In our first episode of the leadership series, VadarMoss caught up with Jason Rawles, the CEO and founder of Aspire Adventures. We explored the importance of delegating and the parallels between leadership in the tech industry and on the mountain.
Delegation offers multiple benefits and opportunities to people and businesses on various levels. It encourages people to explore and broaden their skills and the chance to expand their own experiences. As we acquire more responsibilities and take on tasks beyond our typical expectations, we naturally develop new skills and knowledge that facilitate the completion of new projects.
These factors go beyond the mountains and resonate with delegating in other industries like tech. “I believe how you think about leadership in the technology space applies to leadership in its entirety”, explains Jason. “When looking at a business, it typically focuses on planning for success and building great teams of people. We define the vision and delegate various responsibilities to our team. We maintain motivation levels and enable people to progress from A to B. We also empower people to make decisions and feel part of that journey toward success”.
Jason clarifies that he doesn’t want anybody to rely on others to reach the top of the mountain. “It should be under their own steam and will to put one foot in front of the other. From my leadership perspective, it’s the other surrounding factors such as food, the tents, preparation and the empowerment of self-belief. These are the things that aren’t just associated with expedition life leadership, their leadership in its entirety”.
Jason accepts the power of delegating and how assigning trust can positively impact personal self-belief. “I believe it’s compelling when you can demonstrate this style in adventure, delegate specific tasks to people and empower them to do that particular activity. We don’t need to be by their side checking everything all the time and can depend on a belief system that I’m supported by various people”.
“Delegating represents a sign to your team that you respect their ability and trust their judgement to grow into a higher performance level. People who feel trusted and respected often are more committed to their work and their surrounding team. A motivated and confident person typically wants to be actively involved and not just an observer; to be part of the solution and create meaningful connections with other team members”.
“Feeling important, helpful and respected often produces more creativity, making decisions, and driving growth. When team members participate in decision-making and carrying out tasks, they often exhibit a greater sense of ownership of the work and a deeper level of pride in their position within the team.
“Adopting this delegatory approach and ensuring people have the belief can give people strength during challenging times, reminding them that someone believes in them. It creates empowerment and drives people to put one foot in front of the other, whether it be toward closing a deal, a new product launch or climbing mountains”, explains Jason. “Each follows the same thought process where the parallels are around leaders instilling belief, leaderships, supporting the development of divisional leaders and delegating duties to empower people”.
Delegating responsibilities in leadership
We asked Jason his thoughts on how he delegates all the responsibilities in a team of porters and guides, particularly in the mountain environment where delegation is a critical process.
“There are a couple of parts to delegating responsibility. Firstly, there’s what people are capable of doing and what people want to do”, explains Jason.
The second section is about what aspirations people have.
For Jason and his surrounding team, responsibilities are often delegated based on individual experience, whether setting up camp or making food at high altitudes. “There are necessary daily tasks which require various people with specific responsibilities”, describes Jason. “It’s just a matter of breaking all these things down and being very clear about the expectations. For example, as soon as we leave camp, we need those tents down quickly. They must be up the hill and set up before us in advance. So we delegate the responsibility, the parameters and expectations that come with it, and you must be clear about the extension of that responsibility. As we think about getting the right people involved, we must motivate them, set down the parameters to determine success, connect them with the overall experience and make them feel great”.
Delegation is more than just a process to enhance efficiency and productivity. It is a way to improve the team-building process. Creating this level of trust and empowering individuals with responsibility enhances personal confidence and boosts productivity in the corporate world and on top of a mountain. Jason illustrates how leadership on the mountain can then be applied to a typical work environment. “Leaders trust in people is where the parallels exist in other industries. I think the delegating process works well in the adventure environment, which helps people reinforce it back in the office”.
