The Importance of Good Leadership Hannah West

 To be a good leader is very hard to achieve but is very important in and out of the sport of kayaking. In the sport of kayaking, some situations could be very dangerous, and having the ability to be a strong leader to help guide a group of less experienced kayakers down a rapid safely is a very important skill to have. The first key to being a good leader is good communication. This is often said but it is important to talk about especially on the river in a kayaking situation. The ability to communicate what is going on to the group and how to get to safety in an emergency is key so that everyone has a good time. Some important things for good communication especially on the river is to speak clearly and loudly without yelling because yelling can in some situations cause panic. Another thing that makes a good leader is being able to listen to your group, be approachable, and earn their respect. You want the people you paddle with to feel comfortable to approach you if they are worried about anything because if they do something they are not comfortable with, it could put them in danger. Therefore it is very important to make it clear that people should feel comfortable talking to you and that you listen to their worry and what they have to say. Another important quality of a leader is being able to make the final decision. If you know what people are capable of doing and they want to do more than what they are capable of doing you are in charge of their safety so you need to be able to make the final decision to keep them safe whether that is telling them that they must walk a rapid. However, to the contrary, you also want to push the people you paddle with to achieve their full potential. Finally, leadership has nothing to do with age. To be a good leader you need to be responsible and have the appropriate ability to keep people safe but just because you are the oldest or the most experience does not mean that you are the fittest to lead a group of people down the river. The people most fit to be leaders are the ones who can command the respect of the group and be able to help everyone keep everyone safe and help everyone achieve the best of their potential. This knowledge can help you not only develop as a kayaker but to help me help others get into the sport I love so much.