What do you get when you combine adventures and metaphors?
Metadventure
The skilful combination of two learning elements provides for exciting and inspirational learning.
The Leadership At The Edge® and the Teamwork at The Edge® programs help executives, senior managers, leaders and team members understand what it takes for Leaders to lead and for teams to perform successfully at "The Edge" - the highest possible level of performance under conditions of adversity, uncertainty and change.
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Leadership at the Edge®
Leadership at the Edge® is a unique presentation which harnesses the power of a remarkable tale of leadership and team work under adversity and change; the extraordinary saga of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition. This inspirational story is skillfully used to explore and embed strategies for effective leadership and teamwork, particularly in organisations in a changing and challenging setting.
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Teamwork at the Edge®
The Teamwork at The Edge® program draws on a compelling story - the drama of the 1998 Sydney-to-Hobart Ocean Sailing Race and the AFR Midnight Rambler, one of the smallest yachts to ever win the race. Using photographs, illustrations, video, discussions and exercises, participants become immersed in the story and feel like they are literally part of the adventure.
Our use of story and metaphor to teach and develop leadership and teamwork and to change management skills provides participants with an experience more powerful than traditional learning – an experience that allows for deeper understanding, better retention and stronger motivation to apply what has been learned.
Leadership At The Edge®
Developed by The Syncretics Group of the USA, “Leadership At The Edge®” uses the powerful and historic leadership tale of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition as a Metaventure® to explore effective leadership under adversity, change and uncertainty.
Leadership at the Edge®
is a unique presentation that harnesses the power of a remarkable tale of leadership and teamwork under adversity and change; the extraordinary saga of Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition.
This inspirational story is skillfully used as a Metaventure® to explore and embed strategies for effective leadership and teamwork, particularly in organisations in a changing and challenging setting.
Want to learn through adventure?
The presentation traces the 1914-1916 Trans-Antarctic expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Discover how he was able to unite a team to achieve the ultimate goal - survival.
How do teams overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles?
How do leaders inspire their people to extraordinary levels of courage, unity and commitment?
How do we create the teamwork and dedication so crucial to success in changing and adverse times?
The ultimate story of Extraordinary Leadership & Endurance
Shackleton and his crew of 27 set out in December 1914 aboard the Endurance and quickly encountered ice conditions that were unusually harsh. Only 60 miles from Antarctica, the Endurance became trapped in pack ice. For 10 months they drifted, locked in the grip of the ice until the enormous pressure crushed the ship. With limited supplies, the crew was forced to survive on the ice floes, where they were stranded for five more months.
When they finally reached open water, they took to three small lifeboats in a hazardous “open water” journey amidst the jostling icebergs. Five days later, they landed on a bleak, rocky and uninhabited island with no hope of rescue. Shackleton and five others soon set out in one of the lifeboats on an incredible 800-mile journey through the world’s worst seas to reach help. However, even when they made landfall on Sth Georgia Island, as a final challenge, they had to trek over near impassable terrain to reach the whaling station on the other side of the island. After four attempts, Shackleton finally rescued all crew members—miraculously, after the 634-day ordeal, no one perished.
Extensive research conducted by Syncretics Group shows that the survival of the Shackleton expedition team was due to exceptional leadership and teamwork. This compelling story of triumph against “life and death” circumstances becomes a metaphor that connects the experience and discussions. Using actual photographs, drawings and journal entries from the expedition, participants feel like they are part of the crew as the gripping narrative becomes the departure point for an intense and unforgettable experience. Facilitated group discussions, exercises, assessment, reflection and action planning allow participants to leave with practical strategies that they can apply immediately back on the job.
How we use the story.
To guide a leadership program.
To inspire a team with a Keynote presentation.
To anchor a leadership meeting.
To supplement leadership coaching.
Teamwork At The Edge®
The Teamwork at The Edge® program helps executives, senior managers, leaders and team members understand what it takes for teams to perform successfully at "The Edge" - the highest possible level of performance under conditions of adversity, uncertainty and change.
Teamwork At The Edge®
This Metaventure® is based on the true story of the AFR Midnight Rambler and the challenges its crew encountered in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race.
The story is also explored in a book by Dennis N. T. Perkins with Jillian B. Murphy, ‘Into The Storm’.
Sailing into an adventure?
This presentation is of the true story of the AFR Midnight Rambler and the challenges its crew encountered in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race.
Discover how the crew were able to unite to not only survive the fatal conditions but also win the race.
What does it take for a team to perform exceptionally when faced with deadlines, long hours, heightened expectations, partial information and pressure from above?
How do you unleash a team’s full potential in such challenging conditions?
This 723-mile, deep water sailing race is considered one of the toughest in the world.
Unpredictable weather and seas make each race particularly challenging, however, the 1998 race proved to be the most treacherous in the race’s 61-year history.
As the starting fleet of 115 boats sailed south down the coast of Australia, an unexpected “weather bomb”—a massive storm that created 80-foot waves and near 100 mph winds—descended upon the fleet. Six sailors perished in the maelstrom and another 42 were saved, in what became the largest search and rescue operation in Australia’s history.
While many tried to manoeuvre around the storm, the AFR Midnight Rambler crew chose to head directly into its path through the notorious Bass Strait. After battling mountainous waves and hurricane-force winds, the diminutive (35ft) AFR Midnight Rambler arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, over 88hrs after setting sail from Sydney.
The decision to head into the storm, along with their extraordinary tenacity, optimism, courage, teamwork and leadership, enabled this group of “amateurs” to out-perform the professionals on bigger boats. The skipper, Ed Psaltis and his crew of six were proclaimed overall winners and awarded the coveted Tattersalls Trophy. This exciting story explores the nature of the building and leading a high-performance team in the context of change and adversity.
Core Program Description
The Teamwork at The Edge® program can be customised to meet a range of participant needs and client objectives. It has been used successfully in a variety of formats, ranging from 90 minute keynote presentations to half-day, full-day and multi-day programs.
The program is customised for the given group and will be designed to make a strong connection between the story, the team work and leadership lessons which emerge from it, and the “real world” of the participant. Where we are allowed the time, our skilled facilitator will then ensure this “transfer of learning” is given traction by facilitating the following process:
An identification of the key learnings relevant to the particular group and individuals.
The prioritisation of the key learnings for application in the participants' settings.
The introduction of a simple yet highly effective “One Page Plan”, which will implement the priority learning into the participants' settings.
The process described has been specifically developed and proven over many years to deliver maximum return on investment of time, energy and budget for individual participants and their organisations.
How we use the story.
To guide a team development program.
To inspire a team with a keynote presentation.
To anchor a team meeting.
To supplement team coaching.
Teamwork at the Edge®, Leadership at the Edge® and Metaventure® are registered service marks of the Syncretics Group Inc. and are under exclusive license to Quest Group Global and Sales Shift in Australia.
