4 Things Leaders Can Learn From “The Rescue” To Build Powerful Teams
Recently, my son had me watch the documentary, The Rescue. It’s about the boy’s soccer team who got trapped in the Tham Luang caves in Thailand in 2018, and the rescue efforts that ensued. What I got out of this documentary was so powerful I’ve found myself sharing details in my meetings and beyond, so I thought I’d share some of the highlights.
Essentially the Thai people and government came together to rescue the boys, but what they found was the task was far beyond their area of expertise. With 13 lives on the line the stakes were high, an unlikely group of world renowned cave divers reached out and volunteered to help navigate the underwater caves.
The story takes you on a journey where these teams of people were met over and over again with what seemed like insurmountable obstacles. What really struck me about this true story was the power of people coming together for a common cause. It got me thinking about how applicable this is in business, our communities, and even in our world.
Here are a few of my takeaways that I’ve found myself referencing as I’m working with teams.
Everyone was committed to the same mission - In this film, every single person knew exactly what they were there for and the importance of their role because the mission of saving the boys' lives was so critically important. On multiple occasions they had to call upon new people to help find solutions and to adapt to ongoing challenges.
I think about how this applies to everyday business, and having people come together with purpose and alignment is what fuels organizations to achieve great results.
There were no egos - Because the lives of people were at risk, there were no egos. Once the military leaders realized they didn’t have the expertise to make their way through the long caves to the boys, they spoke up and found people who did, then stepped aside and supported the mission.
In organizations recognizing where the skills and strengths of the team lie is fundamental to strong leadership. When we’re able to put egos aside and realize it’s not about personal success or status, but recognizing what talent fits best. At times it’s hard to admit when we don’t have the answers, but if we’re aligned on the mission and purpose it allows us to lean into the strengths of the team.
There were no bad ideas - The cave divers on the rescue team had to figure out how to bring these boys with no diving experience to safety, while swimming for hours at a time through miles of pitch black narrow caves against a current. Because this was such a unique situation that had never been attempted before many ideas were brought to the table for consideration. In the end the solution (without giving out spoilers) they came to in many ways seemed radical and extreme but after thorough vetting, discussion and planning it was deemed the only viable option.
In business, it’s often the first idea put on the table that is what teams agree upon. Studies show that because of evolution, humans adopt a herd mentality in these social settings making it unlikely to vet out other ideas. If teams trust each other and can build the muscle of asking “yes and what if…?”, it can open up a world of possibilities within an organization.
Mindset is everything - The boys were stranded in a dark cave, with low oxygen, no food or portable water and no signs of being saved until more than a week after their disappearance. Thankfully they had an advantage. They were with their coach, who happened to be a Buddhist monk. While they were stranded he would have the team meditate to keep calm and preserve energy and oxygen, which doctors believe helped keep them alive.
This part of the film struck me because one core piece of Intent’s leadership development is grounding time or mindfulness, which can take many different forms. If taking the time to pause with mindfulness and breathe helped save lives, imagine what it could do for us as leaders and for our teams.
Seeing the power of teams in this documentary that had a common mission made me think about the bigger picture. How can we come together as a collective, not only in organizations, but across the world to solve big issues if we channel these principles? If they were able to divert the flow of a waterfall to slow the rising levels of water, I believe anything is possible when we work together.