Contributor: Kari Heistad, Culture Coach International
America’s best-known Colorado River explorer was John Powell, who lost his right arm in the Civil War at the Battle of Shiloh.
In 1869, he started with 10 men to explore the length of the Colorado River. Three months later, six would complete their journey after some harrowing experiences. Powell returned in 1871, to map the river and to conduct geological studies. Powell inspired courage and belief in the men that he led and he never put any limitations on his abilities. While not battling white water rapids, working on diverse teams with divergent points of view, creates opportunities for a different kind of courage.
This kind of courage is the willingness to have difficult conversations respectfully and in doing so, to form deeper team bonds that build inclusion and engagement for all team members.
Action Step: Be willing to explore different points of view and in doing so, broaden your own.
Discussion Questions
- If we were a new team starting fresh, would we collaborate with the same people outside the team as we do now? Why or why not?
- How do we have the courageous conversations we need to have in a way that is respectful?
- What current projects could use an outside diverse perspective to help us solve a problem or to be more innovative?
- How can each of us be a leader for the team in helping to explore unexplored ideas?
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