Insights from the Business Adventurer

Team Leadership Insights from the Business Adventurer - January 2009 Newsletter

2009-01-02T23:33:00.003Z

Very Best New Year Wishes - 2009 has arrived and its time to wish good fortune and safe ventures to all!

2008 was a rollercoaster of a year which had me traveling the length and breadth of Europe delivering keynotes, development programmes, partnerships were formed and the Team Siberia website was launched. The diary for 2009 is already looking busy and my ongoing work with Louise Ennis Marketing looks to deliver some exciting developments - keep visiting my website to keep up with the transformation.

With so much uncertainty around my first Newsletter of the Year shares insights from Shackleton (a master at leading through uncertainty), my third winning top tip - Expect to Encounter Setbacks and details of how to order my book on the crossing of Iceland. This journey was the first in history and before we achieved success was deemed impossible!

To view the newsletter click here

5 Leadership Insights from Polar Explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton

2008-12-30T20:29:00.009Z

1. He recognised the importance of team moral.

He understood his crew, he knew what motivated them and when he could, he gave it to them. He gave them the best equipment and resources he could afford. He encouraged them, held them accountable and set realistic objectives.

2. He was accessible to his crew.

He made time to be available and spent lots of time with his crew. He connected with, spoke and respected the individual differences of his crew.

3. He had fun.

No matter what challenges he faced, he always encouraged social activities when the work was done. He created an environment in which his crew felt good in spite of their circumstances.

4. He remained optimistic.

He maintained an absolute faith that he would prevail while recognising the reality of the situation, remaining optimistic that they would find a way to overcome it.

5. He kept troublemakers close.

He kept troublemakers close so that he knew what they were doing, kept them from contaminating the rest of his crew and had some direct influence on their actions.

Winning Top Tip # 4 : Expect to Encounter Setbacks

2008-12-29T22:56:00.007Z

My father taught me to ‘plan for the worst, hope for the best, but take what comes’. Only a fool goes into a business issue, an acquisition, a restructuring, and so on, expecting a smooth ride. Business life just isn’t like that.

Having realistic expectations and planning to encounter setbacks means that the leader is far more likely to succeed in his venture. This is particularly relevant when dealing with change. People will come up with very good reasons why the status quo should be retained.

These should be expected and, rather than taking a top-down authoritarian approach, the wise leader will recognise that this is something he anticipated, with the result that he will take the time and make the effort to communicate and explain the reasons behind the decision, thereby ensuring that barriers are removed, and progress is made.

To get over setbacks you need two things: confidence and courage. Confidence is like one of those perfumes that react differently with each individuals body chemistry to produce something unique. The only point on which everyone agrees is that without confidence, nothing happens. Not every act and decision you make will be supported 100 per cent. In fact, there will be times as a leader that you may feel very alone. Courage is integral to leadership because it is what keeps you moving forward on your plan and direction.

10 Golden Rules for Polar Explorers

2008-12-26T23:55:00.001Z

These rules were written by a team of successful polar explorers.

"Greater than the victory, the ice taught us lessons to carry with us into our life."

1. Go for both poles - We didn’t manage to even reach the South Pole the first time. But we never lowered our goal. Our final success was so much greater in the face of it.

2. Seek out the winners - We wouldn’t have made it without the aid of polar veterans, and they in turn learned from veterans before them. Every true success is a mankind joint venture.

3. Don’t cut food and fuel - In the short run, dropping food and fuel increased our speed. In the long run, it killed our expedition. Don’t undercut your survival.

4. Face the storm - Hiding out in a tent waiting for the sunny days steals crucial time. A storm always looks the worst from inside the tent. Face the storm.

5. Get out each morning - Get out there, every single day. There are so many reasons not to: Repairs badly needed, fog and whiteout. The winner moves when the others rest.

6. Keep moving - In temperatures of -50C, we wore only thin layers of clothing. In this situation, to stop was to die. When times are rough and you are the underdog, keep running.

7. Don’t think - Skiing thin ice commands swift and determined steps. Too much doubt in times of pressure kills the power of action. Don’t think, just go.

8. Be brutal - If you want to reach the impossible then you must continue where others stop. Tear down walls with your bare hands, crawl on your knees. But never stop.

9. Say only positive things to each other - Their single, most important advice. Out of their advice, one turned the most important to us: “Say only positive things to each other.

10. You don’t have to believe to win Faced with the facts, we could not believe in our success. Yet it arrived. You don’t have to believe in success. Just do the right things, and go.

Constant Contact with Your Audience

2008-12-20T19:07:00.004Z

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Winning Top Tip # 3 : Venture into New Territory

2008-12-19T21:45:00.001Z

The business world is full of examples that demonstrate the value of trying something new. As business leaders, each one of us is an entrepreneur at heart, and we love the challenge of trying something new.

Leaders of the future need to have the stomach for conflict and uncertainty, both among their people and within themselves. That's why effective leaders need to have an experimental mind-set.

Some decisions will work, and some won't. Some projects will pay off, and some won't. But every decision and every project will teach you and your organisation something about how the marketplace is changing and about how your company compares to its competitors.

Think beyond the horizon and look for pathways that may be hidden from view. Look at what your competitors are doing.

Five Ordinary Businessmen Reach the South Pole

2008-12-17T18:28:00.003Z

Five ordinary businessmen from Canada have successfully completed a last degree ski to the South Pole in aid of local children's programmes. 'The South Pole for Kids' team say they are relieved to have completed their expedition, but now they just want to come home! Currently they’re sitting in their tents at the South Pole, waiting for the plane to pick them up.

To discover how you can undertake a journey of a lifetime visit http://www.seanchapple.co.uk/IntroPoles.html

Winning Top Tip # 2 : Develop an Apetite for Risk

2008-10-25T04:19:00.006+01:00

Risk is a fact of business for a polar adventurer. When you wake in the morning and the blizzard is howling outside and the temperature is 40 degrees below zero do you venture outside and start hauling your sledge? When you encounter the crevasse fields do you get out the ropes and tie everyone together so that if one person falls in the others can help pull him out again? In both of these scenarios, which I have encountered many times, the answer is always different. Its about qualifying and managing the risk.

In business taking and managing risk is part of what we must do every day to create profits and shareholder value. But the sudden and cataclysmic corporate meltdowns of recent years suggest that many companies neither manage risk well nor fully understand the risks they are taking. “Who dares Wins” is the SAS motto however, as with the SAS, the risk needs to be qualified and managed. We are not talking here of betting the company or taking unsubstantiated risks.

There's no such thing as a safe risk. None of it is safe. Rather, it is about reviewing the various scenarios and going into areas others are less likely to go. What's a stupid risk and what's a calculated risk (i.e. a good one)?

We can all come up with daily life examples. Taking your entire pay cheque and betting it on a roulette table in Las Vegas is dumb risk. Investing your retirement savings in mutual funds in the stock market when you’re young is a smart risk.

But what is risk in business? When it comes to your business and/or career, ultimately only you can determine that. People and books can only give you advice about various directions. With risk we always get in the question of risk appetite. Clearly, a standout employee, entrepreneur, and a leader all need a healthy appetite for risk and a hearty helping of self-confidence to overcome all that. But how much is enough? Is there a point at which confidence and risk tolerance become liabilities? And though it's common to mix the two (after all, you need confidence to take risks), do they really go hand in hand?

The Risk Options

Accept Risk
Risk is related to gain; normally, greater potential gain requires greater risk. The goal of evaluating risk is not to eliminate risk but to maximise the likelihood of success.

Accept No Unnecessary Risk
Being prepared to identify and accept risk does not equate to the willingness to gamble. Take only risks which are necessary to achieve goals.

Anticipate and Manage Risks
Risk are more easily controlled when they are identified early in the planning processes.

Decide at Appropriate Level.
Decisions should be made by the leader responsible for the task. Prudence, experience, judgement, intuition and situational awareness of leaders directly involved in the planning and execution of the task are the critical elements in making effective risk management decisions.

October Newsletter Posted

2008-10-23T07:22:00.004+01:00

My newsletter for October has just been posted. Highlights include:

Decision-Making
Success Insight Guest : Conrad Dickinson
Leading Extreme Teams Case Study

Read the latest issue and review archives at:
http://www.seanchapple.co.uk/tenttime.html

The Leaders Art of Decision-Making

2008-10-20T05:00:00.002+01:00

For the effective manager the art of effective and timely decision-making is a key role, particularly with regard to major decisions that impact on organisational strategy. Minor decision-making should be delegated to the lowest level possible in line with requisite experience, capability and capacity of the junior manager.

New leaders need to learn very quickly they cannot do everything themselves. Part of effective decision-making is letting others implement your decisions. It would seem obvious at the entry manager level that this lesson should be the first learned in business management. Yet surprisingly it isn’t. A leader is someone who utilises people and brings out the best in them, so delegate away. Trust your people to do what you trained them to do.

Even if it is a critical task, they will not learn to be leaders themselves without going through the same trials as you did as a leader. Guide them and coach them, but never believe you cannot delegate every task you have.

Tough choices are also a daily requirement of decision-making. Leaders have to hire and fire, to sign off on new strategies, and to risk investments - all of which can lead to stress and guilt. The presence of guilt is not a result of making the wrong choice but of choosing itself. And that is the human condition: you are a being that chooses. However, to make a proper decision, one has to be well-informed.

Here is a simple model for decision-making that I have used on my adventures both during the planning and preparations stages and on the ice. It should be thought of as a mental checklist which should be followed when considering a course of action.

What do I want to achieve and why
What could go wrong if I take no action
What have I assumed
What resources are available
What constraints are there
When do I need to take action and where
What is my fallback option

No Ordinary Tourist

2008-10-02T12:05:00.005+01:00

No Ordinary Tourist is my account of the challenge of leading the first ever winter crossing of Iceland - once deemed uncrossable. Based on accounts from my personal journal the story captures the highs and lows of the 700 kilometre, 47 day journey through blizzards, hail and rain!

Now available in paperback or e-book format. To order your copy visit http://www.seanchapple.co.uk/seansstore.html

Leadership Seminar : 4th December - Book your FREE place now

2008-10-01T12:14:00.004+01:00

After a highly succesful seminar last month HPD are running another leadership seminar in December. If you couldn't make the last seminar clear your diary now for the 4th December.

Come and meet me and hear my 'Exploring the Business of Winning' talk at this FREE seminar. Discover powerful insights into leadership, team working and creating and sustaining a high performance team.

I will be share the platform with change management guru Ruth Benson who will be talking about 'Leadership - Mindset or Skillset'. The day will be packed full of practical insights that you can take away and begin to use straight away to improve performance. I look forward to seeing you there.

Date/Time : 4 December 2008 (9 am to 1 pm)
Venue : Branksome Place Conference Centre, Hindhead Road, Haslemere, Surrey. GU27 3PN
Contact : Julie King 07734 739 637

Discover the Teambuilding Tactics of Winning Polar Teams

2008-09-25T12:19:00.009+01:00

TMS Development International Ltd have just released a Case Study on my leadership of the Polar Quest expeditions and how I used the Team Management Profile to create and sustain high performance. Here are some extracts...

Building an effective team
“Regardless of each individual's skills, experience and character, to succeed, it was essential that we were committed to working together as a team. To do this we needed to understand and appreciate the value of each member's team role.”

Taking the team forward
“A key issue on the Arctic expedition was that the preferences of the inexperienced team seemed to come out more strongly as the journey unfolded, leading to tensions.”

Better team outcomes
In Antarctica, the record-breaking team accomplished their goal as the first and longest unsupported services expedition to make the overland journey - 2,590 kms in 71 days.

“Towards the end, the team had learnt to value each other's preferences and we all shared the leadership. After I injured my shoulder, my fellow team members took it in turns to look after the logistics of the kiting and route planning – although the Controller-Inspector was by far the best navigator!”

Teamwork strategies
“I believe that employee empowerment, and a teambuilding approach, enables people to make better decisions. Using the Team Management Profile, I will be able to build this into my expedition strategies.”

Leadership at all levels
“Through real experiences on these increasingly demanding journeys, I have realised that peak performance develops when the function of leadership exists throughout the team. The ability to know when to lead and when to follow, and generating the levels of trust within the team that allow leadership to shift from one person to another, are crucial ingredients for developing high performance.”

Sean’s teambuilding tactics

• Respect individual perspectives by sharing Profiles within the team
“Before each expedition, I gave each team member an A4 photo sheet, with contact details and their team mates' major and related role Wheel 'segments'. This was a real prompt for effective communication. When contacting a Controller-Inspector, I would remember his preference for more detailed background and send an email. Likewise, I would give a Thruster-Organiser a brief summary, or a phone call.”

• Move from working groups to teams
“Build ‘Tent-Time’ discussions into your project. Once our chores were done, we took 20 minutes to review progress and look ahead at our strategy and progress towards the next goal. This open and honest discussion ensured that everyone felt comfortable raising leadership or team issues. Any successful team should always ask, 'How can we improve?'”

• Avoid role gaps by compensating for missing team roles
“The Margerison-McCann Types of Work Model is a useful project planning tool to ensure all work areas are covered. We set a 'green' or Reporter-Advisor agenda item so that we would cover our main role gap. After a while, it became natural to gather more information before making decisions.”

• Pace team members throughout the challenge
“For the South Pole, I created a pacing profile for each team member, listing their likes and dislikes. I gave each of them a copy of these notes to look at after they had completed their daily journals. This was a useful mental reminder for the following day of how to communicate most effectively.”

• Use the Team Management Systems approach every day
“Our jackets had the Team Management Wheel sewn onto them, so we had a constant visual reminder of the importance of good communication during our journey.”

To read the full Case Study visit TMSDI

What is Inspirational Leadership...

2008-09-18T13:15:00.008+01:00

...and how can Managers be Leaders?

This is the topic of a speech I will be delivering at the 2008 HR Leaders Forum at the Oxford Belfry Hotel on Tue 11 -Nov 2008.

If you are a senior HR professional with a significant purchasing responsibility for HR within a UK organisation and in a budget in excess of £500,000 per annum, you are eligible to attend the HR Leaders Forum as a guest of Human Resources magazine absolutely FREE of charge. This includes all your accommodation and meals (not including bar drinks) for the two days and nights.

To book your place, please contact the forums team on 020 8267 4542 or delegates@haynet.com if you have any queries.

View Delegates Brochure

Winning Top Tip # 1 : Adopt a Positive Viewpoint

2008-09-10T15:28:00.007+01:00

Over my years as a polar expedition leader and Officer in the elite Royal Marines I have identified nine common characteristics in winning teams. Here is the first one 'Maintain a positive viewpoint'.

In the current world of global complexities, it is easy to lose heart when things start to go wrong or when unexpected issues threaten to derail even the best laid plans. An ability to take things in your stride and to stay optimistic can make the difference between ultimate success and failure.

Challenges are rarely dealt with by sole individuals, so the impact of the leader on the team has to be taken into account. An optimistic leader, with a 'can do' mentality, will have a major impact on the rest of the team. Find a successful and energetic leader in any field and one can also find a person who is relentlessly positive.

Emotional stress, which is often self-imposed, takes a toll on your energy, filling your mind with clutter that interferes with your pitch or presentation. So get rid of it. A positive mood will raise your energy, give power to your words, and boost your professional presence. Using positive language when talking to yourself releases powerful endorphins, or feel good chemicals, in your brain. These are same type of chemicals released during exercise.

Do you see the connection? By getting more sleep, more exercise, and thinking more uplifting thoughts, your energy will soar. Your colleagues and customers will notice.

Some top tips:

While others around you may feel like having their heads down, your positive attitude will ensure that progress through difficulty will be maintained.

Avoid being crushed by the very thought of all the challenges of the task ahead, divide task up into a number of much smaller goals within immediate reach and focus on them only one at a time.

There is never any point at crying over setbacks - it happens. In order to win at some of the big goals you are bound to lose at others along the way.

Next month I look at 'Developing an appetite for Risk.'

Drag versus Momentum

2008-08-23T01:52:00.006+01:00

During my polar journeys my teams have to sustain themselves for weeks on end – my South Pole and beyond journey was 71 days! Isolated from the outside world we must take all the supplies we need; food, fuel, shelter, emergency equipment, spare clothing and much more. Once we load our sledges up with this mountain of supplies we then have to physically haul our loads.

Too much weight equals less glide for the sledge and we won’t complete our journey before the short polar season ends, or worse still we will move too slow to even reach our objective.

Excess weight does not just drain energy, by slowing forward momentum it stifles motivation, eats away at self-belief and limits the ability to grasp opportunities.

How do we overcome this dilemma?

I look at every item we plan to take and place it in a category. Essential (life saving equipment, food and fuel etc) and Luxury (spare underwear, spare sleeping bag etc) The objective is to reduce drag as much as possible without affecting the objective of reaching our goal. If we don’t need it we don’t carry it.

What excess weight are you carrying that is slowing your forward momentum?

Leadership Seminar : 11th September - Book your FREE place now

2008-08-22T21:36:00.002+01:00

An opportunity to meet and hear my inspiring and motivating 'Exploring the Business of Winning' talk at an FREE seminar. Discover powerful insights into leadership, team working and creating and sustaining a high performance team. I will be share the platform with change management guru Ruth Benson who will be talking about 'Leadership - Mindset or Skillset'. The day will be packed full of practical insights that you can take away and begin to use straight away to improve performance. I look forward to seeing you there.

Date/Time : 11 September 2008 (9 am to 1 pm)
Venue : Branksome Place Conference Centre, Hindhead Road, Haslemere, Surrey. GU27 3PN
Contact : Julie King 07734 739 637
Download Flyer : Click Here

The FAQ Book on Public Speaking

2008-08-22T19:41:00.002+01:00

Want to polish your skills as a speaker? Looking to embark on a career as a professional speaker? Or maybe you are just looking to improve your presentations skills?

Eric Feng and Andrew Zhan have put on their thinking caps to help individuals become successful public speakers.

Buy the FAQ Book on Public Speaking for under £25.

Explorers of Inspiration

2008-08-20T11:59:00.009+01:00

On the weekend of 5-7 September I will be speaking at the JCI UK National Conference - the theme is Exploring Inspiration.

My talk - Leadership in Turbulent Times - takes place on Day 2 : Tactical Manoeuvres (the day before is Business Reconnaissance and the final day is The Expedition). Also sharing the platform are Dawn Gibbins MBE, the Barefoot Entrepreneur and Kay Croot, Commercial Director of Boots.

To explore more visit www.jciuk.org.uk

A Success Story

2008-08-20T04:43:00.001+01:00

The Super Affiliate Handbook

Read the amazing story of how one ordinary woman, with no previous business experience, earned $436,797+ in 2002 and now earns more than that - just by selling other people's stuff online!

The Super Affiliate Handbook consists of 236 pages and 124 screenshots that will show you step-by-step how to become a Super Affiliate.

Order E-Book : Under £25

British Army Tackles Greenland

2008-08-20T03:22:00.007+01:00

In 1888 Fridtjof Nansen, the celebrated Norwegian explorer, embarked on a journey of exploration so audacious that it attracted almost universal ridicule. His plan was to make a crossing of the Greenland ice cap. It would involve approaching the eastern coast through treacherous ice-floes before crossing the vast expanse of inland ice by sledge and ski.

He succeeded, and in doing so, he and his team recorded the first ever crossing of the island.

120 years later, the 9 team members of Exercise Nansen’s Endeavour aim to retrace the route from shore to shore, east coast to west – a feat that has not been achieved since 1988. The team will use Nordic skis and pull sleds of 80kg across the ice cap facing high winds and freezing conditions at heights of up to 2800 metres on a journey expected to take 35 days. They will be entirely self-supported and rely on muscle power alone to make the crossing. If they achieve this it will be a first for a British team.

Follow their progress here

Get Royalty Free Music

2008-08-14T21:06:00.010+01:00

I was referred to this great site that offers Royalty Free Music. If you use music on your website, training programmes, presentations or YouTube then this is the site for you. In addition to selecting the tracks by genre or attitude/tempo you can even select the length of the track i.e.30 seconds, 1 minute and each download comes with the option to download a License Agreement.

And the really great thing is that if you create a free account using my referral link, they will give you one FREE song. Click this link, then create a free account (it takes about a minute):

http://www.stock20.com/gvr.php?rc=65xl2nv15127asd5v2x

Note: Stock20.com will not share, sell, or abuse your personal information.

How to Lead a High Performance Team

2008-08-14T20:11:00.010+01:00

What does it take to lead a high performance team? Here are my top 8 tips.

1. Understand
The outcome and the team

2. Decide
You are the executive authority

3. Communicate
Assimilating feedback & disseminating information

4. Empower
Allow the led to do what they can and give them scope for excellence

5. Inspire
Take responsibility, it will come from no one else

6. Achieve
The underlying purpose

7. Sustain
Development of team/individuals

8. Act
Your teams will want you to take action

Sean Chapple is an international speaker, polar explorer and trainer specialising in leadership and team development. For more information or to sign up for the free newsletter, email sean@seanchapple.co.uk or visit http://www.seanchapple.co.uk. Sean also leads several expeditions each year to the polar regions, for more details visit http://seanchapple.co.uk. You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end).

Polar Quest : A Journey to the Poles

2008-08-14T19:57:00.007+01:00

In 2007 I led two teams on ground-breaking expeditions. First to the magnetic North Pole and then onto the geographical South Pole. The South Pole journey was one of the longest overland journeys in history. Polar Quest is a fascinating accout of the journey based on live reports sent during the journey and my diary extracts. It also includes external Case Studies, planning documents, fitness programmes and much more.

Order your copy now for only £11.95

http://www.seanchapple.co.uk/seansstore

Laying the Foundation for Team Success

2008-08-14T18:13:00.012+01:00

In my experience, the most successful teams invest time in laying the foundation to create a common framework for everyone. This foundation supports the team infrastructure and team dynamics and its called the Team Charter. The Team Charter provides a simple framework which articulates how a team is to operate and generates freedom of space to allow for initiative and decentralised control - particularly effective for virtual or geographically dispersed teams.

Initially it can be drawn up by the team leader, but should be regularly reviewed in order to reflect accurately how your team goes about its business. The main headings should look to include the following:

Team Vision
Team Values
Team Norms
Key Functional Areas
Decision-Making & Authority
Communications Strategy
Resources

Here is an example of the Team Charter I had in place for my Polar Quest Expedition:

Team Vision
Polar Quest vision is to provide an opportunity for youth and serving members of the Naval service to join a major Polar Expedition and promote the spirit of adventure to inspire others to pursue adventurous and team based activities.

Team Values
Adventure Spirit, Commitment, Humour in Adversity, Mutual Trust, Versatility.

Team Norms
Monthly progress updates, minutes taken at all meetings, individuals hold themselves accountable for meeting agree commitments.

Member Roles
As per Terms of Reference.

Key Function Areas
As per Terms of Reference.

Communication Strategy
Emails/Tel messages responded to within 48hrs, out of office notifications made, weekly conference call, emails to be sent to work/private emails.

Decision Making, Authority & Accountability
Expedition accountable to Higher Management Committee, individuals able to make decisions within understood boundaries within Terms of Reference, issues effecting policy are to be recommended at team level and presented to the Higher Management Committee, Expedition Leader to brief Higher Management Committee as requested.

Resources
Expenditure within pre-agreed quarterly budgets, core operations to be conducted from Expedition Headquarters, any additional resource requirements to be agreed at monthly team meeting.

Sean Chapple is a professional speaker, polar explorer and trainer specialising in leadership and team development. For more information or to sign up for the free ‘Peak Performance' newsletter, email sean@seanchapple.co.uk or visit http://www.seanchapple.co.uk. Sean also leads several expeditions each year to the polar regions, for more details visit http://seanchapple.co.uk. You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end).