Four Ways Leadership is an Adventure
Last week, I posted a gif of me jumping out of a perfectly good plane on social media (skydiving) and I was on the receiving end of some shade. A woman wrote, "I would like to be a part of your leadership program, but all I see is your personal travels." Hashtag: #Missingthepoint.
Last week I was at dinner at a restaurant where tables are famously close together, talking about the recent leadership retreat in Croatia. The gentleman dining next to us interrupted, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but listen to you. Now I want to go on your next leadership retreat!" Travel and adventure is HOW I conduct leadership programming.
Today, as many of you are taking off for the Labor Day holiday, I pen the 4 ways leadership is like adventure.
#1 You have to plan & prepare. If you were to climb Kilimanjaro in 2023, you would prepare, right? An old boyfriend once told me he got into marathon ready shape to climb that peak. For good leadership, you also have to prepare.
Mentally. Physically. Logistically.
This morning, a woman, who is partner at her firm, shared a crisis that happened last week. She had earmarked half a day to take time off. All of a sudden it was all hands on deck to solve the problem, eating into her day. I asked her to reflect, "What would you have done differently?"
"I would have prepared. I would have reviewed the deliverable more closely so I could take time off."
#2 You have to deal with the unexpected. Twenty years of live television taught me this: Always have plan B, C, and maybe even D, thought out, road-tested and ready to go. Seconds count in television, and dead air is DEADLY. I tackle leadership the same way when hosting live events, such as the recent retreat in Croatia.
Thirty people had to cross the Atlantic Ocean from New York to get to board the boat Saturday at 1pm GMT. Summer travel has been notorious for delays and lost baggage. I proactively asked everyone to be on land by Friday July 15th. Behind the scenes, I also worked out plan B and C if someone's flight was delayed and they missed the boat. Plan B, was the party would have to drive and meet the boat at some point on the coast for a pickup. The next island was 6 hours away). Plan C was to send a catamaran to ferry the passengers to the boat.
#3 You have to know your limitations. One of my biggest challenges when I'm planning events that include food is ALL the dietary preferences that abound today (Vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, no pork, no nightshade vegetables, no root vegetables. The list goes on and on) At one point, the private chef hired for my Montreal dinner threw up his hands and said "Why did I even bother to make a menu?" Now, the last thing I need, after carefully curating that table of women for the Mastermind dinner is to have an emotional chef who quits on the job. But sometimes, grace isn't my strong suit. I know my limitations. This is when I empower my right hand woman, Sheryl. She has a better way with words and brought him down from the ledge.
#4 You have a constant feedback loop. When travelling, there is no better feedback loop than getting lost. It's immediate information telling you, "You made a mistake, start again."
An expert on company culture, David Burkus, said the days of the annual 360 review have been traded in for monthly coaching calls. Leader and direct report. One on one. A member talked about a direct report who struggles with the right tone when sending emails. We advised, "How can you meet monthly to role play different ways to respond? Could you, as a leader, share a time you made a mistake and what you learned from it?
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In this?HBR article, Mike Doyle and Christopher Myers say companies spend so much money on leadership retreats. Guess what? Research shows they don’t really work. You know why? You pretty much replicate the office environment by moving to another conference room. “That doesn’t really push people to realize something about themselves or their leadership.”
They are both bigger fans of taking teams on wilderness expeditions. Mike is Director of Experiential Learning at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and has led adventure-based leadership programs for more than 20 years.
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2 年This is awesome (and loved that gif, by the way!)