Team Dynamics and the Summit Process

Interesting conversation a couple of days back with some friends, around the importance of awareness, adaptability, agility, accountability and authenticity in leadership & the success of a team.?

The analogy that we used was that of a mountaineering expedition, although none of us had ever been part of one. We discussed about the categories of people that you would expect to meet there :

Cat 1 : The ones that are just happy to get to base camp, and get a distant view of the path to the summit.?

Cat 2 : The ones that get to the base camp with the desire to summit, but then decide to not go ahead, due to the fear of failure or defeat.?

Cat 3 : The ones that decide to follow those who have already started walking in the direction of the summit. Their decision is powered more by the competency and willpower of those leading the campaign, instead of their own ability to summit.

Cat 4 : The paid professionals – the support staff, who have been there, done that and are keen to do it again – not so much for the thrill, but more for expanding their personal brand, lending their experience plus of course, the financial gains associated with the expedition. These are the local champions, who know the conditions better than anyone else, and are relatively well versed with the regional topography & the weather signals.

Cat 5 : The leaders – who have done it a few times, and are driven by a strong urge to keep testing their skills & endurance – and in that process, create a few more leaders for future expeditions

Now, the base camp would obviously be the most populous place, where you see all 5 categories mingling with each other.?

Cats 1 & 2 are there mostly to hear stories from the leaders and the paid professionals, and sometimes can also try to get the Cat 3 folks to stay back, saying the risk is too high or the climb isn’t worth the effort.?

Cat 4 are the core professionals, who have clear deliverables, and sometimes are also instructed by Cat 5 to identify weak players who could pose risk to the expedition. They are the trusted operators.

Cat 3 is the most vulnerable of the lot – but are the ones who could cross the chasm with a little help from Cats 4 & 5. The biggest dilemma for them is, how much to mingle with Cats 1 & 2, and how much to trust the Cats 4 & 5.

Being at base camp is relatively safer – there’s place for everyone, people can breathe well, medical supplies are ample. The weather might be a tad discomfortable, however still liveable conditions.

As Cats 3, 4 and 5 start the climb, the conditions are a lot more fluid. The comforts of the base camp are a long way behind, and the only thing that drives them is the possibility of summit. Along the way, a few things crystalise :

1.?Awareness : Yes, there is a plan or perhaps a few plans – however there is also this awareness that these plans may or may not really work. The awareness that nature has its own plan, and it may not be aligned with that of the climber’s. An awareness also builds, of one’s own strengths & limitations, and when to leverage strengths vs when to not over-expose limitations. Cat 5 sets this awareness, with the support of Cat 4.

2.?Adaptability is key. Situations can change every couple of hours, and its about reading the situation as quickly as possible, to determine the course of action. Sometimes, a team might need to just stay stationed at one spot waiting for a storm to pass, instead of over-relying on strengths & trying to face it head-on. Also, its about keeping the team together through adversity, if collective strengths don’t adequately offset the situation. Rogue or impulsive decisions will bring everyone down. This is also where the Cat 4 usually is put in command given how many times they have been through these situations.

3.?Agility : Sometimes you might get very short windows of time to make up distance or altitude. You have to be agile as a team, and be prepared for these sprints (for lack of another word, although you should never sprint up a mountain for your own safety). These windows might present themselves without much notice. However the team should be briefed on what’s needed during these windows. Cat 5 leads the show here in terms of expectation setting & building preparedness

4.?Accountability : Every team member is held accountable towards each other, and there are clear climbing partners that everyone has been assigned. It’s the job of every climber to look out for each other, and to stay with their partners in times of crisis. Your strengths/limitations are complimented/coupled with your partner’s. Its not really a race to the top, but a collective mission to summit & come back to base camp with everyone that was part of the climb. It starts with the Cat 5, however has to be equally embedded all the way down.

5.?Authenticity : Be fully transparent and realistic about who you are, what you bring, and where you need help – regardless of which category you fall into. In a high-risk mission, authenticity is key not just to keep you out of trouble, but to safeguard the team’s interests. This is again where the Cat 4s are given the responsibility to assess characters and personalities while the group is together at base camp. Being transparent and acknowledging, of one’s limitations is absolutely essential for the team’s trust equation. Vulnerability is of utmost importance.

Now, as we read through this post, perhaps a couple of questions for us to answer :

1.?????What category do we belong to ? and how do we keep pushing ourselves up the chain ?

2.?????Are we being aware, adaptable, agile, accountable and authentic as we participate in our respective summit expeditions ?

Keen to hear your thoughts & perspectives, as always...