Motivating your Pack -Six Tips on Finishing the Race with your Team

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last month I attended the 2022 Top Dog Film Festival and watched a variety of short films celebrating the special relationship humans have with dogs.

One of the films was called ‘The Race’, which was about the national championship of dog sledding in Greenland and the film chartered the journey of a 13-year old boy called Nick who dreamt of winning this race, which he did!

This Danish film about this young sled dog musher got me thinking about the incredible relationship the mushers have with their team of dogs and the interdependence they all have on one another when out in the cold, perilous sub-zero tundra.

Here are my half a dozen observations and learning’s about what Nick did well to beat much older more experienced mushers and win the race:

1.????Support – Having a championship winning father and grandfather certainly helps to develop some pedigree in the family, but this also came with support, encouragement and guidance. For Leaders, having their own coach or mentor is an important key to success.

2.????Connection - every day he worked with his pack and knew each one well by not only their name, but understood and appreciate their strengths and value to the whole team. For Leaders, authentic intimacy with your people and empathy for their worlds is critical to establishing trust and respect.

3.????Motivation – Self-motivation is critical and at the core of this is self-belief and a sense of purpose and why you are doing what you do and a vision of success. This was all the more impressive with 13 year old Nick who took on much more experienced and older dog sled mushers. For Leaders, having a clear and unquestionable commitment to the cause will underpin your resilience to face setbacks and persevere. On top of that it is critical that you check in on them regularly to monitor their mental and physical wellness.

4.????Resources – To undertake the gruelling competition, Nick needed to have the right equipment for the conditions and food for his pack. For Leaders, if you fail to provide the necessary resources for your people, not only will they struggle to complete the tasks, but will lose faith and confidence on the way. For Leaders, basic support like this is central to protecting the team’s resolve.

5.????Planning – Nick didn’t just set out blindly on the course, but studied the route and consulted other dog sled mushers in his family who had already competed in this highly competitive sport. The insights and wisdom he lent on enabled him to make smart decisions and allowed him to compete on an even keel with the more experienced rivals. For Leaders, the 7Ps comes to mind – proper pre-planning prevents piss poor performance.

6.????Humility – After the race, with the trophy proudly displayed at home, when Nick went to school the next week, he acted no different to his friends at school. Certainly their esteem of him had probably risen a notch, but this didn’t go to his head. It merely served to remind him of what he was capable of and similarly inspire others. For leaders, never forget that you are not that different from those you lead and that your position is one that you may have earnt, but that this doesn’t make you more important or better than others and that the respect and trust of your team can quickly be post if you ever lose sight of that.

In truth, there were many more learnings in this 9-minute short film, but these half dozen seemed the most poignant to share and a reminder that we can learn so much about leading others and inspiring teams to be their best by sampling stopping a moment and observing others.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

John Quincy Adams