Feb 22, 2017
Heroic Aspirations
& Team Commitment – A Profound Disconnect?
Summary & Ideas for Action
On this Mastermind episode, co-hosts Jim Vaselopulos
and Jan Rutherford discuss the inside scoop on The Leadership
Podcast. Jim and
Jan cover the questions that have been asked when they’ve shown the
Patagonia Crucible documentary in four cities so far. They segue into themes The
Leadership Podcast guests have discussed most often, and they conclude
the episode with two important announcements.
Listen in for what Jim and Jan have
learned as they continue to study
leaders!
Key Takeaways
[2:30] Jan and Jim took the Patagonia documentary to
Denver, Portland, Seattle and Chicago. Self-Reliant Leadership
studies the qualities of elite military units to understand the
recipe for accelerated team development in all environments - from
Patagonia to the boardroom. In October 2016, a team of
Special Operations veterans and business executives completed a
54-mile circumnavigation of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy in
Patagonia, Argentina. During the six-day
expedition, the team tested audacity, adaptability, and compassion
to determine if team development can be accelerated. The team found that
selflessness, positivity, and curiosity were the key ingredients to
a team with an absolute commitment to achieve at an elite level.
These conclusions created a "recipe" to develop your own elite
teams that gel quickly, gracefully handle changing business
conditions, achieve challenging goals, and perform with absolute
commitment.
[3:12] “What did you forget to take?” Special Ops
guys knew somebody would have what they didn’t. Executives packed
every possible item. Everyone shared.
[5:59] “How do you translate that to business?”
Daily, you have problems. Somebody on your team has already solved
that problem. Ask. You’re as strong as the team. Always have
instant messaging on, so if someone has a question, you’re there.
To be part of the team, you have to be available.
[7:52] “How did you select participants?”
Participants were selected who were: selfless, adventurous, and had
heroic aspirations. Those criteria were constantly
reinforced: “You
have been selected because you are selfless, adventurous, and have
heroic aspirations.” People realized it’s all about everyone
else.
[8:44] Participants were expected to read the bios of
the others going; to answer, “What do you hope to get out of this
trip?” and to set up one-on-one calls to know their teammates. He
set expectations of camaraderie, selflessness, vulnerability,
sharing, and learning.
[11:27] “If someone’s hurting, shouldn’t they
acknowledge it honestly to the team?” Recognize something bad
happened. Respect burdens without dwelling on them; let each
overcome their adversity. Be inspired by the good coming out of it.
Be self-aware, both internally, and of how you affect others, and
self-regulate. Ask yourself, ‘What emotions do I want to show, that
are best-suited for the team?’
[17:38] ‘Slowing down to speed up,’ is critical on
the crucibles and in business. “I don’t have time to develop my
team,” is not a strategy. Point of no return (PONR) goals are
really big and really hard, and the team has no choice but to gel,
bond, and take care of each other. Executives need a team that has
each other’s back, with shared accountability and selflessness. Set
‘stretch’ goals.
[23:27] Planning for Patagonia involved team
decisions. Things were discussed, not dictated. One discussion was
on heavy snowshoes. They finally agreed to bring them. In
hindsight, they needed them. Leadership has to be patient, and let
the team all come to the same conclusion.
[26:16] “What was different when you were roped in,
and how does that relate to the business world?” Walking on the
glacier and keeping everyone at the same pace, with the right
spacing and tension, physically forced you to understand the
interdependencies of your team. You are all tied together.
[29:45] Themes from guests: (1) Vulnerability shows
authenticity, earns credibility, and builds confidence. (2) Humor.
Be self-deprecating. Allow a culture of fun, not at others’
expense. (3) Deal with conflict. Provide consequences. Uphold
standards and culture. Turn negative energy into positive.
[41:02] General McChrystal said: “Most organizations
today were designed for an environment that no longer exists.” Gary
Hamel wrote that the system is not creating the environment where
most of the people can do the right thing most of the time, with
minimal supervision. Executives must transition to lead the full
organization. Self-reliant leadership has three pillars: self,
others, and organization.
[42:36] Announcements: (1) Jim has joined
Jan as a partner in Self-Reliant Leadership, with plans, vision,
and P.O.N.R.’s. (2) Jim announces The Leadership Podcast Academy,
at WeStudyLeaders.com. Sign up there for the featured
course, Fundamentals for Self-Reliant Leaders. The first 10 to sign
up using the code, launchparty, will get a 50% discount
for the course.
Books Mentioned on the Show
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert P.
Cialdini
The Experience Economy, by B. Joseph Pine II and James H.
Gilmore
The Future of Management, by Gary Hamel
The Littlest Green Beret: On Self-Reliant Leadership, by
Jan Rutherford
With Schwarzkopf: Life Lessons of The Bear by Gus
Lee
Bios: http://theleadershippodcast.com/our-team/
Website: SelfReliantLeadership.com
Website: TheLeadershipPodcast.com
Website: WeStudyLeaders.com
Twitter: @WeStudyLeaders
Facebook: We
Study Leaders
Like us on Facebook, Twitter,
Stitcher, SoundCloud, and
iTunes!