(click on image for pictures)
Dear friends and colleagues...
The class of leadership & hardiness 2015 returned from Mt. Adams several days ago. It was an epic climb as 22 students and 8 guides faced Denali like conditions on Mt. Adams. The weekend began as any other summer adventure in the pacific northwest. The sun was out, yet a brisk air progressively engulfed the mountain from the trail head campground to base camp and certainly onward. Our hike to base camp was sunny, dry, yet unseasonably cool. The cooler temperatures contributed to more vigor and perhaps our earliest arrival at base camp. The teams looked strong, calculated, unwavering to team commitment, maintaining resolute hardy attitudes. Upon arrival at base camp, all teams committed to assigned duties of setting camp and boiling water for hydration and our first warm meal of the day. Although fatigued from a long trek, teams noticeably found a reserve that sustained attitudes, emotions, physical stamina, and a disposition of commitment and regard for the larger team. It was beautiful to watch and listen as each team supported individual members. All they had was each other and a reliance that was paradoxically complex in the setting of physical and emotional challenges, yet their response was simple, elegant, and beautiful in sharing food, warmth, a kind comment, laughter, and gratitude. Oh how we long for these positive organizational behaviors in our daily lives!
A meal and hydration partially readied our bodies to reconvene as a class and plan the activities of the next morning. In brief, the plan was to unfold with a 2am wake up call and a 3am alpine ascent. We turned in for the night to the warmth and serenity of down mummy bags as the mountain was progressively engulfed by ominous clouds and a steady wind. And then it happened, like a scene out of the 1996 Everest disaster. Weather not only moved in, but the howling 40-60 mph winds with periods of freezing rain provided a challenging stimulus that heightened and flooded every sensory response in the body. It was loud, freezing cold, wet, and dusty. Some tents were nearly blown out of camp while trusty jet boil stoves could hardly start in the midst of these conditions.
We had arrived at the monumental and unscripted challenge that would test our class. The reflections and stories you will hear are partially contextualized by these challenging circumstances. The stories will be told by students. Their reflections may inspire them to share how they applied principles of hardiness towards strategic resilience, connection, transformation, flourishing, and success of the larger group.
Students: Most importantly, what did you learn about yourself from the context of this course and our shared climb? What do you plan to do with content gained from this course? What are some implications of these experiences for organizations or your personal life as you challenge yourself to live in these moments. You have license to be creative in how you capture this reflection and how you share words and images of your story. These are just some simple prompts to get you thinking about this final reflection.
Most importantly - Have FUN and ENJOY your story of leadership & hardiness.
Please comment on this blog with your reflective posts when ready.
