From the
World’s Highest Mountains-Lessons for Leaders
One of Carl Jung’s favorite words was “synchronicity”, that
unexplainable convergence of unplanned
events which offer insights and opportunities. When I agreed to join a trekking
expedition through two remote provinces of the Indian Himalayas, I had no way
of knowing that this adventure would coincide with the publication of my latest
book, Gifts from the Mountain- Simple
Truths for Life’s Complexities. Ah,
synchronicity!
One of the benefits of being a continual learner is that we
are constantly overtaken by ah-hah moments which serve to not only whack us on
the side of the head, but also hold lessons which can have universal
application for anyone in leadership. The following are but some of the principles
gleaned as our group drove along the highest roads in the world and wound up in
the regions of Lahual and Spiti which are often closed to the outside world for
seven frozen months. They come from trekking with tribesmen herding sheep and
goats at elevations up to 16,000 feet and from crossing white water rivers on
foot and encountering the Dalia Lama in a remote monastery near the China/Tibet
border.
Watch for patterns.
Different trees grow at different elevations.
The apple trees of the Kullu Valley could no more have survived at Rohtang Pass
then a trout could swim at the North Pole.
The natural world allows for adaptation but only to a point. As leaders,
we must know where we belong, what adaptations we can make, and then how to
help those around us find the best match for their growth and abilities.
Ankit Sood, our wise guide, demonstrated this principle
during the trek. As the journey became more difficult, he voiced his concern in
such a way that it allowed all of us to gracefully examine our skill levels.
Four of our party self-selected to not continue when the trekking became more
difficult and demanding on both a physical and emotional level. That’s wisdom and courage on display. Had
they continued, it might have caused harm to themselves as well as to the rest
of the group. Ankit, as our leader, paved the way for that decision yet was
also prepared to take them to a lower elevation had they insisted on
continuing.
A leader gives the follower a chance to evaluate his own
performance but is also prepared to make the difficult decision of transferring
or terminating an employee. When an employee is not able to do the job at hand,
it damages the morale and the performance of a team if that employee is left to
struggle in work that does not match competency or innate potential.
Expect the unexpected
and deal with it.
Change is one thing. The unexpected adversity or opportunity
is something else. Great leaders live in the present moment and make decisions
based upon what is before them.. As we climbed higher into Spiti, the Himalayan
cold semi-desert region that has been described as one of the highest, most
remote and inhospitable places on the planet, Ankit learned that the Dalia Lama
would be teaching at a monastery in the village of Nako. To venture to Nako
meant changing plans on a dime, jumping through mounds of bureaucratic
paperwork, and going through time-consuming checkpoints. However the chance to
see a world leader in a special setting was an unexpected opportunity not to be
missed.
The same is true in
the business world. Had 3M ignored an engineer’s idea that a less-than-sticky
glue could be useful, the world would never have known Post-It-Notes™. Had Larry Page and Sergey Brin not paid
attention to the unexpected response to their simple search engine methodology,
the word “Google” would not have become a common word in our vocabulary.
The more critical the
effort, the more teamwork is required.
The rivers of the western Himalayas cascade from melting
glaciers. At night, when the glaciers freeze, water level is reduced. The timing of a crossing is critical as water
rises along with the sun. Rocks and debris swirl into tumultuous rapids. Crossing
alone can be suicidal. We created a human chain, grasping each other by wrists
(not hands) and alternated smaller team members with larger ones. We succeeded, cold and battered, but safe.
How often do we encounter the leader or employee who insists
on “going it alone” in a critical situation?
To ask for help is perceived as a weakness. Yet, it is the strength of
collective brains and maybe even brawn that can produce a better result.
Equally important is knowing how to optimize the varying strengths of team
members for the best results. The adage of
“strength in numbers” bears consideration.
Action is the
antidote for anxiety.
We made it in time to cross the dangerous river that had
already claimed six lives. But other members of our expedition crew were not so
lucky. Their pace had been slowed by rounding up pack horses. In horror we
watched these men attempt three times to cross, spinning against rapids and
almost drowning. There was no choice but to stay on the granite rocks and wait
until early morning.
I could see the anxiety in the eyes of our leader. While we
hiked ahead to make camp, he devised a plan. With another team member, he
filled a water proof barrel with food, warmer clothes and a small tent. He
hurled a rope to the stranded crew and together they created a pulley system
for retrieving the barrel. While everyone was still concerned, taking action
provided some comfort.
Hand-wringing never accomplishes anything. Action gives a
level of control over what, at face valuable, might seem uncontrollable. A
leader helps people take that action.
Everyone deserves to
be welcomed home.
When the stranded crew appeared over the horizon at day
break, we cheered, sang and welcomed them “home”. Their faces glowed with a
sense that we weren’t just customers to serve, managers to follow, but rather
individuals who cared for their well-being. They redoubled their efforts
to work for us in the days that followed.
There’s universality in wanting to be welcomed and cheered.
Whether in the remote regions of India or the meeting rooms of Wall Street,
employees deserve to feel that someone has seen their effort, their hard work
and their long hours. The degree of engagement and retention might increase
exponentially if leaders welcomed them “home”.
Gratitude transcends
latitudes
Regardless of nationality or geography, humans everywhere
respond to expressions of gratitude Not only do we seek a place where we are
welcomed, but our spirits rise when others let us know that we matter. The more
personal the expression, the deeper is the human connection.
While it is customary to pool monies and give a bonus to the
trekking crew, our expedition wanted to extend a more intimate thank-you. After
all, these men had put our well-being ahead of their own. They paid attention to our personal needs,
even found a way to bake a cake at 15,000 feet when they discovered that two of
us had birthdays.
Our solution was to gift them with personal items we knew
could be used by themselves or their families. My new Timberland boots, thermal
jacket and ski hat went into the box along with my husband’s favorite
space-aged parka. Our party left gloves, socks, medicines, thermals, and even
unopened bags of trail mix and jerky brought from home. We gave money to have
everything cleaned and restored if need be.
When gratitude comes from the heart, is personal,
unexpected, and out-of-the-ordinary, amazing linkages are created. The gifts
demonstrated that we had observed their life, their needs, and responded
appropriately. Spontaneous appreciation that recognizes the uniqueness of an
individual beats standardized reward programs any day.
As for our band of intrepid explorers, my expedition
partners who were strangers until we gathered at Chicago O’Hare for the
fifteen-hour flight to New Delhi, we’ll continue our relationships that were
forged with shared experiences. You might say we have created a new company
through collaboration, cooperation, and consideration. That’s not a bad final
lesson to carry into our respective places of work.
© 2009, McDargh
Communications. Publication rights
granted to all venues so long as article and by-line are reprinted intact and
all links are made live.
Since 1980, Hall of Fame speaker Eileen McDargh has helped
Fortune 100 companies as well as individuals create connections that count and
conversations that matter. Executive Excellence ranks her among the top
100 thought-leaders in leadership development.
To hire Eileen to teach your leaders and staff Radical Resilience
visit http://www.eileenmcdargh.com/.
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