As leaders continue to guide their teams into the unknown of the future, the most essential leadership skills they need can be found in the past. On today’s episode of The Forward Thinking Podcast, FCCS VP of Marketing and Communications Stephanie Barton interviews Jeff Ton, speaker, author, IT professional, explorer, host and guest of numerous podcasts.  Jeff is also a key collaborator on the now-open FCCS transformative leadership development opportunity The Lewis and Clark Experience.  In their conversation, Jeff highlights several of the timeless leadership lessons that can be gleaned from Lewis and Clark and their relevance to today’s leaders. He offers insights into the importance of developing resilience as a leader, how to pivot, collaborate, and handle disagreements, and how to lead your team into the future with the confidence and skills of some of history’s greatest leaders. 

 

Today’s Insights Include:

 

The relevance of the Lewis and Clark story today

• There are numerous timeless leadership lessons to learn from Lewis and Clark.
• Despite changes in today’s business landscape and technologies, key leadership traits have not changed. 
• Unprecedented events such as the pandemic have proven that effective leaders are still essential. 
• The future is always an unknown and unchartered territory. 
• Leadership skills that were needed in the wilderness are still needed today. 

 

The greatest challenges for today’s leaders

• Paralysis in the face of the unknown has the potential to greatly challenge today’s leaders. 
• Leaders must take action — they cannot afford to stop and wait to see what is going to happen next. 
• Leaders who continue to move forward are the leaders who are going to excel. 
• The ability to effectively pivot is an essential leadership characteristic today. 

 

Developing resilience and handling disagreements as leaders

• Individual and team resilience are equally essential skills in today’s world. 
• Reflecting on overcoming past adversity will help understand how to overcome obstacles today. 
• Collaboration with teams is more essential than ever before, even virtual collaboration.
• Lewis and Clark’s decision point teaches a powerful lesson for handling team disagreements. 
• When making a verdict, the why can be just as important as the what.
• Once a decision is made, the team needs to be all in on it together.

 

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

 

The Lewis and Clark Experience — registration is now open

From Sea to Shining Sea: A Novel by James Alexander Thom

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West by Stephen Ambrose

Everything I Learned About Leadership, I Learned from Lewis and Clark by Jeffrey S. Ton

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