Oh Captain, My Captain

This is a race.  A competition.  But there appears to be very little tension.  Everyone exudes a positive energy.  And I think that energy comes from our crew chief.  It is rare to find the type of leader that we find in Barrie.

Barrie’s philosophy is simple:  positive energy yields positive results.  I have yet to see him raise his voice, yet the team is enormously disciplined.  No role is belittled, and Barrie lets every individual know he or she is a crucial piece to this puzzle.  Perhaps most importantly, he allows himself to be a resource while trusting in the judgments of his team members.

Trust is an essential component of this race.  The riders trust that the crew will keep them safe.  They trust in each other to give 110% on every pull.  Crew members trust in each other to pull his or her own weight.  And everyone trusts each other to follow RAAM’s extensive rule book.

Speaking of rules, I think it is important to note how Team ViaSat sets itself apart from other competitors in the race.  We have already seen many teams breaking follow-car rules.  Not ViaSat.

But there is more to just following the rules.  There is the manner by which the team conducts itself.  Kindness towards other riders.  Cheers for every passing competitor.  And a general willingness to be helpful.

That is not the case with some competitors, as our media team learned this morning circa 2:45am.  As we traced the route to the time station in Missouri’s capital, we approached two women we believed to be RAAM officials.  We asked them to confirm we were going the right direction.  One woman promptly pointed us in the wrong direction, while the other’s English mysteriously turned unintelligible.

It was at this point we noticed their team jerseys.

Not so with Team ViaSat.   We want to win.  But we want to win the right way.  And we are now over half way there.

-WG 6/22/11