Last night I was watching a TV programme about a group of 12 young people, all of whom suffered from various disabilities, who, for reasons that were not totally clear to me, had decided to hike across the Andes. This would be a serious challenge for anyone, but they were young, inexperienced and severely physically challenged.

Initially, they had to push a couple of four-wheeled wheel chairs up a pretty steep trail strewn with massive boulders through the mud! These people include folks with one leg, one arm, deaf, cerebral palsy, and dyspraxia to name just some of their problems, and some suffer from multiple challenges.

In business today it is de rigueur to talk about team spirit, but what this group demonstrated was the power of Team and the power of Spirit. If you are able to create a challenge that moves and inspires people they will shift Heaven & Earth to achieve it. This group chose this incredible, seemingly impossible challenge. Why? Because at some level this gave them something in terms of Life experience and self image that was more valuable than any bonus or profit share could ever be. How often have you succeeded in creating such an inspiring, work-based challenge?

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” Bernice Johnson Reagon

Whilst they have an expedition leader, Ken, who is ex-special forces, he isn’t really in charge; he is more of a guide. The team knows what their task is, and they seem to organise themselves (and I use the word organise in the loosest possible sense!) Each contributes according to their abilities and takes what they need from each other. Is it perfect, neat and efficient? Certainly not! Did they get up that hill? Indeed they did!

The thing that literally moved me to tears was seeing the impact of the contribution of one girl, Julie. She is 21, deaf and has cerebral palsy so has to walk with sticks. She not only struggled up this track, with never a complaint, but once they reached a road (still going up hill) she actually pulled one of the chairs up too! Her contribution and the spirit of her contribution were such that she transformed the team. Dissension fell away, the group stopped complaining and focusing on their own (significant) problems and looked outside themselves. This was real leadership of the ‘Show me’ school.

It was profoundly moving and inspiring to share their journey. I think that business needs to learn from this and recognise the power of an inspiring and worthy challenge, and the sort of leadership that comes from example and true commitment rather than position. I watch, appalled, those idiots on ‘The Apprentice’, who all seem to think that leadership consists of being a bully who never listens and just orders people around… What a contrast! A video cassette and record button could save you a fortune in Leadership Development courses.

“Mountains cannot be surmounted except by winding paths.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Most businesses are really little more than the sum total of the people in them plus a bit of money, and yet I would suggest that most people go to work half asleep and seldom wake up. What could be achieved if you were able to get them to show up and commit like these young people? How do you do that? Ask them; and then add a little faith and lot of imagination.

Do you want to transform your business or just settle for little incremental changes here and there….

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I… I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost

Resources:

BBC2 Friday 9pm, Beyond Boundaries – Across the Andies