Polar Preet: The Courage to Start, the Wisdom to Adapt, and the Power to Keep Moving

“I get scared. I get nervous. I get afraid. And then I go and do it anyway.”

Preet Chandi, better known around the world as Polar Preet, has built a career by challenging the boundaries of what seems possible. A British Army officer, physiotherapist, explorer, and multiple world record holder, she became the first woman of colour to complete a solo, unsupported expedition to the South Pole and has since broken multiple endurance records in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Yet what struck me most during our conversation was not the records. It was how ordinary she insists she is: “I think I am a normal person.” 

That mindset matters in business. Organizations are rarely held back by a lack of intelligence or capability; more often, they are frozen by uncertainty and the desire for perfect information. Preet’s story is a masterclass in moving before you feel fully ready, learning honestly, and pairing determination with judgment.

Start Before You Feel Ready

When Antarctica was first suggested to Preet, she knew almost nothing about polar exploration. She had never seriously skied, had never experienced temperatures of -80°C, and literally started by searching Google to learn how people got to Antarctica.

What separated her from everyone else who had a big idea was simple. She started. "The appeal for me was trying something I didn't know anything about," she explains. "Where do you even start?"   

By connecting with strangers, asking questions, and learning from experts, she discovered what many leaders overlook. The route becomes clearer after you take the first step onto the ice. As she puts it, “Consistency and discipline beat talent.”

The principle extends far beyond Antarctica. An article in Entrepreneur argues that action is often the key differentiator between those who succeed and those who remain trapped in planning. For executives, that can mean piloting an imperfect strategy, testing a new technology, or putting an early transformation design in front of employees. The organizations that advance are rarely those with perfect plans; they are the ones willing to test, learn, adjust, and keep moving.

Own the Failure. Keep the Learning.

One of the most compelling moments in our conversation came when Preet openly discussed failure. On a major Antarctic expedition, she came up 100 miles short of her coast-to-coast goal due to extreme weather, limited supplies, and time constraints. Many people would have rewritten the story. She refuses to. "I did fail," she says. "But that doesn't mean I'm not proud of myself and what I achieved."  More importantly, she rejected the temptation to blame external circumstances. "I took accountability for my mistakes. If I'm going to talk about all the external things that made me fail, what’s the point as I can't change or control them." 

That perspective transformed her performance. The painful lessons from that expedition ultimately helped her return and break the female speed record to the South Pole.

Too many organizations treat failure as something to hide. High performers separate blame from learning. They name what happened, own what they could control, and apply the insight to the next decision. That discipline matters when a product launch disappoints, a transformation stalls, or an investment thesis proves wrong.

Action Creates Confidence

One of the biggest myths in leadership is that confident people act. Preet believes the opposite is often true. "How do you know you can do it?" she asks. "You don't have the evidence in your mind." 

She didn't jump straight into Antarctica. She trained hard in Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. She learned from guides, developed her skills gradually, and built confidence layer by layer. "You can wait and wait for the perfect moment," she says, "or be the person who makes mistakes but keeps going." 

Psychology Today reinforces her view: confidence is often built through action, not before it. Small acts of courage expand what feels possible. For leaders navigating new markets, emerging technologies, acquisitions, or large-scale change, the implication is practical: reduce the size of the first move, not the ambition of the destination. A well-designed pilot creates learning, competence, and the confidence to scale.

Lighten the Sled

Early in her career, part of Preet's motivation came from proving people wrong. Over time, however, she realized that carrying that anger was only making the journey harder. "I struggled with that because it was just making my sled heavier," she shares.

Eventually, her focus shifted. "I want to show people who didn't think they could do something like this that they can go and do anything." That transition is extremely powerful. External motivation can ignite the first step, but purpose sustains performance over the long term.

The metaphor is powerful for leaders. What are we dragging behind us? Resentment, outdated assumptions, fear of criticism, or the need for validation, which all consumes energy without advancing the mission. With a growth mindset, the best leaders stop trying to prove critics wrong and start helping others see what is possible.

Know When Not to Push

Elite performance is often framed as pushing harder. Preet learned a more nuanced lesson. During one expedition, she injured her neck and left leg after pushing too hard, too early, and ignoring warning signs. She developed “polar thigh,” a cold injury associated with extreme conditions and friction from layered clothing.

Looking back, she recognizes the flaw in that approach. "Keep pushing, keep pushing, don't give up," she says, recalling the mindset she carried. "Actually, it didn't help at all." 

The next time, she imposed limits. No skiing beyond twelve hours. Proper recovery. Consistent sleep. Better pacing. The result? Her strongest performance.

This is where judgment becomes more important than determination. Research published through the National Library of Medicine shows that elite decision-makers balance ambition with disciplined judgment, particularly under pressure. Preet conducts formal risk assessments and deliberately involves her husband, David Jarman, in critical decisions. “You should never be the only person that pulls you out,” she explains. The same principle applies in business: leaders need clear stopping rules, trusted challenge, and the discipline to respond to weak signals before commitment becomes recklessness.

That insight is invaluable for business leaders. Ambition without governance is like walking on thin ice. Judgment without ambition is an icebound standstill. Excellence lives between the two.

The Expedition We All Face

Preet Chandi’s achievements are not only about Antarctica. They reveal a progression familiar to every leader facing uncertain terrain. Start before you are fully ready, learn honestly from failure, build confidence through action, shed what no longer serves the mission, and know when judgment must override grit.

That is why her story resonates in business. Most of us are navigating shifting terrain, incomplete information, and conditions that will never be perfect.

The question is this: What is the expedition you keep talking about but have not yet had the courage to begin?

Dr. Lance Mortlock is the author of Outside In, Inside Out – Unleashing the Power of Business Strategy in Times of Market Uncertainty, EY Canada Managing Partner, Industrials & Energy, Strategist & Adjunct Associate Professor.