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Q. What do you think are great attributes of a leader ?
A leader should be able to think as both a leader and a team player. He should be an effective linker able to listen to the views of all team members, recognise individual strengths and know how to effectively utilise them for benefit of the team.
Q. You don't have a long list of the qualities of a leader ?
Qualities and traits of leadership are external manifestations. True leadership is something that comes from within. It is a matter of behaviour and perception. It is a result of real experiences.
Q. What is important for you being a leader ?
Recognising my influence on the morale, sense of direction and performance of the team and how I impart this through my position, personality, leadership style and behaviour.
Q. How important is creativity and innovation ?
My approach to crossing Iceland was very original, so much so that the local mountain rescue services doubted we would succeed, stating Iceland was uncrossable. I encourage my team to be always thinking ahead and to be peeping around corners. Equally the ability of a team to innovate, rather adopting other methods and models, singles them out. It develops collective performance, and engenders a spirit of individual and collective enterprise. Being original, not conventional, is a common attribute of high performance team.
Q. You call your 1998 North Pole expedition a success in failure. Why ?
Although we never reached the North Pole our journey was a success in so many other areas. The most successful achievement was that my partner and I safely escaped off the ice despite undertaking a hellish journey in some of the worst weather conditions I have ever experienced. We both returned home with no physical injuries. HRH Prince Philip sent me telegram on my return it said ‘Discretion is better than Disaster’.
Q. As an Officer in the Royal Marines is your style of leadership on your expeditions one of strict structures and very authoritarian ?
No not at all. From an early stage in the team development I seek to create an environment in which everyone is engaged in decision-making and has opportunities to lead. I strive to create and maintain a climate of high performance. An environment in which my teams are encouraged to take the initiative rather than fear the consequences of failure. I see my role as leader has been more of a facilitator and linker.
Q. You say that no leaders are the same. Do you see any commonality between successful leaders ?
To begin with successful leaders have all the personal qualities, values and attitudes that they develop and nurture in their team members and they recognise that they are responsible for a number of things. They understand the individuals they lead. They accept they must make decisions. They are effective at communicating. They empower, they inspire, they achieve and they know how to sustain themselves and the team.
Q. You talk about leadershifting during your polar journeys ?
Leadershift is a style of leadership that promotes decentralised control and creates an environment in which team members know when to lead and when to follow. At different times, and in certain situations different team members will have greater capacity to lead. This requires the established leader to let go of his ego, accept the input of others and recognise the abilities of others.
Q. You speak of the importance of having the team in one tent ?
After a day’s hauling our tent time was important in many ways - reflection, discussion and cohesion. We would discuss the day’s progress and review our coming strategy. I would facilitate discussions actively encouraging communications on both positive aspects and any grievances that anyone wished to air. This was important for maintaining team cohesion to provide the resilience to face and overcome setbacks that Antarctica threw at us. The tent time was a real highlight of the day for laughter on the day’s tribulations, to share experiences or learn a useful tip that someone had uncovered by chance. And for me as leader it gave an opportunity to gauge individuals mental and physical state.
Q. How did you face and deal with the enormous risks associated with your South Pole journey ?
Firstly, I didn’t avoid it. Secondly, I understood it and finally I embraced it. If I avoided it I wouldn’t have progressed very far, if I didn’t understand it I would have likely made poor decisions and put the team at risk and if I didn’t embrace it I would never have completed the journey so successfully.
Q. How were your decision reached ?
I promoted a collaborative approach to the decision-making process. If everyone is involved in the discussion to reach a decision, when that decision is ultimately reached the commitment by all will be far greater. I would keep the discussion focused on the issue and frequently summarise points of view and then articulate the final decision, seeking everyone’s agreement to pursue that course of action. Once agreed everyone would be expected to fully embrace and commit to its delivery.
Q. How important was it to have clear goals ?
Teams tend to unite around a common goal. When one is not obvious, individuals will manifest their own and follow them. The end result? Team cohesion can dissipate rapidly with devastating results. During each of my polar journey I have used a Keep Walking Schem of Manouerve, a planning aide that I developed dofor my succesful crossing of Iceland. The aides establishes a series of achievable goals that take into consideration terrain, fitness levels, sledge loads and altitude. When we left Patriot Hills heading for the South Pole we were not focused on the Pole some 700 miles away, but on a point 50 miles away.
Q. Did your detailed planning restrict your ability to remain flexible to changing circumstances ?
Through detailed planning we had developed such a depth of situational awareness that we where actually far more responsive and effective in moving with the ebb and flow of the ever changing circumstance. Because we had considered so many factors during the planning stages we were ale to quickly discount courses of action as inappropriate very early thereby saving time and energy. Time spent in planning is never wasted.
Q. You speak of having a compelling vision to galvanise your team, supported with a mission and goals ?
I think it is critical and underpins successful planning. Without them how can subsequent planning be put in place to achieve the mission in the most effective way possible?
Q. Did having other members lead not undermine your role ?
It strengthen the team. By every team member taking a lead it kept them engaged, it equipped them with the experience to make valued contributions to any decision-making and it built upon the confidence and trust shared between the team. They alone navigated a course through the sastrugi fields, decided when to stop and set the pace for the team. Everyone had strengths in different areas.
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