Rebecca Stephens was the first British woman to climb Everest and the Seven Summits. Here she discusses what she discovered about achieving goals
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Management Today
On 17th May 1993, accompanied by sherpas Ang Passang and Kami Tchering, I stood on the highest point on Earth. There were just the three of us, and we couldn’t see another person in the world – just Himalayan peak after peak, stretching east and west, and the vast expanse of the Tibetan sky.
I was the first British woman to enjoy such a privilege. The following year I went on to climb the Seven Summits – the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents. It’s tough at the top, battered by the full force of nature, and all the superficialities of life are stripped away to reveal only what matters.
The lessons I learned about the human condition, leadership, teamwork and the implementation of strategy – any strategy – were the most profound of my life. Here are three fundamentals I learned and carry with me every day.
A burning desire is key to achieving your vision
In the mountains we must keep a clear vision through the fog – literally. In today’s increasingly complex world there is a constant fog that envelops us in a blanket of unknowns, uncertainty and ambiguity; our progress is mired by the friction of differing views and ambitions.
But vision alone isn’t enough. I couldn’t possibly have climbed Everest without a burning desire to do so – there were simply too many valid excuses to turn around! A burning desire to do something, it seems, is common among those who successfully implement strategies.
In researching my latest book, Making it Happen: Lessons from the Frontline of Strategy Execution, I interviewed a soldier, doctor, dancer, diplomat, teacher, entrepreneur, businesswoman, space engineer and mountaineer and, without exception, each was an embodiment of what they did; they each had a strong sense of purpose and fierce desire to accomplish their goal.
Nothing of scale is achieved alone
I only truly understood this on Everest. I never could have climbed Everest without Ang and Kami and, indeed, every member of the team. Unpicking it all, in retrospect I realise that the Sherpas and I had built a friendship based on the three timeless graces of teamwork; respect, trust and honesty. Had we not, we wouldn’t have gone the extra mile against the mounting odds of worsening weather and exhausted bodies racked by the effects of extreme altitude.
Our education system mostly teaches us about individual accomplishment but, in the real world, our relationships and connections with others are what make us human and keep us sane – this is also what enables us to implement our strategies and make things happen.
The power of a 100% mindset
There was one decision point on Everest when, frankly, the odds of success were dismal. We’d climbed high and retreated, and now questioned whether we should make a second attempt; time, weather forecast and exhaustion were against us. I thought the odds were about one-in-100 (our expedition doctor thought this optimistic!)
The reason I could dig deep, and lift myself from this darkest hour, was that I asked myself, ‘How am I going to feel if I go home knowing that I might have made one last effort?’ I had to give it my all. Then, even if the weather were to defeat us, I could rest easy knowing there was nothing more we could have done.
Be the first to comment