2026 Articles
A Drop of Oil
The hardest part of leadership is deciding what should be done when and why, says Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin.
What’s Your Word for 2026?
There are significant benefits to selecting a word to live by for the year. Correct Craft president and CEO Bill Yeargin suggests mindset.
2025 Articles
Do You Ask the Right Questions?
Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin says we can drive better decisions and results with questions that direct focus on appropriate issues.
The Key to Good Decisions
Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister leading up to World War II, has been ridiculed like few other leaders.
The Benefits of Boredom
Idle hands aren’t always the devil’s workshop. Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin explains how.
Stop Doing What Is Working
I have never eaten at a Long John Silver’s restaurant, but I do know the 56-year-old brand has historically specialized in seafood.
Yeargin: Want to help the industry? Here’s how
Often people tell me they would like to be more engaged with the boating industry and ask how to get started. If you have wondered that, I invite you to dive in by helping us tackle our highest priority.
Yeargin: Losing Capitalism
Organizational growth results from intentional attention. Do you know where you might be falling short?
Why Good Leadership is Bad
Strong leaders who become complacent, don’t take risks, or lack vision for the future can ruin what they’ve worked so hard for.
How To Grow a Business
Organizational growth results from intentional attention. Do you know where you might be falling short?
Knowing The Right Time to Step Down
Many people were caught off guard earlier this year when I announced plans to step down as Correct Craft’s CEO in 2026.
Why Having Strong Competitors is Good
I am a native Floridian, and while I have visited all fifty states and over 110 countries, I have never lived outside of our beautiful state.
The Power of a Flourishing Workplace
Arriving as Correct Craft’s new CEO in 2006 was a little crazy, to say the least.
Lessons from a Real War
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is demonstrating six specific ways for anyone to be a better leader.
How To Be Persuasive
Facts and logic aren’t the best tools when it comes to helping people change their minds.
The Danger of Knowing
Being a learner, rather than a knower, will allow you and your organization to reach their full potential
A Century of Innovation
Correct Craft celebrates 100 years, having survived some of the most challenging periods of U.S. history.
A Lesson From Ronald Reagan
Treating others with significance and making them feel valued is just one way to effectively lead your team.
One Way I Learned That I Need Others
The day I jumped out of an airplane for a solo sky dive reinforced why its important to surround yourself with talented people.
An Open Letter to President Trump
Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin offers some thoughts regarding the boating industry for the incoming administration.
How to Build an Organization for 100 Years
As Correct Craft celebrates a century in business, here are some of the values that have helped us achieve this milestone
2024 Articles
Culture versus Competency
Both are important, but don’t allow one to override the other, says Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin.
Beware of Juggling Monkeys
Saving the most important step of a project for last is a trap that can tank your efforts, says Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin.
That’s not Going to Change
Look for future trends that will impact your business, but don’t forget things that will stay the same, says columnist Bill Yeargin.
The ROI of Employee Development
A company cannot last that long without investing in its team. Read about the ROI of employee development.
Why Bosses Are Bad Communicators
Many managers won’t like reading this, but when there is a communication problem, it is always the communicator’s fault.
Losing Capitalism
Good leaders want to have an impact and be responsible for their organization’s results, whether those results are good or bad.
Want To Have Influence? It’s All About Perspective
Leaders who rely on positional authority miss out on the real impact they can have on their companies.
Why Your Project Failed
It doesn’t matter what you were trying to achieve. Your team probably missed one of these steps.
Visualize It, Then Execute
Utilizing vivid mental imagery can help anyone achieve their goals.
Space Is Often Not Your Friend
Leaders who are not forced to manage with space constraints are likely to operate inefficiently.
The Huge Overlooked Benefit of Outdoor Recreation
Recently, during a visit to the White House with other leaders from the outdoor recreation industry, the president’s economic advisors listened attentively as we discussed the significant impact our companies and customers have on the U.S. economy.
I Am Out of Touch; You Probably Are Too
This is embarrassing, but I will admit it: I feel out of touch.
Visualize It, Then Execute
Utilizing vivid mental imagery can help anyone achieve their goals, says Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin.
The Number-Crunchers
There are foundational financial tools that every leader should ensure are being utilized.
Winners are Quitters
Great leaders quit when they believe a task is a waste of their time, not because it’s difficult, says Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin.
Why Boards Fail
Serving on dozens of boards – both for-profit and non-profit – over three decades has provided me a unique window into organizational governance. I have seen a lot of boards succeed and many that didn’t.
Is Bad Writing Hurting Your Career?
Good writing can help convey information clearly and improve our effectiveness and personal brand equity, says Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin.
Do You Drive Results or Just Report Them?
Good leaders want to have an impact and be responsible for their organization’s results, whether those results are good or bad.
2023 Articles
The Energizing Leader
A team needs a lot of energy to achieve the extraordinary, and that energy comes from the leaders.
Will the Next Decade Be Bright or Gloomy?
Here are eight ways to prepare for the global challenges businesses will face.
7 Ways To Fail at Risk Management
Leaders are continually managing risk. And most leaders significantly underperform at this vital task. Here are seven ways leaders fail at risk management.
The Miracle Cure – Blue Mind
What if there was a simple, fun, safe, and easy method of improving your health physically, mentally, and emotionally?
All Hat and No Cattle
The difference between those who offer substance and those who merely want to be heard.
The Power of Asking the Right Question
Asking the right questions is a critical skill that leaders must master to reach their potential.
Brace Yourself: Change Is Coming
Technological developments will soon impact all areas of Correct Craft’s business, and our teams will be ready to embrace them.
Employee Development: No Higher ROI
Employees feel a heightened loyalty to employers willing to invest in them. Employees don’t want to leave if their leaders invest in them.
Are You Asking the Right Questions?
Picture yourself in a lively discussion, surrounded by individuals engaged in a thought-provoking conversation. As the dialogue flows, are you more inclined to share your perspective or ask questions?
Rest is a Weapon
The busyness that forms many leaders’ self-identity can also drive down their productivity. Fighting through a training injury is never easy, and it was particularly frustrating last year when a pulled muscle halted my marathon preparation.
The Laughing Leader
A farmer friend of mine recently fell down a well. Apparently, he couldn’t see that well. That joke is not very funny — or maybe you thought it was — but it is common to walk around our office and hear laughter.
Boating – A big industry with a big impact
Boating is important not only to those of us who enjoy being on the water but also to those who depend on it for their livelihood. Boating has a huge economic impact, a 230-billion-dollar annual impact.
How Stoicism Can Improve Leadership
It’s a quality most of us don’t think much about, and it offers a few good lessons. When Al Gore ran for president, he was often referred to as stoic. And not as a compliment. So this may sound odd to read, but stoicism — the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint — can help us all be better leaders.
A Leader’s Toughest Job
Company leaders must plan for their eventual successors while they are still with the business. Bob Iger is a highly respected leader who served as CEO of the Walt Disney Co. for 15 years. He is also a great writer, authoring the terrific book, The Ride of a Lifetime. I not only enjoyed reading Iger’s book, but it also helped me lead better.
Business for Good: March 2023
Companies have a unique platform to better the lives of employees, as well as communities. Business gets a bad rap, and it’s often deserved. Polls conducted in Florida, my home state, conclude that most people think businesses look out for themselves at the expense of their employees and the broader community.
Succession: A Leader’s Toughest Job
Bob Iger is a highly respected leader who served as CEO of the Walt Disney Co. for 15 years. He is also a great writer, authoring the terrific book The Ride of a Lifetime. I not only enjoyed reading Iger’s book, but it also helped me lead better.
Join Me at the American Boating Congress
If you lead an organization and care about the boating industry, you need to join me May 8-10 in Washington D.C. at the American Boating Congress (ABC). It may be the single best way you can help our industry and your business.
Secrets to Avoiding Disaster
When strong, successful companies with brilliant leaders go out of business, it’s often because humility and adaptability were overlooked. Blockbuster, Kodak, Kmart, Firestone, RCA, Sears, Borders, RadioShack, Polaroid, Sports Authority, Nokia, Toys “R” Us, GM, Chrysler and many others were at one time financially strong companies with smart leadership.
2022 Articles
Do the Hard Things
The best leaders make decisions that are right for their team, even when those choices are acutely challenging.
An Unlikely Run
Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin pushed his limits and learned a few things about himself in training for and recently finishing a marathon
Who, Not How
Sometimes, to solve a tough problem, you need to get a different person in the room. I’ll admit to something those closest to me already know; I’m not very good at anything. This is not a self-deprecating attempt at humility or humor; it’s the truth.
Overzealous regulation threatens Florida Marine Industry
The Florida marine industry cares about our environment, aquatic ecosystems, and marine wildlife. Environmental protection is not only the right thing to do — we care about the future of our kids and grandkids — it is also good for our industry and the many jobs we create.
Two Secrets to Getting Results
Providing clarity and energy as a leader will empower your team to succeed. Any leader can give reasons for failing to achieve acceptable results. The best leaders overcome inevitable challenges, and some of those leaders make it look easy. Some seem to drive results effortlessly, while others struggle.
When Culture Matters
Correct Craft was building a few boats a week, but the military needed them to build 400 in just over three weeks. The task was daunting enough on its own but made even more complicated when the company would not allow employees to work on Sunday, an integral part of its culture.
Great Culture in Four Steps
It starts with identifying values that are important and developing a way to communicate them to team members
The Secret to Team Results
Any leader can give reasons for not achieving acceptable results, but the best leaders achieve great results despite inevitable challenges. But why do some leaders make it look so easy? Why do some seem to drive results effortlessly while others struggle?
The Upside of a Downturn
Economic challenges should push you to develop a strategy that helps you weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side
How to Stop Micromanaging
We know that micromanaging is not an effective leadership style from organizational studies, employee surveys, anecdotal evidence, empirical evidence and just plain common sense. Unfortunately, leaders who are inclined to micromanage have difficulty figuring out how to let go
The chip shortage affects boating too
Many people don’t realize how close the pandemic and related supply chain issues have come to both shutting down the U.S. economy and putting our national security at significant risk. And the risk was largely related to semiconductor chips.
Musings of a CEO
Keys to success include strategic thinking, self-awareness and avoiding self-deception. After publishing hundreds of articles and authoring five books, I have learned the formula for successful writing.
Innovation: A bipartisan no-brainer
Many people don’t realize how close the pandemic and related supply chain issues have come to both shutting down the U.S. economy and putting our national security at significant risk. And the risk was largely related to semiconductor chips.
The Secret Weapon: Design
Good design obviously relates to products, but the concept also applies to the services a business offers
A Great Play Is Not Always a Win
Defining a win is essential to understanding success in your business
Mentorship: Investing in future success
My retirement is not imminent, but I cannot help but be focused on the future success of our company, even for the time after I am gone. One of the best things I can do for our organization is prepare the next generation of our company’s leaders for the day when they will be in charge.
The Luxury Tax Myth
Luxury taxes, on items such as boats that politicians see as a “luxury,” are traps that don’t impact the rich but have a huge negative impact on people who can least afford it. They are the quintessential example of unintended consequences; history has demonstrated this unequivocally.
Finding and Keeping Good Employees
Last summer, I drove by a hospital in Indiana offering $25,000 signing bonuses for nurses. When I drove by the same hospital four months later, it had increased the signing bonus to $55,000. Since the pandemic began, we have all visited restaurants with signs apologizing for a closed dining room or asking for patience with their less-than-stellar service because of staff shortages.
Charge of the ‘Gray Rhinos’
A business risk that we ignore, even though it is near-certain to happen, is what Michele Wucker calls the “gray rhino” in her excellent book by the same name. After reading Wucker’s book, I arranged for her to meet with our executive team and company presidents. We don’t want a gray rhino trampling over one of our companies.
2021 Articles
Aren’t We Great?
Beware of navel-gazing and taking too much credit for our industry’s recent successes
No Silent Liars
Creating opportunities for employees to speak up can lead to transformative business ideas
12 “Must-reads” for Leaders
Reading dozens of books a year is typical for me, and while not all of them are business-oriented, many are. Apparently, this is not unusual, as a Fast Company survey of CEOs found that the typical CEO reads 60 books a year. As President Harry S. Truman said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”
The Crossroad of Innovation and Technology
Coming changes will be significant. Embracing them will benefit companies in ways we cannot imagine today
Change is Coming, Ready or Not
The past 18 months have dramatically changed how we act, think, recreate and do business. While a great deal of our daily routines has returned, we have learned that many of us can be just as productive (or even more productive) working at home. We enjoy having our groceries delivered, and we’ve experienced the value in attending virtual classes, conferences and seminars.
Approaching Carbon Neutrality
In his book Blue Mind, my friend Wallace J. Nichols writes about the many benefits of being on, near, in or under water. The Covid-19 pandemic reminded us all how therapeutic it is to be outdoors.
What’s next?
After three decades in the boating industry, it takes a lot for me to be surprised. Good times, bad times, and pretty much everything in between has happened, but the past 18 months have been unlike anything our industry has experienced.
‘Swirling’: An Organizational Nightmare
Does your organization have problems that never seem to get resolved? Is your team better at identifying challenges than overcoming them? Does your team talk about a problem again and again without fixing it?
Thoughts on Leadership
A glimpse into the pages of the new book Education of a CEO: Lessons for Leaders
How To Hold On To Employees During The Great Reshuffle
With employees changing companies as often as they now do, it may seem risky to invest big money into their development—but that's the only way you'll keep them.
5 Ways To Improve Decision-Making
Great leaders have to get outside their comfort zones and force themselves to make tough decisions even when they don’t have all the information they would like. One CEO shares his strategy.
Leader, Know Thyself
Becoming more self-aware is a vital tool that will help you become happier and a better leader
Open Letter to President Biden
Dear President Biden, You have a tough job and get a lot of advice. I hope you don’t mind me sharing some thoughts:
A Culture Success Story
If you look up Culture Warrior in the dictionary, next to it you will see a picture of Paul Singer. Paul is the president of Centurion and Supreme Boats and has led an incredible transformation of his company.
One Big Way to Get Results
Leaders must embrace the role of an organization’s chief evangelist for culture
I Need Help
I have a confession to make: I am self-deceived. I feel 100 percent right at times when I am actually 100 percent wrong. I have blind spots. I know very little, I get emotionally hijacked, and I don’t know what I don’t know.
2020 Articles
5 Steps Toward Better Decisions in 2021
Sometimes, luck or probability is on our side, but most often a good decision is based in solid, proven decision-making
Join the Mission
Ready to join a team that’s passionate about innovating, exceeding customer expectations, and making a positive impact on the world? Explore our current job openings and find out how you can be part of shaping the future of the marine industry.
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