High Altitude Leadership

About the Author

Chris Warner is a climber, educator, entrepreneur, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker. With over 150 international mountaineering expeditions under his belt, ranging from K2 to Kilimanjaro, Chris has been imparting leadership and group development insights for over 25 years. In 1990, he founded Earth Treks, a chain of climbing centers serving more than 100,000 customers annually. His real-world experience and passion for climbing translate into profound leadership lessons applicable to the most extreme environments.

Don Schmincke, on the other hand, is a dynamic keynote speaker and a mad scientist turned provocative management sage. His unique approach, blending anthropology and evolutionary genetics, addresses the high failure rates of traditional management theories. As the founder of The Saga Institute, Don has been featured in various media outlets, including CNN and The Wall Street Journal, establishing himself as a leading global authority in his field.

Main Idea

"High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success" by Chris Warner and Don Schmincke presents a novel approach to leadership by drawing parallels between the challenges faced in mountaineering and those encountered in the business world. The book emphasizes that true leadership emerges in the most extreme and perilous conditions, whether on a mountain or in a corporate environment. By understanding and overcoming these dangers, leaders can guide their teams to peak performance and success.

Table of Contents

• Fear of Death
• Selfishness
• Tool Seduction
• Arrogance
• Lone Heroism
• Cowardice
• Comfort
• Gravity

Fear of Death

In the realm of high-altitude mountaineering, the fear of death is ever-present. This fear, however, is not limited to the physical danger of falling from a cliff but extends to metaphorical death in the business world. The authors describe a gripping scene from Chris Warner's journal where a highly experienced climber, Nima Nurbu Sherpa, falls to his death. This event serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present danger and the need for decisive action in the face of fear.

“High altitude leaders tame fear in themselves, their teams and their organizational cultures by taking decisive action.” - Warner and Schmincke

To overcome the paralyzing effect of fear, leaders must embrace the possibility of failure and death, whether it pertains to a project, goal, or even a career. This acceptance frees them to act decisively and inspire their teams to push beyond their limits. The book highlights how leaders can transform fear into a powerful motivator, driving their teams to achieve remarkable outcomes.

• A team facing a critical deadline decides to embrace the risk and push through the final hours, knowing that failure is a possibility but choosing action over inaction.
• A leader openly discusses the potential failure of a new initiative with their team, encouraging transparency and a collective effort to mitigate risks.
• An organization conducts regular training sessions to prepare employees for high-pressure situations, ensuring they can act decisively when faced with challenges.

Selfishness

Selfishness is another perilous danger in both mountaineering and leadership. Warner recounts an instance where climbers, driven by their egos, continued their ascent despite being warned of impending danger. Their selfish pursuit of glory endangered not only themselves but their entire team.