275: Learning About Leadership and Life from a Fly Fishing Guide
“I’m a servant first and foremost. And so the more people I'm leading, the more people I'm serving.” — Fly fishing guide, Spencer Seim
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The Takeaway
Life typically moves along at a fast pace for most of us. By the end of the day, activities we’ve been engaged in are often a murky blur in our rearview mirror. What, then, might be the payoff in slowing down, observing, and reading the environmental water, say, like a fly fisherman? And how do we give ourselves the ability to hold onto and make sense of those moments of pure serendipity?
Jeff (left) and fly fishing guide , leader, teacher, and philosopher, Spencer Seim, on a secluded Colorado trout stream.
My guest
Spencer Seim (rhymes with “time”) lives a life devoted to fishing, environmental issues, and serving people. Since he was 8 years old, Spencer has been obsessed with fly fishing. Spencer has been guiding northern New Mexico and southern Colorado for eighteen years. Eight years ago, he founded ZiaFly, a guide service that focuses on a personalized fishing experience with access to some of the best trout fisheries in the Rockies.
“When I opened up my fly box, I had a Jock Scott salmon fly fall on the ground. And Kirk was like, “What is that?” I picked it up and handed it to him. and Kirk stared at this thing for about five minutes. He'd never seen anything so ornate before tied onto a hook.
And so as I brought Kirk into my world of classic fly tying, and then knowing he was an author, I told him the story about the break in and about, you know, the whole community and how no one was really wanting to do anything about the case. So for the next several days and nights, Kirk and I were inseparable. And he decided he was going to write a book about it.” — Spencer
Spencer is also very well-versed in fly tying. He’s tied flies commercially, for art, for competitions and of course, for his guided trips. Spencer’s flies have been featured in The Drake magazine, New York Times, Kirk W. Johnson’s book The Feather Thief, and America’s Favorite Flies.
Spencer has been mentioned in This American Life, Smithsonian Magazine, and Outside Magazine.
As you listen
What is it that drew Spencer to the water and fly fishing?
What life lessons can we take away from the fly fisherman’s need to observe and immerse him or herself in the trout’s environment?
How did Spencer get involved in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of almost 300 rare bird skins that could be used to tie salmon flies?
What is the underlying story of The Feather Thief? How does Kirk Johnson’s decision to write the story rest on one of those rare moments of serendipity in life?
How does Spencer distinguish himself as a guide? How does he demonstrate differentiated servant leadership? How does he view guiding as being part of a team?
In our own words
Like any sport, fly fishing has its technical side, but coaching on the fundamentals is only half of a great guide’s focus.
a classic salmon fly: the Black Goldfinch a classic trout fly: the Green Drake Wulff
Connect with Spencer
ZiaFly website
Referenced
Home Waters by John Maclean
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
The Element by Sir Ken Robinson
Finding Your Element by Sir Ken Robinson
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
"Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.