The rubicon represents the moment of commitment to a course of actions.
When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BCE, he broke Roman law and sealed the fate of the Republic.
The Rubicon was a small river marking the northern boundary of Italy, and generals were forbidden to lead their armies across it under arms. To do so was an act of treason and a declaration of civil war. With the decision, the die were cast.
The decision to cross implies a high stakes decision and can almost certainly guarantee repercussions.
As I reflected what the Team Liftoffs Lounge was about, I was drawn to the idea of crossing the rubicon together. The commitment to action, but also the moments leading up to it.
I find myself drawn to these situations particularly with a team, whether in commercial, creative or sporting endeavours. The moment before crossing the river. The moments of readying oneself.
The river itself is more than just a metaphor here.
Even in terms of biology, Carl Sauer believed that before humans, rivers were the primary cause of plant specialisation.
They cut through climax rainforest (where no new order could be formed) that is, everything had already become specialised within its niche. The river changed the order, dividing up the space, creating new specialisations could be formed within these new spaces.
By crossing the river, we’re entering a new zone where we are no longer ‘fit’.
We’re now outside of the comfort zone.
The river was a membrane – the safety of ‘known order’ lies inside, everything else and everything new, outside. For something new to emerge, a boundary must be crossed.
But the crossing into a new domain requires an energy to continue, an awareness of the surroundings, a capacity to adapt and sustain. The demands of novelty make no provisions for anything less.
A team crossing the rubicon must prepare to be able to change, adapt, reform, recalibrate, improve, continue, and always in the face of active confrontation. Perhaps you could say that the die were already cast when the team prepared itself because its preparation influenced the team’s propensity to thrive.
To cross a boundary and to do so with a team is nerve-wracking, high-stakes, high risk but also thrilling. The prize is to come back with something new.
The Team Liftoffs Lounge will provide “pre-rubicon reading material” for teams, for the moments leading up to a launch into something new.
This endeavour is also a commitment from my side. If you are curious about this content, feel free to subscribe. I’ll be publishing insights and field notes monthly.
Next article to be published on the Team Liftoffs Lounge:
Fuel How Far, Water How Long.