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Expedition Behavior: Petzoldt, Wiseman, and the Power of Behaving for Group Good

Great accomplishments for humanity rarely come from solo heroics. They arise instead from teams -small and large – who learn how to move together with purpose, humility, resilience, and goodwill. Outdoor expeditionary leadership, as taught by the late mountaineer Paul Petzoldt and practiced by astronaut Reid Wiseman, provides one of the clearest blueprints for how human beings can collaborate at their highest level. You will face crossroads—big choices, small choices, and moments when the next step isn’t clear. In these times, it helps to look to people who have lived and worked in places where every choice matters. Two such people are mountain leader Paul Petzoldt and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman. Even though one climbed peaks and the other orbited Earth, they shared a powerful idea called expedition behavior.

Expedition behavior is simple: how you act affects how far your team can go. And in life, your “team” may be your friends, classmates, coworkers, family, or future partners on big ideas.

What Paul Petzoldt Taught

Petzoldt believed that the wilderness teaches the truth about people. On an outdoor expedition, you can’t hide selfishness, laziness, or bad moods for long. As founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) he believed that the wilderness reveals a truth often obscured in modern life: a team survives and thrives only when every member behaves in ways that strengthen the group. That is the role of true leadership, whether it is practices from the front, from behind, or in the middle. He coined a phrase for this – Expedition Behavior (EB). He taught that good teammates:

  • Help each other without being asked
  • Stay patient when plans change
  • Take responsibility when things go wrong
  • Keep a positive attitude, even when tired
  • Do more than their share when others are struggling

He said that real leaders aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones who keep the entire group moving forward.

What Reid Wiseman Learned in Space

Reid Wiseman lived and worked on the International Space Station and takes the same concept of Expedition Behavior into orbit and interplanetary. Up there, teamwork is not just useful—it’s survival. In tight quarters, where crew members rely on each other for survival, expedition behavior is a form of life support. Wiseman teaches that good expedition behavior means:

  • Showing up motivated every day
  • Respecting different perspectives
  • Supporting your crewmates so the whole mission succeeds
  • Keeping your cool when things get stressful
  • Remembering that everyone’s role matters

He says success in space is not just about science; it’s about people who work well together.

Why Expedition Behavior Matters for You

You don’t have to climb mountains or float in space to use expedition behavior. Your “expeditions” might be finishing school, taking a first job, starting college, moving to a new place, or figuring out who you want to become. No matter the path, the same lessons apply:

  • Be dependable—do what you say you’ll do.
  • Treat people well—it matters more than you think.
  • Stay curious—questions open doors.
  • Help others succeed—you rise when others rise.
  • Keep learning—growth is a lifelong expedition.

Your Life Is an Expedition

Coming of age means stepping into the world with more freedom and more responsibility. Some days will feel like clear trails. Other days will feel like storms or steep climbs. Expedition behavior gives you a compass:

Lead with kindness. Work hard. Show up for your team. Dream big together.

The mountains and the stars both teach the same truth: you will go farther—and accomplish more—when you choose to act for the good of your group.

Your future is an expedition. Not simply a climb to the top. Bring your best expedition behavior. Prepare to lead throughh expected contingencies and always expect the unexpected. Remember what the old mountaineers said … Try to never climb up what you can’t climb down.

Expedition Behavior as a Model for Humanity

If expedition behavior works in the wilderness and in orbit, it works anywhere humans face complex, shared challenges—climate, technology, health, food, energy, peace.

At its core, expedition behavior is a disciplined commitment to the group good, expressed through everyday actions:

  • Be dependable.
  • Solve problems before they escalate.
  • Stay curious.
  • Celebrate others.
  • Keep yourself and your team in good condition—mentally, emotionally, physically.
  • Act like the mission matters more than your ego.

When practiced by a team of six on a climb, it builds trust. When practiced by a crew of three in orbit, it protects life. When practiced by millions across society, it becomes a quiet revolution.

The Virtue of the Expeditionary Mindset

Expeditionary leadership teaches that greatness is not a peak or a planet—it is the quality of the journey and the character of those who share it. Petzoldt and Wiseman remind us that:

  • The outdoors trains us to adapt.
  • Shared hardship teaches empathy.
  • Clear purpose bonds people across differences.
  • Good behavior is not optional—it’s the oxygen of a functioning team.

When individuals choose expedition behavior, they unlock something rare: the ability to achieve extraordinary things not despite others, but with them.

Toward Humanity’s Next Summits

The challenges facing our world today look less like marathons and more like expeditions: long, uncertain, demanding, and impossible to complete alone. Petzoldt’s rugged mountain wisdom and Wiseman’s orbital perspective both point us in the same direction:

Lead with humility.
Lift your teammates.
Behave for the good of the group.
Treat every mission as a shared journey.

This is the expeditionary path toward accomplishing great things for humanity—together.