Rachael Robertson

Extreme Leadership

Categories: Change, Communications, Leadership, Management, Motivational

Rachael Robertson (CSP, MBA) is a former Antarctic expedition leader, Chief Ranger and leader with 20 years “real leadership” experience. She presents with great humour, humility and passion to audiences that value her practical, no-nonsense approach. No matter the event, Rachael will leave your audience inspired, challenged and equip to take the next step in their leadership journey.

Leading an Antarctic expedition, coordinating media during the Black Saturday bushfire event and leading teams through turmoil all required extreme leadership and the ability to inspire through tough times. As Rachael reveals using incredible and often hilarious examples, these events demanded big leadership in small moments, because it’s the small moments that build momentum.

As only the second female to lead a team at Davis Station she managed a diverse group of up to 120 people, through total isolation, months of darkness, with no way in and no way out. It was a leadership laboratory in the most extreme and hostile environment on Earth, where most of the theory doesn’t apply.
For the last six years Rachael has been sharing her insights and practical advice to business leaders around the world.

Rachael’s Programs and Keynotes

Leading on the Edge
This presentation provides a compelling insight into the highs and lows of 18 strangers living in complete isolation in the most remote place on the planet, for an entire year. With awe-inspiring images of Antarctica, plenty of humour and using real-life stories, Rachael takes the audience on an emotional journey revealing the truth behind life in this most fascinating and isolated environment. This presentation is always adapted to the theme of your event, be it entertainment, leadership skills or improved teamwork. Rachael’s clients typically choose from one these themes

Life, love and leadership in Antarctica
Edge Leadership
Edge Teams
Remote and Dangerous

Leading on the Edge
Life Love and Leadership in Antarctica
Lighthearted, funny, uniquely entertaining, AND with a strong, inspiring message.
This presentation has been specifically designed to give an insight into the highs and lows of 18 strangers living in complete isolation in the most remote place on the planet, for an entire year. With awe-inspiring images of Antarctica, plenty of humour and using real-life stories, Rachael takes the audience on an emotional journey revealing the truth behind life in this most fascinating and isolated environment.
Specific Takeaways

Entertainment – even the rowdiest crowd quickly comes under Rachael’s spell
Inspiration – your audiences will be moved to dream the impossible
Education – learn the most interesting facts about life in Antarctica
Motivation – your people will leave motivated to rise to new challenges

Leading on the Edge
Edge Leadership
Q> What does leading an Antarctic expedition have to do with corporate leadership???

A> Much more than you could ever realise!

There can be no argument that leading Antarctic expeditions is extreme. Once you commit there is no turning back. Yet the challenges for the leader are the same in every workplace. Leaders need to 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. Leaders need to be able to develop personal resilience and be able to manage the scrutiny spotlight that their position attracts.
This keynote is perfect for leaders and aspiring leaders in all forms – from the senior executive to the school captain.
Specific Takeaways
This is Rachael’s most popular keynote and the inspiring and insightful presentation delivers:

Leader for a reason, a season and for life – how to make the right decision, the right way
Open Door Policy 2.0 – it’s not time management, it’s boundary management
Power of reflection – how to hone your self-awareness and build resilience
Tools to build teamwork, influence and trust in organisations
Antarctic winter: How to sustain yourself in the dark times
The “Bacon Wars” and why its critical to ‘major in the minor’ things

Leading on the Edge
Edge Teams
Inspire, empower and equip your people to lead their teams with mastery
Few of us get to select every member of our teams. Usually, we need to build an effective and resilient team from an existing group of diverse people. The ability to understand and harness this diversity to create high performance is critical. Rachael shares her experience and techniques including how to motivate and reward staff using intrinsic measures and how to keep teams focused on your main goal, but know what needs to be done now.
Specific Takeaways
Highlights of this keynote include:

LADAR – listen out “pings” for on your ‘language radar’ to strengthen respect and integrity
Adapt or perish – why collaboration is critical and why only the smart teams survive
The “Bacon Wars” and how to shape your team’s attitudes and behaviours
Lessons from emperors – How to protect the tribe so the individual thrives

Leading on the Edge
Remote and Dangerous!
Practical tools for safety, resilience and teamwork
Remote and dangerous worksites present unique challenges to people and their employers. Workers need the skills to quickly adapt to the work and then re-assimilate into their home lives. Teams must live a culture of safety. Employers must strive to create a zero-harm environment without losing productivity and efficiency. Keynote speaker Rachael Robertson successfully led in the most remote and dangerous workplace known to man, a year long expedition to Antarctica. Now she shares her insights, experience and tools!
Specific Takeaways

Bacon Wars – why every organisation has a coffee cup sign in the kitchen and what it means for safety
Plane Crash- how to lead through an emergency
Resilience – choose and develop mental toughness
Mode switch – tools to streamline swing transitions
Antarctic Winter- how to keep teams inspired and motivated during the long dark times
Spotlight – coping strategies for close living

Edge Moments
How to turn good people into great leaders, strategy into execution and ideas into action
The big things are important, but it’s the small things that make the difference. Great leaders know how to show BIG leadership in small moments.
Most people want to lead. They really do, and they make great efforts to do so. Yet research shows that most “leaders” don’t inspire their people. There is a deafening chorus of employees shouting “I want my leader to inspire”.
So… what is it, that great leaders do differently??? They pay attention to moments. They know that they will be remembered not for what they did or said, but for how they made people feel. They understand the value of edge moments. Edge moments:

shape strong connections, which
create trust and loyalty, and
build passion and commitment, that turn
strategy into execution,
ideas into action,
good people into great leaders

Specific Takeaways
In this inspiring keynote, Rachael leads people to:

Appreciate how moments create trust and momentum
Understand the multiplying effect of moments
Learn how to create powerful edge moments
Learn how to spot, address and fix moments
Learn the language of moments – body, voice, context
Receive the tools to immediately become an Edge Leader

Rachael was engaging and responded well to the group. Her experiences are extraordinary and she did a great job of relating what she learnt. She was also able to illustrate the similarities between her roles and those of my team. In one word, “Terrific!” ANZ Bank
“We were delighted with the feedback on Rachael from our advisers. Evaluation forms contained phrases such as: “Excellent”, “Truly inspiring”, “Interesting” and “Fantastic presenter – very informative and interesting”. Working with Rachael over five events around Australia was a delight. She has a very professional and flexible approach”.
~ AXA

“I have seen a number of speakers over the years, however Rachael was amongst the absolute best of them. I took so much away from her amazing story, and have relayed some of her messages to other people. Love the bacon war!”
~ Randstad

“Rachael is a passionate and enthusiastic speaker. She has that magic mix of tangible down-to-earth stories that give way to strong and inspiring messages on leadership, relationships and life. She fully engages with the participants from the moment she arrives right through to the moment she leaves.”
~ Alstom
“Inspirational leadership, real and fascinating stories.. Great safety insights…simply excellent.”
~ Exxon Mobil

“Rachael’s safety insights were spot-on, practical and eminently useful. Fantastic presentation.”
~ BHP-Billiton

“Rachael’s experience itself was incredibly interesting and different to most speakers you usually see at these kind of events. She was honest, engaging and made her experience relevant to us. Having her for dinner to chat more informally after the presentation was great as she was interested in what we do, our challenges, etc. and gave us excellent advice by relating to some of the adversity she went through in Antarctica.” ~ UBS

“Rachael’s warm, down to earth nature were themes that were repeated in the positive feedback we’ve received and would have to be among Rachel’s best assets.”
~ Worley Parsons Group

“I have never received so much positive feedback from a guest speaker as I have this time. People continue to tell me how impressed they were with Rachael’s story. She provided a fantastic insight into difficulties around management in a remote site. Her messages and insights can be applied within our business. She shared a range of unusual and interesting stories which made her message even stronger”.
~ Crown Casinos & Hotels

“Rachael provided insights and inspiration of leadership in a truly challenging environment engaging both new and experienced executives within our own “Challenging workplace”
~ Village Cinemas International

“Rachael presented in a casual manner which I think was really appropriate for our group of delegates, especially after 3 full days of workshops. Rachael’s down to earth story of an ordinary person achieving extraordinary things inspires us all to work with all the tools available to us and to make our own opportunities and not just wait for them to come to us!”
~ Choice Hotels Australasia

Rachael Robertson

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