A leader doesn’t defy the wind, or blame the wind for pushing him off course. A leader doesn’t blame those around him for the way the wind blows. But most of all, a leader doesn’t allow the wind to decide his direction. Instead, they understand the wind, embrace it, and know how to use it to arrive at their chosen destination.
A boat can sail against the wind by slightly tilting its sails in a direction ahead of the vector of the sail. Birds fly against the wind not by beating their wings more furiously, but by cutting across the eddies and currents of the sky. A leader, like a boat or a bird, must understand that the wind is never against them, although they may occasionally need to tack against it when the journey so demands.
- Allan Lacoste