Introduction
That’s Sanduk Tamang on the right and me on the left (above). Between us, we’ve climbed Mt Everest a whopping 15 times.
Okay… okay… I’ll come clean. Only one of those summits is actually mine and yes, impressively, the other 14 belong to Sanduk. Sanduk is one of the many Nepalese high-altitude mountaineering guides I’ve been fortunate enough to trek and climb with over the years. We share a special friendship. Special because it’s been forged through working together and overcoming the myriad of challenges and adversity that come with high-altitude mountaineering in the Nepal Himalaya.
Everything I know that really matters when it comes to leadership and resilience, I’ve learnt from being immersed in the marvellous Sherpa culture with my mountaineering Sherpa mates like Sanduk. They’re hands down the most resilient people I’ve ever met and their ability to not just cope, but to thrive in some of the most hostile environments imaginable, is testament to their way of life and the authentic connection they share with their environment and each other.
I’ve spent years working to understand what it is that makes these people seemingly so bullet-proof. And to learn if it’s something we can foster and build in ourselves. I’m convinced now more than ever, that these impressive traits aren’t inherited. They are the by-product of the environment and circumstances these remarkable mountain people live in from the day they’re born.
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share what I firmly believe sets the tone and foundation for the remarkable resilience the Sherpa people of Nepal display day in, day out. I’ll be presenting this as an easy to implement 5-Step framework that you can learn to apply to a huge range of activities and things you like to do. Maybe even a few things you don’t like doing 😬
Applying the secrets I’ll be sharing with you, will likely reframe the way you undertake or apply yourself to the activity, and the experience may take on a sense of challenge that didn’t exist previously. This isn’t a difficult process to implement or follow but it does require getting present with yourself and being prepared to get out of your comfort zone. Exposing yourself to experiences that include these five steps will absolutely build your resilience and your capacity to thrive when hardship and setbacks strike.
And for all the parents out there with teenage kids, this is a blueprint you can use to help them build their “Sherpa level” resilience too. I subject my kids to it regularly 😉
I’m excited to be sharing “Step 1: Investment“ with you all next week.
