Be present and open minded! Far too often, the focus is on issues from the past or on potential problems that lie in the future. There is nothing wrong with learning from the past and looking into the future. Both aspects are important. But it is more important to focus on the NOW. Especially in dangerous rapids and in challenging business circumstances. What has to be done NOW for a successful tomorrow? Focus, concentration and the power to create new solutions will increase. Exhaustion, frustration and excessive effort will be minimized.

Staying focused! The more turbulent the environment becomes, the easier it is to lose your defined “line”. Your line expresses: What is behind the visible actions? What provides stability and focus in daily work? What makes you special? What is your ambition? And what are your goals? In this discipline, managers, teams and entire companies reflect on their own very individual line. This provides meaning and strengthens confidence. At the same time, it allows the necessary freedom and flexibility to integrate innovations wisely.

Be courageous and agile! In challenging times, it is important not to withdraw. Instead, entrepreneurs, managers and entire units need the courage to “lean into” the danger and experiment with it. No one can convey this better than whitewater adventurer Herbert Schreib. Letting go of the old ways, exploring new territory, but also questioning and consistently changing structures and processes. This creates a productive climate for innovation and it increases the attractiveness for engaged and competent people.

Together simply stronger! Gone are the times of autocracy, the lonely leader and “silo thinking” – once and for all. Leaders today strengthen themselves by strengthening others. Many tasks and issues can now only be solved as a team. Sometimes across divisions and hierarchies. As part of this discipline, Schreib swears you in to unconditional collaboration and network thinking – within teams and departments and beyond. This is the powerful source to find new solutions for complex issues.

Consistently further! Experts in running whitewater know that reaching a certain level of performance is one thing. Maintaining and improving it is another. It takes active persistence, consistent training and new stimuli again and again. Active “eddy-moments” are helpful here. Eddies are calm zones in the river. These are used to pat yourself on the back, reflect, learn and refocus on the next rapids. This is exactly what this discipline is all about.