Explorers and Business Leaders have many things in common and different perspectives, when conquering the peak is not the destination to rest. Let’s read the article to understand more about the perspective of comparing real-life experiences and management principles.
THE SUMMIT IS JUST THE BEGINNING
In his memoir “Beyond Possible,” Nepalese mountaineer Nimsdai Purja recounts his haunting moment on the summit of Everest: “True victory is not about reaching the summit, but about coming home safely.”
This quote strangely echoes Satya Nadella’s philosophy in his book “Hit Refresh”: “Success is the worst teacher. It makes smart people think they can’t fail.”
Two men from two different fields, but they both point out the same truth: Reaching the summit is only half the battle. Maintaining that position is the real challenge.
HARD-LEARNED LESSONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN EXPLORER AND BUSINESS LEADER
The Complacency Trap After Success
- Exploration perspective: According to statistics from the International Mountaineering Association, 83% of accidents occur when descending mountains, often due to subjective psychology after reaching the top.
- Business perspective: Research from Harvard Business Review shows that 70% of companies lose their leading position within 5 years due to failure to innovate after success.
The Art of Quitting
- In business: Microsoft discontinued Windows Phone development in 2017 to focus on cloud computing – a move that was seen as key to its return to the top.
- Case in point: In 2018, a National Geographic expedition cancelled its climb to K2 after reaching 8,000m due to bad weather conditions – a decision that was widely praised by experts.
3 SURVIVAL RULES
Always keep “reserve resources”
- Explorer: Carry 30% of oxygen reserve even though calculating only need 70%
- Enterprise: Apple always maintains a cash balance of 200+ billion USD even when at the top
Change or die
- Purja once shared: “On the high mountain, the stubborn die first”
- Nadella wrote in the book: “The culture of ‘knowing it all’ is the fatal disease of every organization”
True success is the journey
- Jeff Bezos: “Amazon is always on Day 1” (Day 1 philosophy)
- Ed Viesturs – the man who climbed the 14 highest peaks without using oxygen tanks: “I don’t climb mountains to die, but to continue climbing”
CASE STUDY FROM REALITY
Lessons from failure:
- Kodak (invented digital cameras but did not dare to give up film) vs
- Mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev (saved many people in the 1996 Everest disaster by carrying spare oxygen)
Resurgence stories:
- Like Purja choosing a different climbing route when the weather is bad, even though it costs the effort to prepare
- Microsoft under Nadella: Abandoning Windows as the center, moving to the cloud
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SUSTAINABILITY
Both fields teach us:
- The peak is most dangerous when you think you have “won”
- The most valuable resource is not equipment/capital, but the ability to adapt
- True greatness is the journey, not the destination
“In a world where 40% of S&P 500 companies will disappear in the next 10 years (according to McKinsey), and 1 in 5 climbers die on the descent, this survival lesson has never been more relevant” – Comment from risk management expert Michael Watkins.
References:
- Book “Beyond Possible” – Nimsdai Purja
- Book “Hit Refresh” – Satya Nadella
- Innosight’s “Corporate Longevity” Report
- Statistics from the International Mountaineering Association
