Dundee Mountain Film festival was a live-wire of entertainment information, education and adventure. We can explore the principles of Leadership within the business world and outwith it.
A few reflections on what stuck-with-me: Mountain and Exploration Leadership can offer us many lessons and insights that can be transported into our everyday world.
What insights did you learn from TODAYS ACTIVITIES?
Partnering and Simplicity
A key component of the Scottish film festival was the
Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Its award for Best Film on Mountain Culture, went to Bernard Boyers Charles, Edouard ou le temps suspendu (France), a tale of two elderly brothers living on an isolated mountain farm.
An enigmatic film of the human spirit suspended in time within our frantic world. Simplicity and hard work were the cornerstones of their life style. When was the last time you took time-out to re-charge YOUR batteries and live simply?
Core Principles: Chic Scott Eiger Sanction
Long before Hollywood jumped on the climbing bandwagon with films such as Cliffhanger and Vertical Limit, Chic Scott was suspended high above terra firma on the forbidding north face of the Eiger.
The year was 1975 and the film was The Eiger Sanction. Shot on location in Switzerland, it starred the legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood.
Scotts hearty storytelling style had us on a rollercoaster of emotions. Technology has moved exponentially in the last 30 years or so core principles still remain the same.
Leadership is still Leadership.
There is much we can learn from the masters no matter what our station in life is.
NOW: Karen Darke - By Hands and Feet across Greenland
A startling tale of adventure and hardship when ? Karen and five friends skied across Greenland. Karen was a keen runner and mountaineer before becoming paralysed in a rockclimbing accident.
Since then, she has been instrumental in breaking down the barriers between disabled people and the outdoors. This journey challenged the current limits of belief as to what is possible for disabled people to achieve. It also pushed back the frontiers of readily available clothing and kit technology within the outdoor industry.
Her new book If You Fall.Its a New Beginning captures her unrelenting spirit.
Her simple message is Live in the NOW. When did you last LIVE IN THE NOW
Alchemy: Brick and Mortar Disorder directed by Jen Randall
Word Film Premiere of a building rock climbing adventure in Dundee. This is a simple artistic film directed by a young climber studying at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.
Zero budget, 2 x old cam-recorders, oodles of enthusiasm, and a sparkle of magic. True alchemy at work something extraordinary from nothing!
It takes us on a journey around the bricks and mortar buildings of Dundee City bouldering/buildering along the way walls, bridges, steel structuresI sense a fledgling Spielberg in the making.
Self-Leadership
A key component in this weekends festival was the sense of adventure, creativity and exploration. Some quotes that remain with me:
Failure inspires me to get stronger and be a better climber Tangerine Dream
Hes safe, but pushing it to the edge The OZARKS
I am not sure well make it but, we SHALL continue with style! The Eiger Sanction
I leave YOU with a thought - If it was impossible to fail - what would YOU, YOUR TEAM, YOUR ORGANISATION do TODAY?
Casino Royale, the new James Bond movie.
Slick, Edgy, Smart. But what I loved most was that it was a departure from the old formula.
The filmmakers had the courage to take some serious risks, thumb their noses at tradition and leave the Safe Harbour of The Known.
No more cool gadgets and flying cars (though the Aston Martin moves speedily). No more Bond women, of the style in the previous movies. And when asked if he wants his martini shaken or stirred, in an outright disregard for Bond mythology, the new James says it doesn’t matter!
I guess what I’m saying is that it was just fantastic to see someone taking some risks again: in an industry that clings to tired, yet box-office winning, formats just to ensure they make loads of money.
The new Bond is fresh, Innovative and Daring.Interestingly, the best one yet. Big rewards only show up for those willing to take big risks, embrace change and confidently strive for their DREAMS.
Key Points:
His Crisis Management Leadership principles are simple and profound:
- PLAN what are the worst things that can happen? Plan for them!
- OPTIMIST teach yourself to be hopeful, people tend to gravitate to the person offering the solution to the Problem. His fathers advice: In a crisis be the calmest person in the room, if frightened, appear to be calm.
- COURAGE we all dont need to be Superheroes. In everyday life Courage abounds and is seen in terminal illness, sudden death, loss of employment When things go wrong YOU need to STEP UP.
- RELENTLESS PRACTICE Practice, practice, practice..iron out the wrinkles. Typically something unexpected will happen if you practice well for the foreseeable events the unexpected will be a variation of what you have applied be flexible.
- TEAMWORK Its not about me its about other PEOPLE. Use all your resources. If youre in uncharted territory use the mass brain.
- COMMUNICATE demonstrate you CARE about People. Make decisions swiftly. Its about hearts and minds of your Team and the Public connect directly with them.
Know who you are and what YOU stand for not only for your own advancement, but for the wellbeing of everyone YOU touch.
Key Points:
A transformational change in her organisation returning from the brink of Company demise. A company that was a household name what happened?
It was a reality check; we thought we knew better than our customers. Over time we lost contact with them. I was CEO of Last Resort
What did YOU do?
- Started LISTENING to our customers what are their issues? what are they looking for? their requirements, their opportunities
- Deployed that approach to the entire Leadership Team
- Create CUSTOMER VALUE, invest in innovation, Questioning ourselves - would the customer think this was of value?
- Offer SOLUTIONS to their Problems meet their needs, aspirations and Dreams.
- Provide SERVICE above and beyond that required. Good and satisfied just dont Cut It!
- Applied the POWER of FOCUS What is the company culture, What is the Company Vision, the PEOPLE are clear on What am I signing up for?
- Made TOUGH DECISIONS with clarity Why are we doing this? We have loyal employees treat everyone with respect.
- COMMUNICATE honestly tell our stakeholders as it really was.
- Co-create with OUR customers.
I was a Xerox Lifer I started with the belief it was DOABLE. We can save the company; it wasnt easy, hard decisions were made along the way.
On my way up the company I founded a new Division, as CEO I had to close it down to save the core. I had to tell them personally and wasnt looking forward to it, but they had to hear it direct form me - I owed them that. I was surprised by the response That couldnt have been easy for you! That made me all the stronger and determined I wouldnt fail them.
I am PROUD of our company and its PEOPLE we need to groom and embrace TALENT - its our life blood.
Key Points:
- Transformational Change
- How fast
- How BIG traditionally more resource and expense?
- Not Always - why did the Berlin Wall collapse and the New York crime change dramatically?
- What was the TIPPING POINT?
- 3 Rules of Epidemics (Change Agents)
- The Law of the Few exceptional people find out about emerging trends and through social connections, energy, enthusiasm and personality spread the word
- The Stickiness Factor there are specific ways to make a contagious message memorable. There are relatively simple changes in the presentation and structuring of information that can make a big difference on its impact.
- The Power of Context says that human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem.
- Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen
- Connectors are people with a special gift for bringing the world together. These are people with 4-5 times greater social circles than the normal.
- Mavens comes from the Yiddish, and it means one that accumulates knowledge. They are people that keep the markets honest. Economists have found them in every walk of life and every socioeconomic group. One name is price vigilantes another Market Mavens.
- Salesmen the essence is that on some level they cant be resisted. They can build a level of trust and rapport in 5-10 minutes that would normally take half an hour. They also engage in motor mimicry.
The theory of Tipping Points is that we should re-frame the way we think about the world. What underlies epidemics is a bedrock belief that change is possible, that people can radically transform their behaviours or beliefs in the face of the right kind of impetus.
His hypotheses are strongly argued and politicians wishing to control our childrens health behaviours would do well to heed his challenging insights for the betterment of society
