Map Recce: Small Team Leadership on the Water

Leadership in the wilderness isn't any different than leadership on the front line — whether you’re on patrol overseas, a callout in the city, or on a canoe trip deep in the backcountry.

The principles stay the same.The terrain just changes.

At the end of the day, once the gear’s squared away, the fire’s burning hot and your belly is full, it’s time to prepare for tomorrow.

That’s when you do your map recce.

A map recce isn’t just about studying the ground ahead — it’s about visualizing the next moves before you ever step into them. You identify danger areas. You mark your backstops. You lock in checkpoints that confirm you’re on course — or tell you when you’re off it. You mentally walk the ground before your boots — or your paddle — ever touch it.

The map isn’t just paper. It’s a tool for preloading your brain for the fight, the day, the mission ahead.

Visualization is how you stay ahead of the terrain — whether you’re patrolling a village, clearing a building, or running a river.

You unfold the next section of the map and conduct a recce in your minds eye —

• Where are the pinch points? (Danger zones.)

• Where are the rapids? (Natural obstacles.)

• Where’s the next safe camp site if the weather turns? (Contingency planning.)

And then you brief the team. You set the conditions for tomorrow’s success while things are still calm.

This is small team leadership at its core — whether your team’s wearing tac-vests, or lifejackets.

The same leadership lessons apply:

• Lead by example: Show discipline, preparation, and professionalism before asking it of others.

• Achieve professional competence: Know the route, the hazards, the fallback plans.

• Make sound and timely decisions: Identify problems early. Don't leave it until you're in the current.

• Develop leadership potential: Bring your people into the planning. Teach them how to think ahead.

• Know your people and promote their welfare: Make sure the team isn’t guessing what’s next.

• Communicate effectively: Simple. Clear. No confusion when it matters.

• Build the team: A team that shares information shares responsibility — and success.

• Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities: Match the plan to the team's strengths.

• Keep your subordinates informed: People perform better when they know what's coming.

Good policing, good soldiering, good paddling — it’s all the same at its core.

You prepare when it’s easy so you don’t fall apart when it’s hard.You lead when it's calm so you’re trusted when it’s chaos. You keep your team informed so you move like one unit, not a scattered mess.

Leadership isn’t just for the battlefield or the boardroom. It happens around campfires too — quietly, deliberately, when nobody’s watching but the people who matter most.

Unfold the map. Do your recce. Brief the team. Lead from the front.

Key Takeaways:

• The terrain changes — the leadership principles don’t.

• Do your map recce when it’s easy, not when it’s urgent.

• Share the plan early — strong teams know the big picture.

• Small team leadership applies everywhere: battlefield, rivers, or city streets.

• Prepare your people, lead from the front, and adjust as the ground dictates.

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This reflection draws on my experiences growing up on the lakes and rivers of Muskoka, leading countless self-directed wilderness excursions, and later retiring as a Sergeant in the Canadian Armed Forces and in law enforcement as a Tactical Officer. The Tactical Camper philosophy is built from a lifetime of outdoor exploration, operational deployments, specialized tactical training, after 22 years of uniformed service — adapted to guide resilience, preparedness, and leadership in everyday life.