4 Leadership Lessons From The Crew Of Davey’s Locker Whale Watching Tours

Pam and I recently had a bucket list opportunity while attending a wedding in Orange County, California. Pam had dreamed of going on a whale watching tour.

You know what I’m talking about. You hop on a boat and head out into the ocean for a 2-hour tour… One you hope doesn’t end up like the S.S. Minnow on Gilligan’s Island. Thankfully, ours turned out fine.

We set sail. We went out into the ocean. And we saw whales!

A blue whale's tail breaking the ocean surface

The tour took place through a company called Davey’s Locker in Newport Beach. Before, during, and after I saw the crew of Davey’s Locker display excellent leadership skills.

Each team member we encountered made our journey special. Today, we’re going to look at how those at Davey’s Locker exemplified leadership prowess.

4 Leadership Lessons From The Crew Of Davey’s Locker Whale Watching Tours

1. Be fair to your customers:

With something like a whale watching business, you could take advantage of your customers. You could see the opportunity to overcharge and underdeliver.

This didn’t happen with Davey’s Locker. The owner of the business decided to be fair to their customers. They offered a great experience at a great price.

Pam and I were blown away by the value we received from the tour. We were on the boat for 2 hours, saw dolphins, and experienced a blue whale breaching the ocean surface. All for a reasonable price.

When you do business, make sure you’re being fair to your customers. This will make them want to rant and rave about the work you do. They’ll also be more than likely to return to you for future work.

2. Know where you’re going:

Far too many leaders are leading without knowing where they’re going. The captain of the boat we were on was not this kind of leader. Instead, he knew exactly where to go to see the dolphins and whales in their natural habitat.

Do you know where you’re leading your team and organization? As the leader, you need to have a clear vision of where you’re going and then you need to head there.

3. Let your team know what to expect:

The captain knew where we were going. He also knew the habits of the blue whale we would be seeing on this whale watching adventure.

Once they spotted the blue whale, the captain began to tell the passengers where to look. He first ordered us to the right side of the boat. He then told us the whale would be between the 1 and 2 o’clock position.

As we were all looking, he would then tell us how the whale would behave. The captain told us to anticipate the whale to breach the surface 2-3 times. He then prepared us to have the whale dive for 5-8 minutes and resurface.

Do you know what? The captain was spot on. We watched as the whale repeated this feat 3-4 times.

Are you letting your team know what to expect from you and your organization? You need to clearly communicate what to expect from your leadership and the organization.

This will prepare your team to know how to effectively take action and get things done.

4. Have a great follow-up:

Follow-up is critically important to organizations. There’s so much you can learn when you follow up with your customers and team.

Davey’s Locker did this well. Within a few hours of our whale watching tour in Newport Beach, I received an email from Davey’s Locker.

The email mentioned how they hoped we enjoyed our tour. Then they asked me to rate them on  Google if I enjoyed the experience.

You know what I did, right? I went and left a review of the excellent whale watching tour and experience we had.

Their follow-up got them another review that will help boost their visibility on Google. That’s the power of follow-up.

You can follow-up with your customers in much the same way. When you do business with someone, send out a note thanking them, letting them know you hope they enjoyed the experience, and then making the ask of a review.

Or, what about your team members? You can follow up with them as well. Find ways to regularly ask for feedback about the health of your organization or personal leadership. You may get painful but honest feedback. This will help you become a better leader and organization.

Question: What leadership lesson have you learned from another organization? Leave their name below!

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