Learning the Winds: a Story about Diversity, Inclusion, and the Sea

My father has been sailing for as long as I can remember.

He reads the water the way others read books — quietly, with patience and intuition. Now retired, he’s teaching my daughter how to sail. I watched them while they opened the fairway in Nieuwpoort. The boat rocked gently as he showed her how to hold the tiller, how to sense the wind before you even feel it.

“The wind,” he said, “is everything. It can carry you home — or it can hold you back. You can’t control it, but you can learn to work with it. ”She nodded, concentrating hard. And in that moment, I realised how true his words are — not just for sailing, but for life.

Headwinds and Tailwinds

If you’ve ever sailed, you know the difference.

A headwind resists you. It makes every movement harder, demands constant attention, steals your momentum.

A tailwind, on the other hand, is effortless. It fills your sails and propels you forward with quiet ease.

My father likes to say, “When the wind’s behind you, you almost forget it’s there.”

And isn’t that how privilege works?

Some of us move through the world with steady tailwinds — our education, our background, our gender, our accent — things we didn’t earn but that quietly help us along. Others face relentless headwinds: bias, barriers, or a thousand tiny signals that whisper you don’t belong here.

We all sail the same waters, but not with the same wind.

Seeing the Invisible Winds

When I first heard the term headwinds and tailwinds used to describe privilege, it clicked instantly. I could picture my father trimming the sails, eyes on the horizon, feeling resistance or release. Inclusion, I thought, begins with that awareness — noticing the invisible winds around us.

It’s easy to believe success is all about talent and effort. But as Malcolm Gladwell reminds us in Outliers, even brilliance needs the right conditions to take flight.

Tailwinds matter.They make some journeys smoother, while others fight twice as hard just to stay afloat.

What It Means for Leaders

If we’re serious about diversity and inclusion, we need to do more than talk about fairness — we need to feel the winds.

• If you have tailwinds, use them wisely. Lend your advantage to someone sailing against the gusts. Offer mentorship, sponsorship, or simply your voice in rooms where others are unheard.

• If you face headwinds, know you’re not alone. Find your crew — those who see you, support you, and help you hold course when the current gets strong.

Leadership is not about pretending the sea is calm. It’s about adjusting the sails so everyone has a chance to move forward.

The Lesson on the Dock

As the boat caught a gust and tilted sharply, she looked startled. My father’s voice carried over the water: “Don’t fight it — learn from it. The wind teaches you.” That moment stayed with me.

Inclusion starts there — in the noticing, the adjusting, the learning.

We may not be able to change the direction of the wind, but we can shape the way we sail together.

So, if you’re serious about diversity and inclusion, pay attention to the winds.They’re telling us where we can make the journey fairer — and how, together, we can reach new horizons.

Do you want to work towards a more inclusive work environment, let's discuss how we can work together.