Chris Warner and Don Schmincke

Friday's Fabulous Flyers

 Chris and Don

Chris Warner 

Chris is a more than a entrepreneur, he's an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, and climber who has led more that 150 international mountaineering expeditions. He is also an educator who teaches leadership development and founder of Earth Treks, a chain of climbing centers.

Don Schmincke 

Don is the "mad scientist turned business sage", who has utilize his anthropology and evolutionary genetic background to remedy the high failure rates of business leaders. As a keynote speaker, and guess on CNN, he's been featured in many forums such as the Wall Street Journal. He is also the founder of the SAGA Leadership Institute.

Chris and Don are the authors

of my newest favorite book!

For all those who say they don't have time to read, I say... make time! Especially for High Altitude Leadership.  What does leadership, mountain climbing, and life have in common? The parallels are outlined in the chapter titles: Fear of Death, Selfishness, Tool of Seduction, Arrogance, Lone Heroism, Cowardice, Comfort, and Gravity. But the culmination comes when the Journey Begins.

"Perseverance jump-starts the climb 

when all momentum seems lost"

 

I had the honor and opportunity to speak with Don about Safety Management Systems, and one thing lead to another and I learned he had written a couple books. So I bought them. I will start the second tonight. However, I couldn't put  High Altitude Leadership down.  

One page you will be on the mountain with Chris, and the next in the boardroom with Don, learning parallel skills needed to manage a business, or save your life.  This book pulled together my favorite subjects of why we do what we do, and how we are the masters or our own lives, be it on a mountain or in business.

"Maximize chance opportunities 

by being open to new experiences"

Everything comes when we need it most. This was one of those times.  There was section toward the end of the book that helped me with a personal dilemma. We have all found ourselves in a situation when it's much easier to give up, than press forward. 

I was facing one of those moments of knowing the right thing to do, but the pain I would face would probably be long lasting.  I had to take that next step, but I wanted encouragement.

And then I opened the book and read, "the biggest challenge wouldn't be the physical but emotional"... I knew that was true, and then I would feel "doubt and despair, when the reality of the challenge would exceed the passion..."  Does that sound encouraging or what? But, then the book reminded me that when we want to give up, that's the time we need to keep going... 

"Take the pain and the discomfort with you 

onward and upward. 

Just keep taking one more step."

Sometimes life is about taking one more step!

You do not have to be a mountain climber or a CEO to appreciate the power within the pages of 

 

High Altitude Leadership  

Enjoy the Journey! 

XO Karlene