Developing a vision

The key to this voyage is not going to visit the penguins and seals or to see whales coming almost completely out of the water, although all of those are unforgettable. Nor is it the scenery, which is truly fantastic, or the opportunity to spend a night camping on the Antarctic continent, out on the ice with the wind blowing and with the snow falling, in tents that we had to get up the side of the mountain and get set up before dark.

The key element is the educational program developed by Robert Swan and the 2041 team called “Leadership on the Edge.” The program, which we came to know as “LOTE” was conducted in one, or more frequently two sessions per day. After we picked up Robert and his team from the eBase at Bellingshausen Station on King George Island, he told his story of walking to the North and South Poles and of the programs he has run in the 20-something years since his first “Walk in the Footsteps of Scott”. The other parts of the program were designed to show how inspirational lessons can be extracted from Robert’s incredible experiences to teach the leaders of the future.

The program challenged each of us to apply the lessons of Robert´s experience to the challenges facing us in our companies and our private lives. Developing a vision for needed action, getting buy-in, and taking the actions needed to achieve success are not easy subjects, and resulted in a lot of discussions both for the company teams that are here, and between company teams as well. Each of us will try to apply the lessons learned for ourselves and our organizations. But we are also challenged to pass along the story of what Robert has done, and what we have done on this voyage and learned during this expedition, because Robert’s story has become our story, and as we pass along the knowledge, it becomes the story of our listeners as well. We have been inspired by what we have experienced and learned. Our challenge is to inspire others to excel. Leadership must be sustainable, and should challenge us, but it must also inspire the best in each of us.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that two of the LOTE sessions were conducted ashore, on Antarctic hilltops overlooking glaciers, amazing bays, and even penguin colonies. I challenge you to find a more incredible venue for a course.

I would be even more remiss if I did not take a moment to acknowledge my family, who understood how important it was for me personally to spend this time with my friend Robert and his team. I travel a lot for my work, and this time away was in addition to that travel. The support of my wife Linda, and my daughter Rachel was invaluable. And so too was the support from my colleagues at Kroll Ontrack, from our President, Kris Nimsger, to my close colleague and good friend Jason Paroff. Saying thank you seems insufficient, but each of you know what this time and this voyage meant to me, and I most humbly and sincerely thank you for your inspiration and your wholehearted support.