Field Notes: Emotional Intelligence & Serendipity in Outdoor Leadership

Mike Smith | OSI Executive Director

For some people the technical side of human-powered outdoor pursuits can be the best part. Whether you’re talking about the newest gear, the latest trick, or emerging best practices, there’s an endless amount to geek out on. The real journey for me, though, has always been the intangible side of outdoor pursuits - the emotional element that weaves through everything.

When teaching people to kayak, for example, knowing how to execute a proper paddle stroke is important, but I think it’s even more valuable to know how to work with one person who might want to give up when they can’t get it right, and another person who is too nervous to try it at all. For outdoor leader-types this domain has historically been called “soft skills”. These days it’s more common to hear terms like social and emotional skills, intra-personal skills, or emotional intelligence. Whatever name you give it, anyone that has worked in the outdoor space knows that this is where the real work lives. That’s why I’m so excited to share our most recent discussion on outdoor leadership development.

OSI Community Podcast Episode 23

Chad Thatcher is a professor in Southern Oregon University’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership program. He has worked, taught, and led expeditions around the globe for decades. Yet for someone with an amazing breadth and depth of technical experience, Chad’s focus these days is on developing the emotional intelligence of tomorrow’s outdoor leaders. His goal is to develop people who can take their leadership skills into any environment, not just the outdoors.

If you find a conversation about these topics interesting, you’ll really want to listen as we dive into his research on serendipity and the role it plays in emerging leaders’ development. Chad’s enthusiasm for his craft is infectious, and every time we talk, I come away feeling more curious and more inspired to keep learning. I hope this episode of the OSI Community Podcast does the same for you!