Leadership Lessons from Robert Swan

Inspiring Lessons from Robert Swan- the first man to walk unassisted to North and South Poles 
( Read more about him at: http://2041.com/about-2041/robert-swan/)

I recall. Several months ago, I was reading this article, from the North to South Pole: Lessons in Leadership and Love from Knowledge@SMU, which by the way, has many amazing articles which you can check out if you like reading.

This article is about one man's journey from the North to South Pole. Unimaginable as it seems, he did it. Being so afraid of the cold, I cannot imagine myself doing it. Just thinking of the harsh climate is enough to make me think twice, but not this man.

While reading the article, I felt so inspired. There was indeed a lot I can learn from him. His courage, his tenacity, his leadership style, and his discipline. 

I started jotting down notes. 

Valuable words from this great man on how to be a great leader. I would like to take this opportunity to share what I have recorded with you.

On Dealing with Fear

“The way to deal with fear is to prepare for it. Make decisions before you leave so there is a system of dealing with it when it hits you. And when something happens, you just deal with it. Control what you can but don’t try to do everything. Most of all, know that it is ok to be frightened; admitting your fear is an important part of leadership,” he said.

Many times in life, we feel fearful. We are fearful of the unknown. We are fearful of uncertainty. However, sadly, in life, we will always have to confront the unknown. There is no such thing as a clear path. Believe it or not, every one of us will have our own fears. Often, those who succeed in life are not those who are fearless, but those who recognize their fears and yet are able to battle it face on. Robert Swan teaches us to recognize our fears and be prepared for it. The battle is already half-won when you have the courage to fight yourself.

On Fighting for a Greater Cause

Swan made it his life mission to travel around the world, “informing, engaging and inspiring the next generation of leaders to take responsibility, be sustainable, and know that now is the time for action in policy development, sustainable business generation and future technologies”.

Great leaders are often not selfish. They do not fight for themselves. They work to serve a greater good. This is very important as fighting with the world gives you the strength and reason to go on. To gain strength in doing what you do, try associating it with a higher purpose and you will soon feel more motivated and inspired to carry on. After all, ironic as it seems, the purest form of joy comes in the form of bringing a smile to the faces of others.

On Walking the Talk

“Show commitment in a world obsessed by email and text-messaging. It counts a lot when you’re trying to inspire people to take you seriously. Show it, walk it, believe in what you’re doing, and people will,” he advised.

As a leader, in order to inspire others, you will first have to walk-the-talk. Only when you practice what you preach will you be able to get the attention of your followers and garner their respect.

On Good Leadership

“Good leadership does not mean choosing the easy people but those who would challenge you. If we all agree, no one’s thinking.”

“Good leadership is not always from the front. My job was to support them. You must know your strengths and your position in the team,”

As a leader, you have to know how to motivate and support your team. This requires skill and a certain ability to get your team to involved in the decision making process. Swan views leadership as having the ability to believe in what one is doing; to have good, open communication channels; to allow for mistakes, and to give feedback.

On Having a Dream

Finally, focus, determination, and self-awareness are important. "I see a lot of people who are successful in life and forget why they are doing it," he said. "Don’t rush through your whole life and wake up one day, thinking ‘That was it?’ Always remember your dreams.”

If you can do or dream that you can, begin it now, for boldness has genius, power and magic. Don’t wait if you have a dream and say you'll do it one day. Attack it immediately because you never know when you will never have a chance to. A person who is truly successful is someone who consciously chose his path, diligently pursued his dreams, and at the end of his life, can proudly say to himself, "I am happy. I am glad I've lived."

I hope this article has inspired you in some way or another. Let me know whether you agree with what Robert Swan has said, or how it has inspired you to look at some parts of your life differently.