Jan 21, 2025
“One of the big lessons anyone can take out of COVID was that everyone was forced to live in a world that was out of control and you just had to adapt and respond.”
In this episode, I chat to David Knoff, Antarctic Expedition Leader and author of 537 Days of Winter, on high-stakes risk and crisis management, and being adaptable around your mission.
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David brings over 15 years of experience and expertise in diplomacy, conflict resolution, resilience and remote leadership in some of the world's most challenging environments, where he has faced extreme adversity head-on.
From serving as a young Platoon Commander in the Solomon Islands to a pivotal diplomatic posting in Pakistan during a period of intense regional conflict, David’s journey has been shaped by moments that demand empathy, adaptability, and strength in uncertainty.
David took a sabbatical as a photographer in Turkey, capturing the Dastories of refugees escaping the Syrian conflict, before working in high-stakes environments to contribute to the international fight against ISIS.
More recently, he led Australia’s Davis Research Station in Antarctica, navigating the isolation of COVID-19 and an extended mission in one of the harshest environments on earth. Off the back of that, he has just released a book called 537 Days of Winter, and he discusses in the episode the harrowing life and death story that inspired it.
In today’s Masterclass we will share:
✅ Being comfortable with uncertainty and not being under control
✅ His anecdotal evidence on human response mechanisms to fear and threat
✅ How to factor in risk and crisis management in strategic planning, and balancing this process with instinctive action, and
✅ Being adaptable around your mission, in particular his experiences during the COVID-induced extended mission where they were stranded in the Antarctic.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with David Knoff
You can connect with Davidl via LinkedIn or Facebook and E-mail.
Books and resources
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537 Days of Winter - by David Knoff
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Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage - by Alfred Lansing
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