One Question That Transforms Leadership: The Boat Analogy

Jan de Vries · 2026-04-21

What if a single question could reshape how you lead your team? That's what hotelier Kostas Sfaltos discovered when he started asking, "Will it make the boat go faster?" It sounds simple, but this question has become the foundation of an entire leadership philosophy focused on clarity, culture, and continuous improvement. Kostas Sfaltos runs a luxury hotel chain in Europe, and he's not your typical CEO. He doesn't get bogged down in endless spreadsheets or complicated strategies. Instead, he keeps things human. His approach proves that leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking the right questions. ### The Core Question: Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? Imagine you're rowing a boat with your team. Every decision, every task, every meeting either pushes you forward or holds you back. Sfaltos uses this metaphor to cut through the noise. When faced with a choice, he asks: "Will this help us move faster toward our goal?" If the answer is no, he drops it. If yes, he doubles down. This question does three things: - It forces clarity. You can't answer it without knowing your destination. - It eliminates distractions. Busywork doesn't survive this filter. - It builds momentum. Small wins stack up when everyone pulls in the same direction. ### Building Team Culture Through Shared Purpose Sfaltos doesn't just ask the question alone—he gets his whole team involved. During weekly check-ins, everyone shares one thing that made the "boat go faster" and one thing that slowed it down. This creates a culture of honesty and ownership. People stop hiding mistakes and start solving them together. He learned this from his early days in hospitality, where a single unhappy guest could derail an entire shift. Instead of blaming individuals, he shifted the focus to systems. "The boat metaphor works because it's not about who's rowing badly," he says. "It's about how we can all row better." ### Small Improvements That Add Up to Big Wins One of the most powerful parts of Sfaltos' philosophy is his obsession with small improvements. He doesn't chase revolutionary changes. He looks for tiny adjustments—like rearranging a lobby chair to improve guest flow or tweaking a check-in script to save 30 seconds per guest. Over a year, those seconds add up to hours of saved time and thousands of dollars in efficiency. Think about it: If every team member finds one small improvement each week, that's 52 improvements per person per year. In a team of 20, that's over 1,000 small wins annually. That's not just productivity—that's a competitive advantage. ### Practical Takeaways for Any Leader You don't need to run a hotel to apply this. Here's how you can use Sfaltos' question starting tomorrow: - Start every meeting with: "What's one thing we can do today to move faster?" - End every week by asking your team: "What slowed us down, and how do we fix it?" - Use the boat metaphor as a filter for your own decisions. Before saying yes to a new project, ask: "Will this make the boat go faster?" ### Why This Works in the Real World Sfaltos' approach works because it's grounded in human psychology. People crave purpose and clarity. When they understand how their work connects to a bigger goal, they're more motivated and less likely to burn out. The question also reduces decision fatigue. Instead of overanalyzing every choice, you have a simple litmus test. In an era of constant disruption, this kind of leadership is rare. It's not flashy or trendy. It's just honest and effective. And honestly, that's exactly what most teams need. So next time you're stuck on a decision, ask yourself: "Will it make the boat go faster?" If the answer is yes, row harder. If it's no, let it drift away.