Dennis N.T. Perkins, Ph.D. is President of The Syncretics Group, a consulting firm devoted to effective leadership in the face of rapid change, economic adversity, sudden growth, and other demanding environments. Dr. Perkins has worked for over twenty years as an advisor to senior leaders in organizations ranging from Fortune 50 corporations to nonprofit associations. His clients include American Express, Bose, Corning, GTE, Honeywell, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Marriott, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, United Technologies, and the State of Connecticut.
A graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Dr. Perkins began his quest to understand exceptional leadership while serving as a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam. After Vietnam, his passion for leadership continued in graduate school - first at Harvard University, where he earned his MBA, then as a doctoral student in psychology at The University of Michigan.
Joining the faculty of the Yale University School of Management, Dr. Perkins confronted the challenge of teaching courses on leadership, teamwork, and organizational effectiveness. Drawing on his experiences in Vietnam, he devised a breakthrough approach to critical leadership concepts. He began to apply insights from groups at The Edge - the outer limits of human endurance - to illuminate the qualities and behaviors that distinguish truly outstanding leaders. "By studying The Edge," Dr. Perkins believes, "we can learn the things needed to lead organizations to their full potential, and we can remember these principles when we are stretched, stressed, and challenged."
Dr. Perkins has written extensively on leadership and organizational effectiveness. He is the author of Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition, and Managing Creation: The Challenge of Building a New Organization.
Leadership and Teamwork at The Edge -
Time-Tested Tools for Tough Times
We’ve all been watching the headlines the past few months, and it’s clear that many companies are truly at “The Edge.” News about dire events seems to be everywhere: financial turmoil, political uncertainty, and threats from international terrorism are all menacing.
While organizations are always faced with ambiguity and uncertainty, the current level of turbulence is unprecedented in recent memory. It’s clear that leaders need to act, and act now, to help enable their organizations to successfully weather the storm. But just what are the critical things that will ensure triumph?
There is no shortage of experts with ideas, but our research on leaders and teams facing conditions of extreme challenge demonstrates that there are a set of core principles proven under conditions just such as these. They work whether the economy is good or bad; they work for organizations struggling to survive; and they work for organizations that need to outperform their competitors.
From our research on teams at The Edge, we have identified a set of fundamental strategies that can be applied in any challenging environment. These critical strategies are illustrated by two dramatic stories.
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Speech Topics
Leadership at the Edge: The Shackleton Saga
The Leadership at The Edge presentation recounts the saga of legendary Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton.
On December 5, 1914, Shackleton and 27 men sailed from South Georgia Island in the Southern Ocean aboard a wooden vessel named the Endurance. Their burning goal was to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent.
Forty five days after their departure, disaster struck. Endurance was beset by solid pack ice, and the expedition was trapped. For nearly two years, Shackleton and his crew were stranded in the icy sea. They endured unimaginable hardships: brutal cold, total darkness, aching thirst, gnawing hunger, constant danger, and utter desolation. Facing these challenges with astonishing good cheer, Shackleton and his crew returned, without loss of life, after 634 days in the Frozen South.
How did Shackleton inspire his crew to such extraordinary levels of courage, unity, and commitment? The Leadership at The Edge presentation answers that question, and explains how Shackleton's leadership approach can be applied to any leadership challenge in today’s business environment.
Teamwork at The Edge: The Midnight Rambler Story
TheTeamwork at The Edge presentation tells the contemporary story of the AFR Midnight Rambler, winners of the treacherous 1998 Sydney to Hobart race.
This 723-mile, deep water challenge -- often called the “Everest” of offshore ocean racing -- is considered one of the toughest in the world. Unpredictable weather and seas make each race particularly challenging, but the 1998 race proved to be the most perilous in the race’s 61-year history.
As the starting fleet of 115 boats sailed south down the coast of Australia, the fleet was hit by an unexpected “weather bomb”—a massive storm that created 80-foot waves and near 100 mph winds. Six sailors perished in the maelstrom, and another 42 were saved in what became the largest search and rescue operation in Australia’s history.
While many tried to maneuver around the storm, the crew of the AFR Midnight Rambler believed their best chance of survival lay in heading directly into its path. This courageous action, which allowed them to sail quickly through the storm, would not have been possible without a fully aligned team.
The decision to head into the eye of the storm, along with their extraordinary tenacity, optimism, courage, and teamwork, enabled this group of “amateurs” to out-perform professionals on bigger boats. After 88 hours, the AFR Midnight Rambler arrived safely in Hobart, Tasmania, and was proclaimed the overall winner and awarded the coveted Tattersalls Trophy. They were the smallest boat in 10 years to win the iconic race.
What were the factors underneath this stunning victory? This inspiring presentation answers that question, and explores the nature of building and leading a high-performance team in the face of change and adversity.
Comparison of the Two Presentations
The story of the Endurance expedition and the AFR Midnight Rambler race are both amazing tales of adventure and triumph in the face of adversity. Here are some similarities and differences:
- Both presentations provide riveting examples of the extraordinary difference that strong leadership and teamwork can make under conditions of adversity, uncertainty and change.
- Both illustrate how the strategies that have been used by leaders and teams at the limits of physical survival can be applied in any challenging business environment.
- Both incorporate my own photos and video, including my expedition to Antarctica and experience aboard a 60-foot sailboat in the Sydney to Hobart Race.
- The Leadership at The Edge presentation highlights the special role of the leader, emphasizing Shackleton’s role in the success of the expedition. The Endurance tale is an epic historical saga, recounted in an original and revealing new light.
- The Teamwork at The Edge presentation uses the lens of distributed leadership, exploring the role that each team member can play in prevailing over adversity. It also introduces the element of competition, stressing the need to not only survive but also to sail faster than competitors.
Whichever gripping presentation is chosen, the story will provide a compass for leadership and teamwork at The Edge, and will serve as a powerful metaphor that inspires resilience and persistence in tough times.
