A lief out of a Norse leadership story

Fresh Air Learning - Leif EricsonThe wind howled like a thousand crying wolves and the waves crashed against the longboat throwing up white spume and froth onto the deck.

The storm had raged like this for 6 days and continued to carry the men in a direction they had never been before. No one could row in weather like this. They huddled under the canvas sheet. Meagre shelter in atrocious conditions.

Some prayed and some wondered why they were on this crazy journey.

Leif Ericson, the master skipper, calculated they had travelled hundreds of nautical miles since leaving the shelter and safety of Greenland. He looked at the dark sea and thought about how brave his men were. A trip into the unknown. A trip to a new world and new beginnings.

Was it true that the world was flat? Would they plummet off the edge of the world and enter Valhalla?

Discovery

This journey took place over a thousand years ago, and pre-dated Christopher Columbus ‘discovery’ of the New World by 500 years.

When Leif Ericson first set sight on a strange coastline, he was not to know that he was ‘discovering’ the New World. He named the land Vinland. Archaeological finds in Newfoundland and the Gulf of St Lawrence in the 20th century confirm the presence of Norsemen and their settlements.

Resolve and revelation

Dispelling myths and being courageous of heart in what you want to pursue will reveal new worlds and new beginnings to all those that try.

Erickson and his crew were quite literally going into the unknown, but had a strong belief in themselves and in their skipper as leader. They refused to listen to the doubters and the critics and went onto achieve many amazing journeys of which this one was outstandingly awesome!

What awesome journeys await you and your business? What new worlds will be revealed through your leadership?

Mike Noel-Smith
The Fresh Air Learning Company