Rachael Robertson

BA, Grad.Dip.M’ment, MBA

Rachael led the Australian expedition to Davis Station, Antarctica - the second female to lead a team at the Station and the youngest ever leader.

She managed a team of 18 people through the long, dark, Antarctic winter and
through trial and error built a resilient and highly successful team based on the
foundation that ‘respect trumps harmony’.

Since returning Rachael has completed her MBA, written two best-selling
books, Leading on the Edge and Respect Trumps Harmony and has presented at
over 1600 events around the world.

Extraordinary leadership stories & insights from the most extreme workplace on the planet

The challenges leaders face are practically the same in every workplace. Leaders must  acknowledge and navigate through the perpetual scrutiny, the frequent isolation, and the need to keep going when you feel you have nothing more to give. And through all this, must be authentic, resilient, innovative and adaptable.

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Topics

Some of Rachael's topics:

• Bacon Wars - Personal judgement is one of the central keys to great leadership. So how does a new leader (or even an established one) know when to step in and resolve a situation? When do they need to stay out of it, or escalate it? Through my experience with the Bacon War and subsequent reflection and analysis I have developed the Step-in Step-back model designed to provide managers with a ready-reference to know exactly how to act in a given situation.
• No Triangles - A practice of No Triangles will build respect and trust in your team. ‘No-triangles’ is simply: “You don’t talk to me about her, and I don’t talk to you about him”. Go straight to the source. It will create conversations that are direct and address the issue in a timely manner.  Rachael will demonstrate with research and experience WHY No Triangles is so important - improves morale and mental health, builds respect and accountability, increases productivity, and encourages collaboration.
• Lead without a Title - Leadership isn’t just a title. Having the title leader or manager doesn't automatically make you a leader any more than not having that title means you’re not a leader. Leadership is a way of being, a way of behaving. It is seeing something that needs to be done and doing it.
• Respect Trumps Harmony - Antarctic expedition leader Rachael Robertson shares her truly unique experience, backed by extensive research, to show why the highest performing teams are those that let go of harmony, and focus on respective, diversity of opinions, and embrace difficult conversations - all in the service of creating remarkable results.
• Change is the new business as usual - It's a truism, but change is the new constant. It can be unsettling, energising but create extreme fatigue. In this keynote, Rachael provides the tools to navigate this world of "flux" that dominates business today.  Self-leadership, resilience, and persistence are the keys to succeeding in a world of seemingly constant change.

Rachael has an inspirational story, however, there are 4 takeaway tools that your delegates can use today to improve morale, build collaboration and create a culture where respect trumps harmony and people deal with issues professionally and directly.  Rachael's keynote is entertaining and she is also providing the tools to drive long-term cultural change and resilience.