How to Face Uncertainty and Take Action: Lessons from a Blind Sailor's Pacific Crossing

How can leaders move forward when pressure is high and the way is not clear?  Blind adventurer Hiro Iwamoto and his 'seeing eye Doug" guide Doug Smith sailed across the Pacific in 55 days, from San Diego to Fukushima. The two share key strategies for leaders in taking action despite uncertainty and what's needed to pick the right partners to make impossible projects a reality. Hiro also shares how he stays calm in moments of extreme adversity, like when whale sank his boat during an earlier attempt leaving him in a life raft for 11 hours amid five-metre waves.

Key takeaways:

• Courage means moving forward without waiting for 100% information.
• Find people who can solve problems, not just point them out
• How thinking in the present can prevent panic and enable decision-making

Hiro is an adventurer, keynote speaker and the first totally blind person to sail across the Pacific. Doug had no previous sailing experience but became Hiro's crewmate and navigator for that extraordinary trip. Their lessons on crisis leadership, teamwork, overcoming fear and innovation can motivate any leader during difficult moments.

Recorded January 2026 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. 

About this episode:
Hiro: https://hiros-choice.com/

Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/hiro-iwamoto-blind-sailor-lessons-fear-decision

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