Not every leader has the ability to steer a boat through a storm like Ed Psaltis. But there comes a time when every leader needs to be willing to step up and give “more than 110 percent.” For every leader, there can be a finest moment.
The Parts of a Sailboat
Acknowledgments
I've always believed that acknowledgments are one of the most important parts of any book—and especially so for a book on teamwork. This has been an extraordinary team experience, and I'm delighted to be able to thank the many people who have helped me “make it to Hobart.”
Working with Laura Gardner and Jillian Murphy transformed the daunting book race from impossible to simply challenging. With Laura in the “pit”—organizing our ropes, lines, bills, and permissions—I had no doubt that every assignment would be completed competently and with good cheer. And with Jillian on the bow as the forward hand, I was confident that she would fearlessly endure the cold waves that kept crashing into our literary vessel. Without Jillian and Laura, we would still be in the Bass Strait!
I also appreciate the many contributions made by Kathryn Fallon, the Editor's Editor, whose careful research and thoughtful editing were invaluable. With our Rock Star Book Team—one of the finest teams I have ever been a part of—I felt like the skipper of a winning boat.
I am grateful for the experience of getting to know, and learning from, the Ramblers. Their willingness to share the story of AFR Midnight Rambler, and their formula for Teamwork at The Edge, made the book possible. My thanks go to the ‘98 team—Mix Bencsik, Gordon Livingstone, Ed and Arthur Psaltis, Bob Thomas, Chris Rockell, and John Whitfeld—and to newer members, Tom Barker and Sammy Byron, who also shared valuable insights. And of course, the story would not have been complete without the perspectives shared by Bill Psaltis and Ed's wife Sue.
I learned much from other sailors who—though they compete against AFR Midnight Rambler in the Hobart—generously shared their insights about teamwork. In a folder marked “Sailing Greats,” I have pages of notes from interviews with Adrienne Cahalan, Neville Crichton, Roger Hickman, Malcolm Park, and Jim Slaughter, all of which guided my thinking. And I was inspired by Kristy McAlister, whose story stands out as a remarkable example of teamwork and courage.
I deeply appreciate those who helped me make it to Hobart when I did the 2006 race: Peter Beekman, James (“Jungle”) Craddock, Ben Feeney, Johno Fullerton, Brian Griffin, Scott Jug, Steve Kellaway, Pete Le Masurier, Robyn Lindley, Sam Price, Andy Pryor, Peter Tarimo, Matt Whitmell, and our skipper, Peter Goldsworthy. I am especially thankful for the hospitality shown by Brett McIntyre and his family, who made me feel so welcome over the holidays in Australia.
Special thanks go to Edgar (“Eddo”) Smith—a key partner in all aspects of the book race. Edgar accompanied me on the race as the official videographer, and he has skillfully edited numerous videos—including the promotional trailer for the book and the “We're No Rockstars” documentary of the AFR Midnight Rambler. Eddo's watchful eye was especially appreciated on the Sydney to Hobart Race, when I did an unexpected re-creation of Chris Rockell's flight through the air. After I cracked my head on the side of the boat, Eddo waited patiently while I recovered—making sure that my skull was still hard, not “squishy.”
Art Vasenius, of the Sailing Pro Shop in San Diego, and Martha Parker, of Team One Newport in Rhode Island, helped me get the right equipment for the Sydney to Hobart Race. Zach Leonard shared valuable insights about safety and endurance in ocean racing. Others who helped make the book possible include Mark Wolfe, CEO of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia; Richard Bennett, with his spectacular photography; and Lisa Ratcliff, who contributed her great photo of Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas.
I appreciate the lessons in teamwork shared by fellow Marines. General John Arick's skillful recon extract in Vietnam has always been a source of pride for me, especially during the years when the service of combat veterans was little understood and largely unappreciated. And as General Rich Natonski recounted his more recent experiences, I realized that—though technology and tactics may have changed—Marines of all ranks and all generations have much in common. John Arick, James “Crash Kimo” Andrews, Rich Natonski, Aaron Jensen, and Brody Savoie have answered the call to defend freedom “in every clime and place,” and Marines will always continue that proud tradition.
The concept of this book has taken shape over a number of years, and I have been influenced by many thoughtful people. Mark Nadler wrote the first article to capture the story of the Ramblers. Chuck Raben helped me think about the role of the skipper. Michael Simon and Peter Economy shared their views on teamwork. Jillian (Caracciolo) Savoie and Brian Keady helped launch the book. And Diana Vienne made a number of helpful suggestions about the proposal.
There were times during which I wondered if I would ever make it to the finish line, and friends and colleagues made all the difference. Martha Miller read an initial draft of the book, and reassured me that I had a powerful message. Melanie Kirkpatrick, Molly Powell, and Micah Morrison all made helpful and timely suggestions.
I'd like to recognize our Expedition Leaders, especially Ron Jungalwalla and Mike Boyle—who have been presenting the story of the Midnight Rambler in Australia for years. Ron thoughtfully reviewed the manuscript, and even came to meet us in Connecticut—all the way from Melbourne! A number of other Expedition Leaders have also played an important role in our journey, including David Ellis, Hazel Rosin, Piotr Wisoky, and all our colleagues at the Korea Syncretics Leadership Center.
Others who deserve credit include Deb Abildsoe, David Bliss, Jen Chobor, Andy Corea, Pete Dayman, Andy Errato, Paul Fedorko, John Michalak, Mike Kennedy, Rick Ketterer, Nick Lopergalo, Seth Meskin, Camille Murphy, Robert Ostroff, Mike Rubenstein, Carl Swope, and Dave Wygant. I also appreciate my friends at Sunset Limo who have helped me get to the airport at the start of almost every adventure, and the experts at TNS who have kept my technology afloat so I could write about my experiences at The Edge.
Dewitt Keith has also aided in my travels, and has helped me reach meetings in a number of disparate locations. These trips have frequently involved meetings with the men and women who work tirelessly to protect our national security. I am honored to be able to help with their critical mission.
I appreciate the hard work and dedication of the AMACOM team. Christina Parisi has been a longtime supporter of The Edge, endorsing both a second edition of Leading at The Edge and this book as well. Her editorial suggestions substantially improved the manuscript, and I know I have a better book because of her insights. Irene Majuk made great contributions in promoting both editions of Leading at The Edge. And the photo of her spunky dog, Spike—wearing a party hat while celebrating his eighteenth birthday—never fails to bring a smile to my face. He will always be a member of the expedition.
Others at AMACOM have also helped with the complex and often tedious work of publication. Erika Spelman's thoroughness, patience, and unflappable style made a tremendous difference. And thanks go to Jenny Wesselmann Schwartz, Cathleen Ouderkirk, James Bessent, Janet Pagano, and Kama Timbrell for their support and assistance.
The folks at North Market Street Graphics brought the book over the finish line. I deeply appreciate the work of the NMSG Team, including Ginny Carroll, Dennis Bicksler, Mike Dunnick, Ginny Landis, Sue Miller, Rhonda Stough, and Stewart Smith. Ginny Carroll served as copy editor and “point person” for the mission, and her genuine enthusiasm for the story provided much needed encouragement when we were becalmed in the Derwent.
As always, I am grateful for the support of my family. My daughter, Holly, fearlessly ventured out to sail on cold winter days, and a photo of granddaughters Juliana and Liya provided constant inspiration. I appreciate the support of my son, Jonathan, his wife Karla, and their children. Hearing Alicia, Joshie, and Samuel talk about their Abuelo Don Dennis is a never-ending source of joy. The Oregon Perkins Clan—my brother Bob, his son Rob and wife Melissa, and grandson Ryan—all deserve rec
ognition for their help.
Once again, I express my deepest appreciation for the support, love, and encouragement of my wife, Susan, and her son, Ryan. Although writing a book requires extraordinary commitment, and discipline, other family members make sacrifices as well. And I know full well that being the spouse of an author is “no picnic either”! I appreciate Susan's encouragement, her faith in my ability, her New York wit, and her smile. I am so thankful that I found her.
Toward the end of the book, there were difficult days when it seemed as if the task would be never ending. But I kept inspired with two photos next to my computer monitor. The first was my friend Reggie Higgins, who was photographed in a ferocious pose. Reggie is a Mixed Martial Arts, heavyweight fighter—and his ferocity is real. I have seen him in action. The second photo was of my grandson, Joshie. It shows him swinging a croquet mallet at a piñata—a green dinosaur created with papier-mâché.
The piñata was part of Joshie's fourth birthday party, and it was filled with candy. Though much smaller than Reggie, Joshie went after the piñata with equal ferocity. Again and again, Joshie bashed the piñata—but to no avail. The piñata seemed to be made of steel, or possibly concrete.
It was quite a show. Joshie attacked the piñata with the determination of an MMA fighter. At times I felt as if I were watching Reggie at Foxwoods Casino. I often expected Joshie to put a submission hold on the dinosaur. Sometimes Joshie missed and swung round in a complete circle, falling down with his mallet. But he didn't stop. He was relentless.
Finally, the piñata fell to the ground. It was still intact, but Joshie pounced. He was not to be denied. After a final, furious series of attacks, the piñata cracked. After all that, Joshie had his candy. His determination was inspirational.
With the help of Joshie and Reggie, and the support of all those included in the acknowledgments, I finished the book, made it to Hobart, and cracked the piñata. I know that I would never have made it without your help.
Notes
Preface
1. The measurements used in the book are nautical miles for distance and knots for speeds. One nautical mile is equivalent to 1.15 statute miles. A knot is equivalent to 1.15 miles per hour. In some cases, statute miles and miles per hour are also shown.
PART ONE: THE STORY OF THE AFR MIDNIGHT RAMBLER AND THE SYDNEY TO HOBART RACE
Chapter 2: The Patriarch of a Sailing Family
1. Bill Psaltis, personal communication.
Chapter 3: Nuzulu and the Start of a Winning Team
1. Arthur Psaltis, personal communication.
Chapter 6: The Aussie Competitors
1. Information about Australian competitors was derived from the following books: G. Bruce Knecht, The Proving Ground (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2002); Kim Leighton, A Hard Chance: The Sydney Hobart Disaster (Minocqua, WI: Willow Creek Press, 1999); Rob Mundle, Fatal Storm: The Inside Story of the Tragic Sydney-Hobart Race (Sydney: International Marine McGraw-Hill, 1999); and Debbie Whitmont, An Extreme Event: The Compelling, True Story of the Tragic 1998 Sydney-Hobart Race (Sydney: Random House Australia, 1999).
Chapter 7: Sayonara—The Big Yank Tank
1. Information about Larry Ellison and Sayonara was taken from Matthew Symonds, with commentary by Larry Ellison, Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle (New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2003); Mike Wilson, The Difference between God and Larry Ellison: Inside Oracle Corporation (New York: Harper, 2003); and Knecht, Proving Ground.
2. Symonds, Softwar, p. 311.
3. Ibid., p. 305.
4. “I Never Ever Mooned Larry Ellison,” Sailing World, March 14, 2003.
5. Symonds, Softwar, p. 315.
Chapter 8: Uncertain Weather—Buster or Bomb?
1. Information from this chapter was derived from sources including Preliminary Report on the Meteorological Aspects of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race, (Australia: Bureau of Meteorology, February 1999); New South Wales State Coroner's Inquest, 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race—Testimony and Evidence, April 2000; “Storm Warning,” Vanity Fair, May 1999; Knecht, Proving Ground.
2. Speech by John Mooney, Sydney to Hobart Race Awards Ceremony, January 2, 1999.
Chapter 10: Sayonara—The Best Professional Sailors on the Planet
1. Information for this chapter derived from Knecht, Proving Ground, and Symonds, Softwar.
2. Symonds, Softwar, p. 312.
3. Knecht, Proving Ground, p. 24.
4. Symonds, Softwar, p. 316.
5. Ibid.
Chapter 12: Sayonara—Temporary Humility
1. Symonds, Softwar, p. 317.
2. Ibid., p.318.
Chapter 14: AFR Midnight Rambler—Hard or Squishy?
1. Arthur Psaltis, personal communication.
2. Chris Rockell, personal communication.
Chapter 15: VC Offshore Stand Aside—A Twist of Fate
1. Interview with Ian Moray, Coroner's Inquest.
Chapter 16: Rescue from the Sky—Angels on Winches
1. Kristy McAlister, personal communication; Coroner's Inquest.
Chapter 17: AFR Midnight Rambler—Hell on White Water
1. Interview with Darryl Jones, Coroner's Inquest.
2. Statement from Darryl Jones, Coroner's Inquest.
Chapter 19: Sword of Orion—Out of Control
1. Material from this chapter derived from Coroner's Inquest and interviews with Rob Kothe, Steve Kulmar, and Adam Brown.
Chapter 20: General Mayday—An Official Catastrophe
1. Statement from John Hope Gibson, Coroner's Inquest.
Chapter 22: Sayonara—Tack the Boat
1. Information in this chapter derived from Symonds, Softwar; Knecht, Proving Ground; and “Storm Warning,” Vanity Fair.
2. Symonds, Softwar, p. 320.
3. Knecht, Proving Ground, 2nd edition, (LasVegas, NV: Amazon Encore, 2011), p. 257.
4. Symonds, Softwar, p. 321.
5. Ibid.
Chapter 24: Sayonara—A Thousand Years
1. Mundle, Fatal Storm.
2. Leighton, A Hard Chance, p. 241.
3. Ibid., p. 243.
4. Symonds, Softwar, p. 321.
5. Ibid.
Chapter 25: Go the Rambleñ
1. Ed Psaltis, personal communication.
PART TWO: CRITICAL STRATEGIES FOR TEAMWORK AT THE EDGE
Chapter 28: Introduction to the Strategies
1. Roger Hickman, personal communication.
Chapter 29: The Research Challenge
1. Phil Rosenzweig, The Halo Effect…and Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers (New York: Free Press, 2007).
2. Michael Raynor, et al., “Are ‘Great’ Companies Just Lucky?” Harvard Business Review, April 2009.
3. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in the Markets and in Life (New York: WW Norton & Company, 2001).
4. B.F. Skinner, “‘Superstition’ in the Pigeon,” Journal of Experimental Psychology 38:2 (April 1948), pp. 168-172.
5. “Medical Studies’ Claims Irk Profession's Skeptics,” Wall Street Journal, July 12, 1993.
Chapter 31: Team Unity
1. Ed Psaltis, personal communication.
2. Geoff Smart and Randy Street, Who: The A Method for Hiring (New York: Ballantine, 2008), p. 168.
3. Psaltis, ibid.
4. Smart and Street, Who, p. 168.
5. Deborah Ancona and Henrik Bresman, X-Teams: How to Build Teams That Lead, Innovate, and Succeed (Boston: Harvard Business School, 2007).
Chapter 32: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
1. Michael Bencsik, personal communication.
2. Dennis Connor and John Rousmaniere, No Excuse to Lose: Winning Yacht Races (New York: WW Norton & Company, 1978).
3. Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2009).
4. Ibid., p. 103.
5. Michael Useem, The Leader's Checklist: 15 Mission-Crit
ical Principles (Philadelphia: Wharton Digital Press, 2011).
6. John Rousmaniere, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, 3rd edition (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999).
7. General Richard Natonski, personal communication.
8. Richard S. Lowery, New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah (New York: Savas Beatie, 2010).
Chapter 33: Balanced Optimism
1. Ed Psaltis, personal communication.
2. Malcolm Park, personal communication.
3. Kenneth Kamler, Surviving the Extremes: A Doctor's Journey to the Limits of Human Endurance (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2004).
Chapter 34: Relentless Learning
1. R.B. Shaw and Dennis N.T. Perkins, “Teaching organizations to learn,” Organization Development Journal 9:4 (1992).
2. John Wukovits, American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders and America's First Special Forces Mission (New York: Penguin, 2009).
3. Neville Crichton, personal communication.
4. Malcolm Park, personal communication.
5. Vietnam Center and Archive at Texas Tech University.
Chapter 35: Calculated Risk
1. Jane Spencer and Cynthia Crossen, “Why Do Americans Believe Danger Lurks Everywhere?” Wall Street Journal, April 24, 2003.
2. Don Mays, “FurnitureTip-over KillsTwo-Year-Old,” Consumer Reports, September 21, 2010; http://news.consumerreports.org/safety/2010/09/furniture-tip-over-kills-2-year-old-1.html.
3. “How Americans Are Living Dangerously,” Time, November 26, 2006.
4. Andrew Sutherland, “Why are so many people dying on Everest?” British Medical Journal, (2006) 333:452.
5. Barry D. Watts, Clausewitzian Friction and Future War (Washington, D.C.: McNair Papers/National Defense University, 2004).
6. Eric S. Toner, Creating Situational Awareness: A Systems Approach, white paper prepared for a workshop hosted by the Institute of Medicine Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events, June 10, 2009.
7. Sharon Begley, “Afraid to Fly after 9/11, Some Took Bigger Risk—in Cars,” Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2004.
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