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Editor’s Note: This post begins our Risk Management series, created for anyone who wants to better understand how thoughtful planning and informed decision-making seeks to reduce unnecessary risk before an activity begins. Each post in this series introduces practical risk management concepts that apply in many settings, including outdoor recreation, education, workplaces, community organizations, and any environment where preparation influences outcomes.

If you work in outdoor education or adventure programming, this will sound familiar. You’re preparing for a multi-day backcountry expedition. Maps are spread across the table and the weather forecast has changed twice during the past 24 hours. Three participants have years of backpacking experience, while six others have never carried a pack as heavy as the course demands. Water sources along the route may be lower than expected, and a stream crossing could become more challenging if rain arrives sooner than expected.

Before anyone takes the first step, dozens of decisions have already begun to take place — some involving equipment, others involving people. Still others require thinking through the terrain, weather, group dynamics, travel pace, and what might happen if conditions change.

None of this may feel dramatic, and that’s precisely the point for those of us who work in the human-powered sector of the outdoor industry. That’s because risk management begins long before an incident occurs.

At The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), we view risk management as a thoughtful process rather than a reaction to an emergency. It begins by recognizing what could happen, considering what those possibilities might mean, deciding what level of risk makes sense for the activity, and acting accordingly.

Our outdoor education courses provide participants with opportunities to practice those skills in real environments, but the principles themselves extend far beyond the backcountry. Risk management influences how businesses plan projects, educators prepare field experiences, nonprofit organizations coordinate volunteers, families make (more…)

Editor’s Note: This post begins our Principles of Leadership series, created for anyone who wants to better understand what leadership looks like before, during, and after it’s called for. Each post in this series will introduce practical leadership concepts you can apply in a number of environments, including workplaces, classrooms, communities, and other settings. That also includes the backcountry where people depending on one another is a must. The series offers a preview of the deeper instruction, reflection, and application people experience in our forthcoming online course, Principles of Leadership, as well as when participating in any of our summer or semester courses for high school students; 10- or 14-day teen summer adventure camps in Ecuador, Oregon, Alaska, or North Carolina; hybrid and in-person EMT or wilderness medicine trainings; Camp L.E.A.D and Camp L.E.A.D. Pro day camps for youth and teens in North Carolina; Gap Semesters in the Pacific Northwest or North Carilina; custom outdoor programs for colleges, businesses, and non-profits; or our14-day Instructor Course.

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Picture yourself in the backcountry with a group of eager outdoor enthusiasts that has reached a decision point. Everyone knows one another, either through school, community or friends of friends scenarios.

The route ahead looks manageable, although the group is tired. Someone should speak up. Someone needs to ask the right question. Someone could help the group pause, think, communicate, and move forward with purpose.

No one hands you a title in that moment. Nobody announces, “You’re the leader now.” Still, leadership might begin right there.

At The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), we believe leadership starts before a title appears. It begins when someone chooses to take responsibility for their role in a group, and it grows through self-awareness, clear communication, sound judgment, and a willingness to help others move toward shared objectives and goals in a sound and informed way.

An NCOAE course gives participants a real setting to practice leadership, but the skills themselves travel far beyond the outdoor course environment. Leadership can show up in a classroom discussion, a workplace project, a volunteer effort, a family decision, a peer group, or any situation where people need direction and clarity.

Leadership Begins With Responsibility

Many people may think leadership starts when someone receives authority. A job title. A role assignment. A position at the front of the group. An ownership stake in a company.

In practice, leadership often begins earlier.

It begins when you notice (more…)