All of us know that no matter how much we try, no matter how much we plan, no matter how much we know, no matter how much we prepare, sometimes the journey ends very badly.

How many times in our lives have we put something off because we’re not ready, we need more time, or we don’t feel comfortable?  

A company is only as strong as its team. The teams that fall apart are the ones that leave the suffering wildebeests alone at the back of the pack and just go on without them, thinking that will make the lame ones go faster.

We all talk about loyalty and trust, and how essential they are to a great team and a strong corporate culture, but we often forget that loyalty and mutual trust, like any aspects of an enduring relationship, need to be built and updated and cared for and maintained.

“A great adventure racing team operates on four brains, eight legs, eight arms … and one heart.” — World Class Teams Motto

One day, you’ll need to make a choice. Should you do the safe thing, which probably won’t work—but you won’t be criticized for doing? Or, should you risk trying the unknown thing, where you might succeed spectacularly or fall flat on your face? How do you know what choice to make?

During the 23 years I spent as a full-time firefighter, I had an annual evaluation each and every year. But I was never (and I mean never) asked about my Captain and his/her leadership performance.

My teammates and I have learned about building World Class Teams the hard way: by competing in and winning the world’s toughest ultra-endurance Adventure Races.

Right now, leaders are facing a situation similar to those I’ve faced when going into adventure races: they have small teams of employees trying to navigate their way through totally uncharted territory and working towards a challenging end goal amidst extreme time pressures and ever-changing conditions.

If there’s one thing that all of us know right now after the last few years of a global pandemic, the accelerated pace of technology, supply chain challenges, volatile markets, new and unique competitors entering our industries, etc, it’s that change is the only thing that’s going to stay the same in our lives, right? It’s ultimately how we and our teammates respond to times of challenge and change that creates our long-term success. 

Over the past few years, team leaders have had to cope with a lot: whether it’s adapting to remote work practices, keeping their remote team motivated, going through layoffs and furloughs, or more recently, grappling with the transition to hybrid work.

Great leaders and teammates have a keen insight into what makes each of their teammates tick or come alive.

All of us know that no matter how hard we try, no matter how well we plan, no matter how well we prepare, sometimes the journey ends very badly.

During the last few years of a global pandemic, one of the biggest leadership challenges was to find a way to effectively lead teams in a new era of remote work.

Why is teamwork so important? Because the best of the best never have a goal they can accomplish alone. The best of the best realize that they need to build a world-class team around them to get to those crazy, challenging finish lines, especially in times of change.

When most people think of teams, they think of a group of individuals moving together toward a common goal. But a “We Thinking” leader inspires their team to not just walk forward side by side—but to literally and figuratively carry one another when a teammate needs it.

For the past 15 years, my Adventure Racing teammates and I have learned the “hard way” about what it takes to get through any difficult endeavor.

Part 1 & Total Commitment: My teammates and I have been competing in (and winning) the world’s craziest ultra endurance multi sport Adventure Races for the past 20 years.

1 – Trials Don’t Rule Us – We Determine the Path of the Fight

In 2008, I began the transition from doing “well” in adventure races to doing “good” for Survivors. After 20 years of endurance racing, including 10 Ironman Triathlons and 40+ 6-10 day non stop multisport “Adventure Races” like the Eco-Challenge, I discovered that, what I assumed was a pulled hip flexor, was actually stage four osteoarthritis in both of my hips.