Explain
Victory awaits him, who has everything in order â luck we call it.
Defeat is definitely due for him, who has neglected to take the necessary precautions â bad luck.
Roald Amundsen
In March 2000, I led a team of four Royal Marines to attempt to be the first British team to walk unsupported from the Canadian coastline to the Geographic North Pole (GNP), a trek of around 500 nautical miles âagainst the driftâ.
This trek (hereafter referred to by its military handle, âTeam Polar 2000â (TP2K)) forms a constant theme throughout this book, examining the different aspects of leadership from the start (the planning stage) to the finish (completion) and beyond (educating future leaders). It is written in chronological order, using my diary extracts and interview transcripts, to illustrate the specific leadership topic being discussed.
Alan's TP2K Diary (i.e. the March 2000 Unsupported Expedition to the North Pole)
After a successful failure in 1998, I did not see the next attempt as a challenge but as an opportunity. An opportunity to put the records straight, but, more importantly, to prove what high performance and wellâstructured teamwork could achieve when combined with strong true leadership; leadership that would set a precedent, hopefully for future adventurers and businesses worldâwide; leadership that would show the world what could be achieved both physically and mentally against all odds.
We had only a one per cent chance of success as judged by the critics. They say a man who lives out his dreams is a scary man. I scared myself â but it was my choice. Life holds a certain risk; the more alive you are, the more the risk. It seemed natural to me to reâplan meticulously for the millennium walk.
I spent the next two years searching for approval to go. I begged, stole and borrowed equipment, and had the daunting task of procuring all the capital finance within three weeks. I researched the last 25 years of failed attempts for the reason why they failed. I then calculated, or programmed, a solution to their failures into my master plan.
OPERA: Ordinary People Extraordinary Results Achieved
I firmly believe that anybody can achieve extraordinary things with the right preparation, a positive mindset and unswerving passion.
Up until my 2000 North Pole expedition (TP2K), I had spent every holiday for five years living in Canada with the local Nunavut Inuit, learning about snow, ice, survival techniques, and polar weather conditions. I immersed myself in their environment so that I could learn my limits, whilst being as comfortable and confident in this extreme environment as possible.
Although I did not succeed in my 1998 attempt (see âSection The Importance of âSuccessful Failuresââ), this was because of a combination of bad luck and poor team dynamics, not due to any lack of âpolar confidenceâ or technical ability. Consequently, when I returned in 2000 to try again, I was able to build upon this base of excellent preparation, which in turn gave me the confidence to push myself to my limits and beyond, knowing that my mental and physical preparation had been topâclass.
In âResearching the Visionâ, it is OPERA which breeds confidence, and which, in turn, attracts success.
The Importance of âSuccessful Failuresâ
In 1998, I failed to reach the North Pole during my first attempt in a twoâman team. A number of things went wrong during this expedition, a great many things in fact, from equipment failure to a breakdown in team dynamics, but this only strengthened my resolve to return and try again, which I did successfully in 2000 (TP2K). However, I only succeeded with my team the second time around, against all the odds, by being brutally honest with myself in assessing what had gone wrong in 1998.
This meant testing out new procedures, innovating with stateâofâtheâart equipment, embracing innovation, and accepting that I did not need to do things in the same way as everybody else. We trained harder and smarter, and I put together a group of individuals whom I'd been able to test under severe pressure until I was confident they would be able to withstand the physical and mental pressures of an extreme polar expedition, one that had never been successfully completed before. It had certainly been attempted many times â including by myself â but it had never been achieved.
It also meant being very honest with myself as to why I had failed the first time round, something which was not always easy for a proud person who had never previously failed to achieve his goals. Luckily, I had kept a diary at the time recording my thoughts and emotions, so was able to look back with a degree of clarity which is often obscured by hindsight. Taking personal responsibility for the intended outcome and potential success of the expedition was absolutely key.
Friendship and Teamwork are Not Always the Same Thing
Between 1995 and early March 1998, our twoâman team had persuaded the gods that we could make a serious attempt to walk to the Geographic North Pole from Canada unsupported, and claim to be the first British team to do so.
We thought we had covered every angle of planning and, after knowing each other for some 10 years, the question about compatibility and cohesion was foolishly dismissed. Why? Because we were to set off on what I believed was a venture forged by joint beliefs, aims, convictions and finally goals. How wrong could I be?
Alan's 1998 North Pole Diary
I thought I knew the person I would be walking with, having served w...
