Desjardins -Reaching new heights: Lessons on leadership and mentorship.
ENPNewswire-January 13, 2022--Desjardins -Reaching new heights: Lessons on leadership and mentorship
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Release date- 12012022 - How is scaling the side of a mountain similar to working in an office?
In more ways than you'd think! Gabriel Filippi, the renowned mountain climber who was the first Canadian to reach the top of Mount Everest on three separate occasions, draws some interesting parallels between these two environments. He explains how a successful mountain ascent or business project is a group effort that requires continuous learning and collaboration within and between teams. For Mentoring Month, he's giving a talk on how to work with a mentor in order to excel and reach new heights.
Can you summarize the key takeaways from your talk? What are the parallels between extreme mountain climbing and working in a corporate setting?
The mountain climbing metaphor applies nicely to the workplace. Every project presents a personal or professional challenge that you can't overcome on your own. At any given time on Everest, there are 25 teams hoping to achieve the same goal. You may prepare and collaborate more closely with your immediate team, but you need to collaborate with other guides and expedition leaders in order to lead your clients to their objective-which is reaching the top, of course! It's the same thing at work. To succeed, you need to share ideas and get assistance from allies, who might be other colleagues or even other teams.
People often say that the mountain is the school of life. You can't learn to deal with high altitudes alone. You need others to tell you about the acclimatization process, along with the right techniques and equipment. When you're leading others, whether it's up a mountain or within an organization, your role is to provide explanations and give instructions. At some point, you let them climb up to your level, but you make sure they do it right. After that, it's their turn to take the lead and spread their wings. The same is true in any setting.
What qualities should people look for in a mentor? Is it better to find someone with a similar personality and interests, or someone who's quite different from you?
You want to find people who are more competent than you are and view the relationship as an opportunity to learn new things really quickly.
You should also cultivate chemistry between you and your mentor. When you throw two people together, you...
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