Editor’s note: This summary was provided with the assistance of AI.

Skipper Gavin Rees led London Business School to second place in the 2025-26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. In this mini-episode, he tells Business Casual’s Pola Lem about the leadership lessons he gleaned in this high-stakes environment.

LESSONS FROM THE SEA: LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK

What can sailing, a notoriously grueling sport, teach us about teamwork and business? In today’s conversation, Gav Rees, skipper of the London Business School team, shares insights from their remarkable journey in the 2025-26 Clip Around the World yacht race, where they finished second after an incredible 11-month adventure across six continents.

Gav reflects on how sailing has shaped his understanding of teamwork. “To sail yachts, it is a lot easier to work as a team,” he explains, highlighting that the mental and physical challenges of sailing require cohesive collaboration. The experience sailing alongside crew members who were mostly novices added a unique layer of complexity.

LEADING THE UNTRAINED

Leading a crew of amateur sailors presented challenges distinct from managing trained professionals. Gav emphasizes, “Setting up the structure with the team before we left was really important for us to identify what our overall goal was.” The LBS crew consisted of diverse individuals from over 12 nationalities, each bringing different experiences and skills. Empowering team members to take ownership of their roles proved crucial in fostering unity and performance.

One of the striking insights Gav shares is the importance of adaptive leadership. He describes moments on the boat that called for a more autocratic approach during critical maneuvers, while other situations allowed for a more democratic style in decision-making. “Being adaptive and situational with the type of leadership style that you’re using in the right moment is really important,” he notes.

LESSONS LEARNED

Through this journey, Gav discovered much about resilience, not just within himself but also in his crew. He remarks on the unexpected strength he observed in others, stating, “You learn a lot about yourself in terms of resilience over a race of this length.” The challenges faced at sea mirrored those encountered in the business world, offering valuable lessons in leadership under pressure.

As we reflect on Gav’s experiences, it’s evident that the principles of teamwork, adaptability, and resilience apply both on the high seas and in the boardroom.

For more on Gav’s insights and the full story of the LBS team’s journey, listen to the complete episode.

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