What Business Leaders Can Learn From The Age of Antarctic Exploration

I was recently reminded a great historical tale. In 1911, two explorers, Amundsen and Scott, embarked on a race against each other to become the first known human being to set foot upon the southernmost point of Earth.

It was the age of Antarctic exploration, as the South Pole represented one of the last uncharted areas of the world. Amundsen wished to plant the Norwegian flag there on behalf of his country, while Scott hoped to stake his claim for England.

The journey there and back from their base camps was about fourteen hundred miles, which is roughly equivalent to a hike from New York City to Chicago and then back. Both men would be traveling the same distance on foot through extremely cold and harsh weather conditions. And both men were equally equipped with experience, supplies, and a team of fellow explorers.

The result of today’s inaction may not literally kill you, but accumulative inaction will kill your business, or be detrimental to your health, or cause your marriage to die.

 

As it turned out, Amundsen and Scott took entirely different approaches to the very same challenge. Scott directed his team to hike as far as possible on the good weather days and then rest on bad weather days to conserve energy. Conversely, Amundsen directed his team to follow a strict regimen of consistent daily progress by hiking exactly twenty miles every day, regardless of weather conditions. Even on the warmest, clear-sky days, when Amundsen’s team was capable of hiking much farther, he was absolutely adamant that they travel no more than twenty miles to conserve their energy for the following day’s hike.

Which team succeeded in the end?

The one that took consistent daily action, Amundsen’s team. The result for Scott’s team was more dramatic. They all died before reaching the South Pole.

The result of today’s inaction may not literally kill you, it took Scott’s team almost 4 weeks to die, but accumulative inaction will kill your business, or be detrimental to your health, or cause your marriage to end.

If you have heard Norm Trainor or I speak you will remember one of our favorite sayings is this, “You are defined by what you say no to.” To take it one step further, “You are defined by what you do every day.” 

Twenty miles per day may not be your target, but is 20 phone calls every day to prospective clients or people on your top 20 list? Is 20 minutes of exercise every day? Is 20 minutes of one on one meaningful conversation with your spouse part of your routine? Is 20 minutes of reading something to better understand your business every day important? Is 20 minutes of taking the time to send one hand written thank you note to a different person every day something you could do?

Why not spend 20 minutes on Coach on the Go™ every day or reviewing or preparing for the Business Builder Academy? How about one 20 minute phone call to us at The Covenant Group to find out how we can make you happy in your life again, or are you content to sit and watch your life go by?