The Leadership Skill Most People Overlook

Leadership lessons from Tribal Camp (Part 1 of 4)

Mar 18, 2025

This is Part 1 of my 4-Part Leadership Series, where I break down lessons from endurance training and team-based challenges.

These insights apply just as much to the boardroom and your sales team as they do to the trail.

Let’s dive in.

Here's what I learned leading a team training camp this weekend:

Most people think leadership is about having a perfect plan and all the answers…

But that’s not true.

Real leadership starts with something much simpler—but far more powerful:

Clear communication

Let me explain…

The Tribal Boys summiting Mt. Sanitas at Sunrise

The Cost of Unclear Leadership

The first time I ever hosted a Tribal Training Camp was back in the fall of 2022.

We ended the weekend with a trail run up Mt. Sanitas—the same mountain we ran this past weekend.

But there was one big difference: I didn’t give my team any direction

I told them:

"We’ll leave the house at 7 am and go on a trail run."

That was it…

And at the time, I figured…

“They’re endurance athletes. They know how to run. No need to over-explain.”

But what happened next?

The group was all over the place.

Some thought it was an easy day and hiked the entire incline
Others assumed we were pushing the pace and surged up ahead
Some ran out of fuel and others wore road shoes that weren’t fit for the rocky, jagged terrain

But it wasn’t just that the group got split up…

The entire effort felt disjointed, unintentional, and unfocused.

And the problem wasn’t the run itself. It was me.

I had a vision for the run. But I failed to communicate it.

Had I told them:

"The goal of this run is to focus on pacing the climb and fueling well in the first 60 minutes. We’ll wait at the peak to regroup, then hit two fast segments on the way down."

Everything would have changed.

The guys who held back? They would’ve leaned in earlier, knowing relief was coming
The ones who surged ahead? They would’ve conserved energy, knowing an opportunity for speed was coming later
The group as a whole? We would have flowed as a unit instead of moving in scattered directions

If people aren’t clear on what they’re working toward, they hesitate.

And hesitation kills execution.

I didn’t fully understand that lesson—until that day.

And since then, I’ve changed my approach…

How I Provide Clarity As A Leader

At this weekend’s training camp, before our Saturday morning trail run, I made sure my team was clear on what they needed to get the most out of the experience.

The night before, I sent them:

A GPS link to the exact trailhead—no guessing, no wrong turns
A clear meeting time (with 10 mins baked in for late arrivals)
The goals for the session—(pre-run fueling, easy on the way up with fast segments on specific sections of the trail that I’d call out)

Simple. Direct. Clear.

And because of that, everyone showed up confident and ready to get better.