By Adelle Harrington, VP EMEA, KellyOCG
Our most recent Talent Leadership in Action (TLIA) event in London brought together HR, talent acquisition, and procurement leaders to share their experiences navigating challenging times. Through keynote speeches and roundtable discussions, one theme was clear: developing tools and strategies to lead through adversity has never been more critical.
The event’s highlight was an inspiring keynote by polar explorer Ann Daniels, a world-record holder and one of the first women in history to reach both the North and South Poles as part of all-women teams. Ann has led or participated in 14 polar expeditions, enduring -58 degrees Celsius (-72 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures, carbon monoxide poisoning, and even a solo attempt to reach the North Pole. (Which was cut short by the Russian government after she survived FIVE polar bear encounters!)
As I listened, I was struck by the idea that trust and empathy are the cornerstones of successful leadership—even under adversity. And I was reminded that good leaders prioritise team over individual egos and hire individuals with not only technical skills, but also the mindset to collaborate and adapt under pressure.
A lesson in trust.
Ann shared a particularly harrowing moment from a North Pole expedition. One night, as the team slept in their tent on the ice, a worst-case scenario unfolded. The ice cracked and began to break up beneath them. With no outside assistance available, survival depended entirely on the team’s preparation and trust in one another.
As Ann told it, each woman had an assigned role in the event of an emergency. Ann’s job was to throw all the gear out of the tent as quickly as possible. Another teammate was responsible for loading the sledges with the supplies. A third woman was tasked with monitoring the ice and signalling when to make their escape.
Inside the tent, as the ice cracked and shook beneath her, Ann fought the instinct to check conditions for herself. Trusting her teammate’s judgement was critical. Leaving the tent for even a moment could have cost them the time and gear needed to survive. That trust—coupled with clear roles and thorough preparation—ensured the team’s survival.
The lesson I took away was choose your team carefully—train them well—then trust them to do their jobs.
The power of communication.
Ann also underscored the importance of communication in leadership. Once her team was forced to take shelter by hibernating under collapsed tents for three days in a fierce storm. It would have been easy to give in to fear or frustration. Instead, the team made a conscious effort to stay connected, shouting over the howling wind to continuously check in and maintain morale.
When the storm passed, instead of quickly pushing to make up lost time, Ann chose to pause, gather her team, and poll each person to learn if they wanted to continue on to the Pole.
I heard that the power of communication and collaborative decision-making not only reinforces a team’s unity, but also empowers them to conquer obstacles and achieve their goals.
Empathy at the core of leadership.
To me, Ann’s leadership is a study in balancing strength with empathy. By consistently communicating, making decisions as a group, and prioritising the wellbeing of her team members, she showed how even the most extreme challenges can be overcome with trust, preparation, and compassion.
I’ll take away several lessons from her presentation: the importance of carefully choosing and training your team, the value of consistent communication, and the power of collective decision-making. But above all, I’ll remember that amazing things are possible when empathy lies at the heart of leadership.