Anyone who has ever seen a crew team rowing down the river has likely wondered why one person is a passenger and everyone else in the boat is rowing like mad. It would seem the coxswain has the easiest job in the boat.

It’s actually incredibly difficult, and my 16-year-old daughter (who is a coxswain) has taught me a few great leadership lessons as I’ve watched her cox over the past few seasons.

The gold-medal winning U.S. rowing team (coxswain at lower left) at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Credit: Danny Moloschok/Pool/Getty Images

As you run your organizations, there are a few lessons you can take from her and apply to be better leaders of your teams as well. They’re counterintuitive approaches to leadership. But if you apply them well, I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

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