The answer can be quite literal, as in the case of a rather unique “boat building competition” that I participated in this week.  With the limited time and materials available to us, however, the reality is that most of the crafts barely floated at all and none for very long!  I am pleased to announce to you, however, that my team’s boat managed to float just a bit longer than any of the others.  Well done, Team Budget Busters!  (Special Kudos to our fearless skipper, Bruno!)

In a more practical sense, that expression is a colorful way of asking: what inspires you and lifts you up?  The answers can be as varied as each of us; in my case, it’s what happens when I see capable people Connect and Grow.  That’s exactly what I witnessed at our Leadership Forum this week.

When creative ideas are shared and then passionate people collaborate (thank you, B Hose!) around them, the boat may float.  Only when that collaborative energy is connected with the broader team, however, is the power of an idea unleashed in a business or any organization.  That’s when the boat does more than simply float; that’s when it begins to move under power!

To Connect is to harness creative energy for a worthwhile purpose.  It’s the stuff that great companies are made of.  What floats your boat?  More importantly, what makes it move?