On leadership- lessons learnt while backpacking

Last weekend we had a mutiny on the backpack to Thunder Swamp in Eastern PA. Initially, 7 of the 12 members decided to bail out at the end of the first day- we were a little bit lost, it was hot and humid, the bugs we eating us alive, we had no planned camping site and there was a chance of rain.
I am puzzled by the whole incident- we backpack because we want to. We sign up weeks in advance without full disclosure of what the conditions are going to be and we do it because, at least in my mind, because it is an adventure.
So, what happened?
Leadership failed.
These trips have a leader - he is supposed to keep the group together. First, the group was too large and had different skills. The group ended up being split in 2, the fast group and the slow group. Clarity on the rules of the hike were not reinforced at the start of the hike - so the split was difficult to handle because basic rules, like waiting on trail intersections, were not kept. This was partially the cause of us getting lost.
Second, the leader has to have the respect of the led. During the hike, there was a lack of 'respect' to the leader- in a jocking way- but reflecting the fact that some of the team did not hold the leader in high esteem. Words and actions do matter.
Third- the uncertainty does not help - not knowing where we were camping created a sense of loss on some of the members.
The dissenting group had a leader that generated an attractive alternative- a cold bear and comfortable bed for the night. For some this was an option- but then, why do you backpack?
Lessons learned- keep the group small, make sure that expectations and rules are clear and do not take abuse from the team.

Blog SOTR

Breaking new ground- my recent backpack to the Rainbow Plateau in Northern Arizona was my longest and "lightest" backpack.
This was a Sierra Club program, which I joined because it was early in the year and, in my grand plans, was practice for my trip to El Cocuy, in Colombia.
It proved that I could spend 7 days carrying 45+ pounds, and survive with very limited resources, in comfort and in happiness.
The passage of time effect - the "are were there yet" vs the"it's already Christmas" perception of time between children and grown ups appeared again. Every day was full of wonders- new things, new experiences and it felt as we had left Page (our staging point) a long time before. Seeing the petroglyphs, the Anazasi ruins ( we were one of very few "white" people that have seen these ruins), hiking the very narrow canyons, sometimes in deep water, coming down the slip rock or just seeing the magnificent landscape filled the days with wonder. Every day was filled with new and wonderful experiences.
The group worked very well together. It felt like camp- the first day we were all strangers trying to figure each one out - by the 8th day we were the best of friends and, at least for me, there was a very strong bond and sadness of leaving my 'old' friends. The three guide, Mike, Richard and Becky knew each other well. The 4 Canadian Doctors (2 of which were 70 years old!!) came together and Judy and  Liza knew each other from Alaska and were doing this trip together. Jim, Collin, July, Marie and me were traveling independently.
To my question of why do we do this ( carry 40+ lbs for 8 days on our backs, sleep in uncomfortable environment, bathroom facilities lacking facilities, being hot, cold, wet, hungry) one of the answers that I liked was "Because it is there and because I can".


What did I learn?

• I need less
• I can do things that I thought I could not do
• I can learn
• Practice, practice, practice
• Do not clean pots with sand with your bare hands

There are other trails to travel- just like the bear that climbed the other mountain- he saw another mountain and - he climbed it.

2009- it was a VERY good year

This was a good year.

Sara graduated Cum Laude from GW and I was so proud of her; she worked hard and the Cum Laude was unexpected and we found out on the way to the graduation ceremony.

It was such a thrill.

Sara graduating from college is really the highlight of the year. All of high school, the painful transition to college and everything before, in between and after- this is the culmination of my

responsibility as a parent- to provide my daughter

with the tools to be able to deal with life. We should never take

these things for granted and I consider myself very fortunate to have seen this day in May.

The graduation weekend was great- Jeff and Shawna came in, my sisters joined, the Plotkins were in

attendance and Reinica and Riva also joined. It was fantastic.

Barbara celebrated her 60th birthday and Sara did a great job organizing the festivities. Jeff, Mike, Judi and Hal and the kids, Mark and Lisa and the kids, Lori and Amos and Adam, the

Plotkins, and my sisters- they all came in to celebrate. The unexpected and pleasant surprise was to have Rochelle and Jeff fly in from California. It was a fun weekend where Barbara was really happy and enjoyed herself and her

company. Cuba Libre with her friends was great and having everybody around made it a very special weekend for Barbara.

Her van died during the weekend - my fault for getting it into, literally, deep water and, on top of the weekend, she got a brand new car - well deserved after 11 years with a minivan!

We had the great pleasure of having Shawna, Jeff and Olivia visit us in November - the little girl is beautiful! A great thing to be grateful for in 2009.

I was honored when Jonah Wasserman had his bris in February, carrying him for the circumcision. I am glad that it was Laura's dad that actually held him during the actual event.

It was a year of significant and impressive celebrations. After Barbara's birthday, we had Roberto's in Budapest- for us via Prague, later a great weekend celebrating Tuti's in Boston and completing

the cycle, the celebration of Moise's 80th in Bogotá where the Zachmann siblings had a very enjoyable long weekend - we were able to spend some time with Daniel and Miriam.

In June, I also had my 40th High School Reunion in Bogotá, which was also wonderful. For not having friends, I enjoy my old classmates and they seem to appreciate me also. Then again, when I tried to see them again in December, I had a very limited response. Well, such is life...

This was a much better year for me from a health perspective. I had a follow up procedure for my sinus area mass, which was successful and the AVM follow ups have shown that it has decrease in size. No other side effects.

For Barbara, this year was not that great- specially after the trip to Europe. Her anxiety and stress have come back and she has had no fun since then.

Hiking this year also gave me immense pleasure. The very high point was the trip with Daniel,

Leon and Georg to Ciudad Perdida. I had done 2 earlier trips to the area many years before- once to the peaks on the southern entrance with Andres Hernandez, Rodney Freeburn and James Kay, and once with Robby to Pueblito, on the coast by the Tairona Park; he had to be hauled out of the beach with after getting incredibly sunburnt (this was about 40 years ago!). Ciudad Perdida was then a myth and when it was finally found I really wanted to go; it seemed unattainable- initially because it was prohibited by the government and later because of the security situation in the area. But 2009 was the year.... It was more than worthwhile.

After 23 years of working for Wyeth, we were acquired by Pfizer. The announcement was made early in the year and the uncertainty has been significant; it has been an emotional roller coaster, and from a work perspective, it has been a lost year. The year ends with some uncertainty, but as the blind man said, "Amanecera y veremos".

This year I have been listening to classes on Jewish themes from the Learning Company. It has been very satisfying as it has opened a whole new world built around understanding many things that I took at face value and also raising fundamental questions of my beliefs and values.

Sara came back home and I take it as a gift. She will leave again but having her at home makes me very happy for the little time before she takes her next big step in Nursing School.

Yes, 2009 was a very good year...

What now....

Linear Accelerometer was applied to my AVM on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - instead of the Gamma Knife; seems they are equivalent.

The procedure is less intrusive than embolization and, from what I heard from all the pre-op docs, side effects will take longer to appear. Any impact could be seen in 6 to 8 weeks- and could be similar to the ones I had with embolization or worse- as the irritation of the brain could be more intense.

Follow up of the AVM will be done every 6 months using MRI scans- but any final determination regarding the status of the AVM will take about 2 years.

Life goes on - I am now focused on Big Bend in November and my appointment with the ENT doctor on Monday, August 11th to see what is the mass they found on my right sinus cavity.

One day at a time....

Death by Piano

I still do not know what the cause of the underlying cause of the headache was. The MRI showed the AVM and the rest is history -some still to be written.

The probabilities of having a stroke or cerebral bleeding are reason enough to treat the AVM, specially at my (tender :-)) age. The treatment of the AVM is not painfull but it is stressfull and I have had side effects that are concerning- episodes of numbness on my left side.

And then I can be run over by a bus, or killed by a falling piano.....

Knowldege forces you to act. It also creates stress and the benefits of that knowledge are questionable. If that piano falls on my head, all was for nothing.

Gum Disease and life

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If you have ever been in a dentist office chances are high that you have seen the poster of gum disease.
Recall the bone where teeth are attached? It is porous -not solid but full of holes. No two bones are the same - each one of us (maybe with the exception of identical twins) are the same. No bone structure is better or worse, just different.
But fundamentally, at the DNA level, we are the same.
Think about you refrigerator (for the older of us) or your iPod. Fundamentally they are the same but we have made them unique. I have my
Juanes and Vives songs, lots of the classical music I like and
photographs of Machu Picchu that give me great pleasure when my day is not going well. I would be very surprised if anybody in the world had
the same content on their iPod.
My iPod is no better or worse than anybody else's. It is just different
just like the bone in the Gum Disease poster
When the iPod came out of the box it was like our shared DNA- exactly the same.

To be continued ...

2nd Embolization

Done on April 3rd 2008. Overnighted in Hospital. Went well - better recovery than 1st time around.

Results were good and next step is the radiation treatment.

Key is timing given the busy schedule of Dr Rossenwasser- but this is important because he suggested no backpacking until AVM is gone.

Anyway, I am happy this is over with as Radiation is not as invasive as embolization. I was told no overnight will be required!!!