Parker Vascik, O∆K’s national student vice president, and Emma Bones, another O∆K member, are participating in the 2014 Mongol Rally. Parker and Emma are blogging about their experiences for O∆K.
Hello everyone! Welcome to the blog of two O∆K members participating in a six-week and 10,000 mile road rally from London to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We are Parker and Emma, and during our trip, we will be sending back a few thoughts about leadership and team lessons that we have learned through our experiences on the road.
The rally is a tough lifestyle and really pushes you and your team to its limits. Despite almost a year of planning and significant international experience between us and our third team member, Riley, we have encountered numerous situations every day which push us beyond our comfort zones. Our problems range from issues at border crossings, wrong turns down roads labeled in only Cyrillic letters, to three straight meals of peanut butter and Nutella in the car. While these challenges may bring team members to the ends of their ropes in the short term, techniques such as effective reflection can be used to lead small teams and facilitate team cooperation.
One of the key lessons we have learned to ease a grueling trip is to be flexible – but more so – to know when to reconsider goals. Leaders are encouraged to always pursue their goals. However, a good leader knows when to encourage their team to forfeit a lesser goal in order to preserve their larger vision. In our case, the larger goal is making it to Mongolia in six weeks. It can be difficult to let go of goals, but it is a necessary skill in order to be an effective team leader.
We hope you enjoy following our journey and leadership experiences! We know we will!
More information about 3.F.L.P. team including Parker and Emma may be found here.
