Navigating the post COVID world of business is as challenging as climbing a mountain – simplicity, agility, self awareness and a greater purpose are the keys to success!
In the normal course, I would have been in Ecuador this month, climbing two 6000m + mountains back to back and jetting off to Galapagos, bringing the adventures of the mountains and the oceans together! Alas, that ain’t going to happen anytime soon!!
Instead, I am very much in my home location in Bangalore, India, navigating the highs and lows of leading a business in the new world we live in today. It got me thinking how leading businesses in the post COVID world is a bit like climbing a mountain! And I am not saying this because high altitude mountain climbing often comes with its share of altitude sickness affecting the lungs and brain and leading to fatalities if not addressed quickly!
I had written on this topic back in Nov 2014, right after my Everest base camp trek, linking it to transformation in the world of supply chain: Five Ways Supply Chain Transformation is Like an Everest Ascent… The interesting point is that climbing offers many great learnings that can be applied very well to the world of business, particularly when faced with challenges, the especial need to make decisions based on few data points with a future that is uncertain!
I think a great way to bring some of the learnings together is to look at the best known words of wisdom coming from the greatest of mountaineers in the world of climbing.
‘Because it’s there!’ – Mountaineers are often asked why they take on huge risks to climb a mountain and one of the best answers comes from George Mallory when he says, ‘Because it’s there!’. I love the simplicity in the response but it also hides away all the complexity that is behind it to make it happen. The world of business is similar. All of us that work for ‘for profit’ organizations know the goal is simple, its is all about growth and profit, its hides away the massive industry of people, processes and systems that actually make it happen. The interesting learning here is that it is important to state the goal in simple terms to make it happen. But, it is equally important to not think that that is the only thing that matters; which leads us to the next word of wisdom!
‘Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory.’ – One of my favourite quotes from Ed Viesturs, just 300 m from the summit of Mt. Everest. This is always the toughest call to make as climbers train and prepare for this day for a year or more. In the world of business, often times, we are heavily invested in a business strategy and somewhere along the way realise that it might not be the best approach, particularly in a changed business environment, and often do not make the call to correct course. The term ‘Escalation of commitment‘ in behavioural psychology best describes this; when an individual or group facing increasingly negative outcomes from a decision, action or investment nevertheless continues with it instead of altering course. In the world of business, it is important to persevere and reach the goals but it is equally important to be realistic and self aware and decide when to give up and change course!
‘Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.’ – Often times, we do come across people in general and leaders in particular who are consumed by their ambition to achieve and use their organizations as platforms to further their interests. An other approach could be to focus on the greater purpose and objectives of the organization and use it as a compass to steer towards results. It gives leaders a greater clarity of purpose and the courage and strength to get to the objectives. It is all about learning from the past, setting the direction for the future but addressing the present challenges, that leads to valuable learnings for the individual as well as the organization; a win-win situation. When Anatoli Boukreev speaks of this in the context of mountaineering, it seems so apt to the world of business.
‘It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.’ – There is no better way to sum up the learnings from the world of mountaineering than this quote from Edmund Hillary. It is often felt that it is physical strength that is most important to be able to climb a mountain, but for those of us who have been to a few summits and prevailed summit nights, it is well known that it is the mental strength that matters – perseverance, courage, conviction and a strong will is what helps one get to the top of a high mountain; of course one needs to meet a certain threshold of physical fitness. All of us climb mountains big and small in our life; when the going gets tough, it is all about choices we make to keep going or to retreat and come back stronger but not to give up on the dream. It is this inner strength and the ability to conquer ourselves that matters most as leaders, far more that getting to the top of a summit. It is the journey that is more meaningful than the end in itself!!
Mountain climbing comes with its fair share of uncertainty linked to weather, environment, a falling rock or an accident and the need to plan and make decisions with very few data points could mean the difference between life and death. The world of business today is characterised by uncertainty; leaders need to plan and make decisions that could lead a business to grow and thrive or fail and shut down. There could be many different ways to interpret and internalise the words of wisdom from the greatest of mountaineers. While, I have shared my reflections on the topic, it would be interesting to look at other perspectives as well. I am sure, irrespective of the many interpretations, we can agree that simplicity, agility, self awareness and a greater purpose will go a long way in charting a meaningful journey that does not just focus on the end!
Leave a Reply