The spigot on the outside of my house hadn’t worked in years, if ever. I never really needed to use it, so it wasn’t an issue. When the plumber from a reputable company came out to fix it, he cut the water line and a big channel in the drywall up the side of the wall and across the ceiling. And then he left to consult with others at his office because the path he was on wasn’t yielding results. Several days later, he sent an estimate for running a new water line.

Time for a second opinion! My neighbor had a plumber out and I asked him to take a look and give me an estimate for getting the spigot working. He walked over to my water heater and said the valve for the water line was off. It is code for every house in the county to have this valve in that spot. I was completely unaware of the valve’s existence.

Not having the rights skills and information in this case caused a lot of damage. And it wasn’t just the first plumber. Whoever he consulted didn’t have the knowledge either as the valve should have been the first thing to check.

In any business, people who don’t have the required skills can cause a lot of damage. Some of it is visible. Some isn’t until later. And the cost is almost always significantly higher when factoring in the cost of repair.

There are several spots along the stream where branches collect, creating a natural dam. Water collects and filters through the branches, and when the water is high, over the top. It stops the dirt, pebbles and sediment from flowing downstream and causing erosion or buildup where it isn’t wanted.

There are places in business where natural dams are helpful too. A lot of stuff can flow around a business that isn’t helpful. Creating places where it can be caught and stopped from moving forward, while allowing for the things that should makes business function better.

People tend to have go to dishes to bring to events. One of mine is shrimp with either cocktail sauce or pesto. It’s easy. Every time I bring it, a friend asks how I make the shrimp. Low heat, non-stick pan, a little olive oil. He’s an amazing chef and makes high end restaurant quality dishes. So it has surprised me how many times he has asked me about something that is pretty straightforward to me.

And that’s the thing. Sometimes what is straightforward to one person is not to another. Which means verbal descriptions are not always sufficient. Showing is better than telling. It’s a good lesson for us to remember as leaders.

A few weeks ago, scientists published their findings about how glass frogs become see through. Somehow, they are able to store their red blood cells in their liver. But doing that should cause them to die from lack of oxygen. And yet, they keep on going.

There are times in business when people will say “That’s not possible!” And that’s when the biggest breakthroughs happen. People find a way.

Last week was a wild ride from a weather perspective. Ice covered streets gave way to winds of 50-80 mph. As typically happens, many trees fell. Life on the trail keeps going. People climb over, crawl under or go around the downed trees. They won’t let the obstacle get in the way.

Many obstacles will pop up in the coming year, as they have in the past. How will you navigate them and keep going to achieve  your goals?