they push us, they engage our hearts, our muscles and our minds, and they bring collaboration toward common goals. Mr. Mandela’s words, instead, portray endless possibilities ahead.

The quest to reach the top drives us. It motivates us. It helps us aspire to greatness. If we only had one peak to climb, our existence would cease once we reached our summit. The pinnacle would be our end. To reach the summit is a glorious feeling, but does it mean that we are done? I sure hope not! The view from the summit is to be enjoyed and to give view to the other challenges on the horizon. Reaching a pinnacle should be motivation to begin the next challenge, the next summit.

Fortunately, there is more than one hill to climb. Make your pinnacle not be your last, but be your motivation to conquer the next! The next hill awaits.

Darkness Holds Opportunity

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There is security in being able to see what lies ahead. When presented with the unknown, fear and skepticism can override our ability to move forward. Darkness does not remove the opportunity ahead, it only hides it from view. Venturing into the unknown takes faith, confidence and an acceptance of moving out of your comfort zone.

When many others will not venture into the darkness, it can become your opportunity. Fear is overcome when we confront it, and when we do, we are better for it. Embrace the darkness as an opportunity, for all it hides and holds.

More Than Just Thankful

As we end a year and bring in 2017, reflection and goal setting is natural. We have much around us to be thankful for, yet we don’t alway remember to give thanks for the people, ideas, gifts and experiences that improve our lives. The simple thing to do, and important thing, is to say ‘thank you’, yet how can we become a person who others want to thank?

For those who we owe thanks, do something for them that is worthy of thanks in return. When a simple ‘thank you’ isn’t enough, the next level is to seek symbiosis. Just as the tree gets its nourishment and life from soil, it gives back to the soil each autumn by shedding it’s leaves and replenishing the nutrients within. Both benefit and freely give, giving true thanks and appreciation of the other. How can you nourish and replenish others around you?

Relationships work best when they go both ways. It’s something we could all work to improve upon, and when we do, we all benefit.

Symbiosis: interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.


Escape Into Reality

S Sister over Lava Lake

The modern world is full of tasks, distraction and noise, which clutters the mind. This clutter leaves no time or mental space for clarity, deep thought or peaceful thought. The common approach to this is to find an escape FROM reality. Escapes like television, intoxicants, internet and dreaming can remove the noise and chaos of the world around us, but it does not cure the issue. Some of these escapes only give temporary relief, as we enter into a false world of fantasy.

Instead of using false worlds or escapes to relieve the stress and noise of daily life, escape INTO reality by going outdoors and into nature. The same stress relieving properties will happen, yet now, you’re entering the natural world that we operate and live in. The benefits of this include a mental and physical rejuvenation, a greater understanding and appreciation of the world around us and an inspiration to thrive. Even Business Insider highlighted the benefits of outdoor exploration, and the benefit to business and leadership.

When the stresses of daily life are such that you need an escape, make it a priority to escape INTO reality, and into nature. You will find peacefulness and clarity while enjoying the outdoors, which will also have added benefits for your life and work. We all need an escape, make it a healthy one. Escape INTO reality, escape into the outdoors.

Energized By Your Work


Hard work can be draining, leaving you exhausted, negative and wishing you could do anything else. This hard work feeling typically comes from work that does not seem significant, relevant or worthwhile. It can seem like thankless hard work.

On the other hand, hard work can motivate and inspire. It can be a stepping stone to greatness. It can take you to new places, leaving you wanting to see more, regardless of how hard you will need to work to get there.

Find your passion and let it fuel your work. You will find that the hard work hardly feels like work at all.

Around the Bend


Drifting down a river offers opportunities, challenges and unique experiences. The diversity of experiences, from whitewater rapids to calm waters, gives us something to learn from and look forward to.

The bending canyon walls and trees block our sight down river and into the future, yet incrementally the view presents itself. The canyon walls limit our perspective and focus the attention on what is immediately around us. This limitation actually gives an opportunity, an opportunity to look closely at the surroundings and to appreciate the subtlies around us that often unnoticed.

As we drift down a river, we lose sight of the upstream portion behind us, yet we retain the memories and lessons. We use these experiences to better understand our current location and help predict what lies ahead. This unknown explains the reason and need for guides, consultants and mentors, as they have been down this river before. Their wisdom is invaluable in helping novices navigate through rough waters.

Life presents itself one moment at a time. Some simple and relaxing, while others require focus, skill or even luck to keep afloat. We can only get glimpses of what lies immediately ahead, leaving us with a sense of excitement and anticipation for what lies around the bend. Drifting down a river canyon represents a great way to live our lives. Live in the moment to soak it all in, while keeping an enthusiasm for the opportunities and beauty that lies just around the bend.

Train Your Eye


Black bear observed at Yellowstone National Park

Our lives are filled with lots of stimuli that distract us from the course we are meant to take. Once you determine your goals and set your course, keep your eyes trained for the opportunities you seek.

It is simple to spend energy dwelling on the past and the things that could have been or you could use your energy seeking the next opportunity. We all work with limited resources, but opportunity is all around us. It is not abundant and opportunity usually sits hidden or unnoticed. We need to have the vision to see it and the hope that it will happen.

Recently, prior to our family trip to Yellowstone National Park, I taught my daughter how to locate animals in the woods or from afar. We discussed and practiced training her eyes to see the color, shape and movement of animals, as they are so well adapted to not being seen.  While in the park (and now anywhere), she is great at locating the opportunities to watch the animals she so excitedly wants to see and experience. She seized the opportunity by training herself to see it, and then was able to help others who did not have the same skill.

This is not unlike business or life. Once we know what we are looking for, we need to keep our eyes and ears open to the possibilities. Partnerships and resources don’t typically fall in your lap and it takes a keen eye to find the possibilities, but you need to be trained to look for them.

Take some time to identify your goals and needed resources, and then train your eye to find them. Give yourself the edge over others who cannot see these opportunities and those who do not even look for them. It requires some patience and perseverance, but the time will come and your keen eye will see an opportunity that will propel you closer to your goals.

Opportunities are all around if you know what to look for. If you don’t see them, surely someone else will. Train your eye!