Duck Hunting and the Art of Hitting the Right Target

Cold air hangs over the water. The dog’s at my side, eyes fixed on the sky. Ducks circle in the distance—curious, yet cautious.

Every instinct says take the shot. Experience says wait.

Out here, you don’t shoot just because birds are close enough. You shoot when it is clear, committed, and in range. A rushed shot doesn’t just miss—it ruins the setup. So you stay still and let the moment come. Because if you don’t, expect to hear a verbal lashing from your buddies!

Duck hunting demands discipline. It teaches you to read conditions rather than react to pressure—holding steady when opportunity feels close, but clarity isn’t there yet.

I see leaders struggle with that same tension. They act before the target is clear. They push before the team is aligned. They mistake movement for progress.

After two decades running my own business—and years helping owners build teams that are engaged, aligned, and transferable—I’ve learned this: results don’t come from constant action. They come from judgment, knowing when to wait and when conditions are right to push forward.

Because the strongest leaders aren’t the fastest to act. They’re the ones who know when not to take the shot.

Lesson One: Target Clarity Comes Before Action

One of the hardest lessons duck hunting teaches you is restraint.

When birds are in the sky, everything feels urgent. Your heart rate picks up. You see the flapping wings. You convince yourself that close enough is good enough.

But close enough is not good enough.

If you can’t clearly see the bird, you don’t take the shot. If the angle’s wrong, you wait. If the flock hasn’t committed, you let them pass. Because pulling the trigger without a clear target doesn’t just waste a shell, it just might cost you the rest of the day.

Leadership isn’t too different.

I’ve watched business owners push teams into motion before the target was clear: Initiatives launch without defining success; meetings end with action items that mean different things to different people; and when results fall short, leaders assume the team didn’t execute.

Most of the time, the problem isn’t effort.
In fact, it’s often clarity.

People fail not because they don’t care, but because they’re aiming at different targets.

Clear leadership defines what matters before asking for movement. It sets the bullseye. When people know exactly what a “good shot” looks like, action becomes confident rather than chaotic.

Lesson Two: Team Alignment Is What Makes the Shot Count

Here’s the truth: Duck hunting does not need to be a solo sport.

Hunting in groups can often bring in better results. And the communication should be short and intentional.

“Out front.”
“Left side.”
“Take ‘em.”

Sometimes it’s closing a fist to “hold” or pointing a finger to show the bird’s direction. Regardless, everyone knows their role. Everyone’s watching the same sky. And when the moment comes, everyone moves together.

That alignment is what turns opportunity into results.

I’ve seen skilled hunters miss because they weren’t in sync. Someone shoots early. Someone hesitates. Birds flare, and the window closes. It’s not a lack of talent, but instead just poor coordination.

The same thing happens on teams.

When leaders are clear on the target but fail to align the people, execution breaks down. Work overlaps. Decisions get second-guessed. Momentum stalls. Not because the team isn’t capable—but because they’re not moving together.

Alignment isn’t about doing the same work. It’s about knowing when to move, where to focus, and who owns what. The best teams don’t need constant direction in the heat of the moment. They’ve already aligned ahead of time.

Aligned teams don’t wait for permission. They wait for the right moment.

Lesson Three: Perspective Is Uneven— and That’s the Leader’s Responsibility

Your hunting buddies don’t know how best to set out the decoys to guide the birds into your hunting spot.  They don’t understand that ducks, like airplanes, take off and land into the wind.  

So, the hunt leader directs the others on where to set the decoys around your hunting spot to get the birds to fly into the decoy spread, giving you the best chance for a successful hunt.  

Your people don’t have your vantage point— and they shouldn’t. That broader perspective is part of leadership. But trouble starts when leaders assume others see what they see without ever translating it.

Strong leaders share perspective without overwhelming. They explain why something matters, not just what needs to be done. When people understand the setup, they move with confidence instead of hesitation.

Perspective doesn’t slow teams down. It steadies them.

Lesson Four: Conditions Always Matter

The best part about duck hunting is that you can hunt the same spot two mornings in a row and get completely different results.

A slight shift in the wind.
The temperature drops, and the water has now turned to ice.
It’s gotten cloudier.

The setup is the same. But the outcome is different.

Because conditions matter more than plans.

In business, leaders struggle when they cling to yesterday’s strategy while today’s conditions have clearly changed. What worked last quarter can miss the mark now.

Strong leaders don’t panic when conditions change; they adjust. They read the environment, make minor corrections, and remain patient rather than forcing action.

Leadership Is Reading the Moment

In duck hunting, the right shot at the wrong time is still a miss.

You can have the perfect setup and the best intentions, but if you rush the moment, opportunity flies away.

Consistent results don’t come from constant movement. They come from judgment. From knowing when the target is clear, when the team is aligned, when conditions are right, and when patience is the smarter play.

That’s why the strongest leaders aren’t the loudest or the fastest. Like a symphony, they know the rhythm; they’re the ones who can slow the moment down and act with intention rather than impulse.

As Steve Blair said in one of our recent episodes, culture is formed in the moments between the big decisions. Those quiet moments—where clarity is set, trust is reinforced, and alignment is protected—are what determine whether teams hesitate or move with confidence.

At TrustBuilt, this is what we help business owners build: trust-driven leadership that allows teams to operate independently and businesses to run without constant oversight.

If you’re ready to step back without losing control, download The 8 Keys to Building a Business That Runs Itself. It’s a practical guide to helping your team hit the right target—consistently, even when you’re not in the blind.