Rachael Robertson spent 12 months in the Antarctic, where she led the 58th Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to Davis Station. She was the second female, (and one of the youngest) to ever lead a team at the Station.
She managed a team of 18 people through the long, dark, Antarctic winter and built a resilient and highly successful team based on the foundation that ‘respect trumps harmony’.
Since returning to Australia, Rachael has completed her MBA, is an international keynote speaker and has written 2 best-selling books: Leading on the Edge, based on Antarctica; and her latest book, Respect Trumps Harmony, was released in April 2020.
On this Episode:
- Rachael tells of the defining moment in high school that opened her eyes to living life to the fullest.
- Rachael talks about how being the oldest influenced her leadership ability.
- Rachael tells Travis about college and why the opportunity in Antarctica caught her eye.
- Travis and Rachael talk about the process of decision making and the regrets Rachael faced in Antarctica.
- Rachael describes what the average day looked like in Antarctica in summer months versus the rest of the year.
- Rachael shares her advice on knowing yourself and keeping a journal.
- Rachael talks about the “no triangle” policy in Antarctica.
Key Takeaways:
- Recruit for quality: resilience, empathy, and integrity.
- Have a system in place for making decisions.
- Learn how to reveal vulnerability even as a leader.
- When coming off a high in leadership or business, find a new way to challenge yourself.
Tweetable Quotes:
“There’s a lot of correlation between the amount of responsibility that you have and at what age you are in terms of where you end up and how quickly you get there.” – Travis
“There’s not too many decisions that are forever. As long as you keep that front of mind, it gives you the courage then to have a go and make the bold decision because it’s not forever.” – Rachael
“Practicing that type of radical honesty really is a learned skill.” – Travis
Rachael Robertson:
LinkedIn- Rachael Robertson
Pick up a copy of her book, Respect Trumps Harmony at
https://www.rachaelrobertson.com.au/author
Resources:
Follow along with me on Instagram- @travischappell
Visit my website for more information on resources and announcements: https://travischappell.com
Join the Facebook group to find community: https://travischappell.com/group
