They wanted one last season before the river froze

A boy asked his father to help him build a Boat before winter came. The river would freeze by the first frost, and they wanted one last season of fishing.

The keel was laid, the ribs steamed, but the work dragged

The father agreed, and they set to work in the shed. They laid the keel, steamed oak ribs, bent them to the mold, and began fastening the planks. But the work dragged.

The boy noticed how often his father’s apron shifted, catching against the hull. How he leaned to avoid it brushing tar, or bumped it against the mallet handle as he swung. Every task seemed to take twice as long.

“Father, what’s in your apron pockets?”

One evening the boy finally asked the question.

The father reached into a pocket and pulled out bent nails, a stub of glue, a chisel he had not sharpened in years. From another came screws that did not match, washers too small, bits of rope. Pieces saved from other Boats, tucked away and forgotten.

The boy said, “Why don’t you empty them out?”

The father stared at the pile in his hands. He shook his head. “I’ve never really thought about it.”

The moment everything shifts

The silence stretched. Then the father set the apron aside. He picked up the mallet again, moving easily, his swing clear. The next day the planking went on straight. By the end of the week they were caulking seams with oakum. Three days later they slid the Boat down greased timbers and into the river, before the freeze.

The boy laughed as they pushed off. The father smiled, feeling foolish and light, finally free of what no longer fit and only got in the way.

Where this shows up in business

What leadership teams rarely see

I see this same thing in leadership teams all the time. A company is full of capable people, working hard at the Boat in front of them. Yet the pockets are heavy with old habits, unspoken rules, and tools that once served but now only get in the way.

The moment everything shifts

The team does not notice the weight until they slow down long enough to look at what they are carrying. And when they do, the work begins to move forward again with less effort and far greater momentum.

The work I am called to do

That is what I help with. Not piling on more tools or complicated systems, but guiding leaders and teams to pause, see what is in their apron pockets, and decide what is worth keeping. Once that happens, the Boat does not just get finished. It finally moves.

If this resonates with you, book a free 1-hour clarity call. No pitch. Just insight. Even if we do not work together, you will walk away knowing more.

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