“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”~Edmund Hillary
My child is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro next summer. That has me thinking about mountains, what it takes to climb (or conquer) them, and what it takes to prepare. I think about what they have literally in front of themself, and of how they’ll have to push themself, and I realize that while it is entirely different from our daily challenges in life and leadership and the figurative mountains we conquer, it is also very much the same.
In order to make it up that mountain they’ll have to believe that they can make it up the mountain and envision themself reaching the summit. At the same time, they will also have to know that it’s okay if they don’t. A sudden storm, altitude sickness – a multitude of reasons might cause them to abandon the climb, and yet they’ll need to still recognize that they have succeeded. In mountain climbing as in leadership, we need the vision to see, set, and achieve our goals – and the fortitude and self-confidence to accept setbacks or failure, and reassess our approach.
They’ll have to sleep on the ground, withstand bitter temperatures, carry their gear, and work in a team. All of these will require her to push themself farther – mentally, physically, and emotionally – than they probably ever has. Again, no different, in some ways, from the challenges we face and internal obstacles we overcome when we climb our figurative mountains. We often have to fight against our own doubts, perspectives, and resistance, as well as those of others, in order to achieve our goals.
And in the end, they will celebrate – whatever the outcome. Celebrate conquering their mountain and pushing themself beyond their self-imposed limits. Celebrate what they’ve learned and how they’ve grown. Just what effective leaders and managers do when their mountains are conquered, when their objectives are attained. They stop and acknowledge what they’ve conquered, on the outside, as well as within themselves.
To learn more about leadership and mountain climbing, read “The Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest” by Michael Useem available through Harvard Business Review.
Next time you’re faced with a challenge, dig deep to see what internal obstacle, perspective, or resistance may be in your way – and move past it.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
If you want help conquering mountains and yourself, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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