I’m a little over 10% of the way into the trip and I’m still having a great time in India! I’ve been learning a lot and continuing to develop as a person, all while being surrounded by some fantastic mentors and friends. Some of the most impactful activities we’ve done over the past few days include playing a variety of leadership development games, deciding on personal as well as group goals with the help of a solo at Jabbarkhet nature reserve, and preparing for our shakedown trial trek.

The leadership games gave me a new perspective on leadership. Specifically, they revealed that there can be different approaches and processes to solving problems, and that different approaches can be more appropriate in different situations. For example, the way I’ve been trained in tech is often to move fast and if it doesn’t work on the first try, it is relatively low cost to iterate and try again until you have found a solution that works. However, other people in the group prefer to take a more methodological and deliberate approach to problems. But the game showed me, is that neither one of these strategies is right or wrong. in situations that are low risk, it might be more appropriate to move fast for the possible chance of a quicker success. Whereas if the stakes are high, it is likely more appropriate to use more more methodological process.

Another thing I’m discovering is the importance of a leader to be self-aware and honest with the team. This even includes if they make a mistake, it is important to take responsibility. By showing this vulnerability, the leader can show by example that it’s okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to ask for help when needed. A leader can be a great role model for the group, helping them reach their full potential.

Tomorrow we head out for our shakedown trek and I’m so excited! This will be the first time I’ve ever hiked out so far to camp and cook food properly out in the wild. In the past I’ve usually driven close to a camping spot then cooked hotdogs over the fire. But tomorrow night, we’ll be hiking several miles before setting up camp and cooking a proper meal (pasta!). It’ll be my first taste of camping with the whole group and it’ll be interesting to see the group dynamic once it is put under some stress as to this point everything has been peachy. Whatever that dynamic is, I’m sure it will be a good opportunity to develop leadership and team skills in a more applied setting. 

I’d also like to give a big thank you to Shantanu! He was our main leadership instructor over the past few days, in charge of both classroom sessions as well as the leadership games. His programming and stories were fascinating and effective at conveying how to be an effective and caring leader both for the outdoors and in life.

I’ll be back in a few days to give y’all an update! See ya then.