CHIARA MONTANARI
ANTARCTIC MINDSET
From Antarctica to Organisations: The Mindset for Thriving in Uncertainty and Complexity
The un-expected
"Today’s world is becoming more and more like Antarctica: a vast, risky and unpredictable environment that continually challenges us with the unexpected.”
In today’s world, uncertainty is the rule, not the exception. Coping with it does not mean eliminating it, but about becoming aware of it and equipping ourselves with the right tools to navigate complexity. Through her speeches and training courses, Chiara supports companies and teams in this transition, helping them develop a mindset capable of transforming uncertainty into possibility.
Farnesina -Ritratti di donne - Scienza
How to become resilient through -TEDxLakeComo
Vanity Fair Dreamers - TIMVISION
“The only label I embrace is ‘life explorer’; we all are.”
Explorer, engineer and speaker, Chiara Montanari made history as the first Italian woman to lead an expedition to Antarctica. With over 15 years’ experience managing polar missions, she has participated in five international expeditions, representing Italy, France and Belgium, and she has managed some of the most extreme research stations on Earth, including Concordia Station, located at an altitude of 4,000 metres, where temperatures range from -50°C to -80°C.
In addition to polar expeditions, she has worked as a researcher in Organisational Theory at the Politecnico di Milano and at the Centre for Epistemology of Complexity at the University of Bergamo. She has held managerial positions in various sectors, including digital broadcasting, innovation and scientific research.
The combination of her academic background and leadership in the field led Chiara to develop the Antarctic Mindset, a powerful method for thriving in uncertainty, and tackling complexity through adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking.
Antarctic Mindset
Extraordinary Mindset for Ordinary Days: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity.
The Antarctic Mindset is an approach to navigating uncertainty and complexity, developed from experience in extreme environments and research on organizations. Over time, it has been embraced in a wide range of industries - from energy, finance, and insurance to fashion, design, real estate, and high-tech, as well as healthcare, research, education, and innovation.
Effective Leadership
Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers - it requires flexibility, adaptability, and a systemic vision. The Antarctic Mindset cultivates the ability to make effective decisions and lead teams even in high-risk situations, with incomplete information and ambiguity—just as in polar expeditions.
Resilient collaboration
In the heart of Antarctica, collaboration is the key to survival. This approach helps teams and organizations work effectively even in high diversity groups and under high-pressure conditions, developing trust, shared responsibility, and resilient team dynamics.
Adaptive thinking
Managing a mission in an extreme environment requires embracing the paradox of being thoroughly prepared in order to improvise effectively. The Antarctic Mindset cultivates strategic skills and complex thinking to be able to act effectively in ever-changing situations.
Bring the Antarctic Mindset into your organization.
Face uncertainty, empower leadership, and transform challenges into opportunities. Discover a fresh approach to navigating change and complexity through tailored speeches, workshops, and training sessions. Contact us to learn more