According to a study published in the British Medical Journal 82% of the deaths on Mount Everest happen during or just after a summit attempt. The study notes that “marked fatigue, late summit times, and the tendency to fall behind companions are common among non-survivors.”
It is also an interesting finding of the study that “the death rate during all descents from the summit via the standard routes was higher for climbers than for Sherpas” (Sherpas are an ethnic group of people living around the most mountainous parts of Nepal and neighbouring countries. Sherpas regularly guide climbers through the treacherous terrain around Mount Everest). Specifically, 2.7% of climbers perished, versus 0.4% of Sherpas, or 43 out of 1,585 climbers versus 5 out of 1,231 Sherpas.
Clearly, experience matters, by a factor of 7 in this example. Can we draw an analogy here and say that, in rudimentary terms, an inexperienced Leader is 7 times more likely to fail than one with experience?
Bear in mind that as a Leader you are more of a ‘sherpa’ (a guide) than a climber. You are guiding and leading your team to excel. For you, the climb itself is secondary, seeing as you have completed the climb on several previous occasions. Your primary goal is to lead your team successfully, with no casualties along the way, if possible.
First and foremost, you are leading your team so they thrive and flourish.
You think of your team first, before yourself. It’s not about you. If you find yourself behaving as if the climb itself is your primary goal, then ask yourself whether you are really a sherpa, or actually a climber.
Experienced sherpas are, typically, better at dealing with the danger of blizzards, avalanches and jet streams with winds up to 300 kilometres per hour. Just some of the real risks involved in an Everest trek.
Similarly, experienced Leaders are, typically, better at dealing with changes in organisational strategic direction, conflicting priorities, poorly performing team members, lack of relevant stakeholder support, unrealistic delivery timeframes and expectations, and poor selection of project team and board members. Just some of the real risks involved in leading a team or organisation.
My view on great leaders as great sherpas resonates with a new article in the January-February 2018 edition of the Harvard Business Review titled The Best Leaders Are Great Teachers. The author, Sydney Finkelstein, is a professor of management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Finkelstein encourages leaders to approach their direct reports like teachers. As Finkelstein explains, a teacher-leader frequently meets face to face with employees to share insights about professionalism, points of craft, and life lessons. He says that teaching is easy to try and is one of the best ways to motivate people. He concludes that “when you embrace the role of teacher, you build loyalty, turbocharge your team’s development, and drive superior business performance.”
Remember, a great leader is a great sherpa. Be self-aware. Regularly engage in self-analysis to determine whether you are behaving like a sherpa or a climber.
Reference: Mortality on Mount Everest, 1921-2006: descriptive study, Paul G Firth, Hui Zheng, Jeremy S Windsor et al.
GAICD, M.Comp (Monash)
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