Authored by Karen Alexander
Have you ever had a moment in your life that becomes a pivot for something bigger? When you let go and just “trust the process?” The last 24 hours has been just that for me and many of the Homeward Bound community aboard the Island Sky.
Our safe arrival in Antarctica came after 24 hours of an “unprecedented weather system” that treated us to 6-8 metre waves, pitching and rolling of our ship, and a whole new level of camaraderie and care for each other. We weathered the storm individually and collectively, whilst singing to the theme song from The Titanic!
This experience was a lived example of emergent and adaptive leadership in practice – when you have to adapt to change and problems, at times having comfort with discomfort, whilst continuously supporting our group to achieve a common goal.
Our short term goal? The safe arrival at Aitcho Island for our first Antarctic landing. Our reward was to witness the antics of hundreds of Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins nesting on their precious eggs.
Our long term goal? More to come, as we enter a phase in our Leadership program called EMERGENCE… where 100 STEMM professionals seek to collaborate on one major project that will have sustainable impact for a better future on our planet. This is just the “tip of the iceberg!”
Photo: At Aitcho Island. Credit: Karen Alexander