6 lessons I learned from mountain hiking about leadership

Doing a multi-day trip or even long-distance hiking in the mountains is something that feels very different from the day-to-day challenges of being a leader in a company. And this is most likely the reason why a lot of leaders seek the solitude of being away from the “modern world” for a while. While losing cell phone reception you are forced to only deal with yourself and your immediate surroundings. In these situations it becomes obvious that a lot of leadership lessons can be learned exactly at this state:

1) Make a plan but stay flexible with the details

Usually in the evening before or at the breakfast table you are studying the map for the section of your hike that is planned for the day. You check for special landmarks, look at the elevation profile and parts that are deemed to be difficult. And you are also setting this into a relationship with the current weather outside and the forecast for the day. If it’s going to constantly rain for example it’s not the best idea to walk on the mountain ridge all day since you would be very exposed to the elements, the rocks will be slippery and there are limited options to take a different route in case the weather gets even worse.

So it’s good and necessary to plan and prepare beforehand and have a good idea of what awaits you during the journey. But know that the real conditions will be different and you need to respond to them dynamically. If your desired path is blocked you need to let go and find a suitable alternative. Also always align your plan with your surroundings. If the weather changes you need to be ready to have a plan B that is most likely a bit longer and less beautiful but brings you to your destination safe & sound.

2) You can see the path once you walk it

When you hike or climb in higher altitudes across rocks and boulders there is often no clear path visible anymore. You will find coloured markings on some rocks or stone figures created by fellow hikers but especially when it’s foggy they are pretty difficult to see. So you will find yourself in a situation, standing at a point and looking around with no idea where to go and nothing to give you orientation. But if you take a bit more time and look more carefully, you will see the next marking in the distance shining towards you like a lighthouse in the sea.

So you will almost never see the complete path until the summit when you’re standing at the foot of the mountain. Just look for the first sign and start walking. And from there look for the next one and so on. Don’t have the ambition to know everything from the beginning but have trust that you will see the signs once you get there. And also trust your intuition because usually your instincts will guide you in the right direction.?

3) Manage your energy carefully & efficiently

During a long hiking day energy management is a crucial piece of success. After a mediocre night in the sleeping room of a mountain hut and a small breakfast with a strong coffee you need to manage your resources during the day carefully. The difficult thing is that you need to take enough breaks to do a quick rest+recharge and enjoy nature but also not too many. If you’re stopping too frequently you don’t get into a walking rhythm and you don’t get the satisfaction & motivation by making good progress. Also food and drinks can be challenging especially when there’s no supply along the way or you're hiking in summer where your body has an increased water supply. There’s a saying among hikers that "when you’re getting thirsty it's too late". So be ahead of the curve!

At the end it’s important to know your body and to balance physical strain and recovery properly and tailor all of this to your individual needs. I don’t like the concept of “work/life balance” very much because it puts the differentiating line between your professional life and your private life. For me it’s more about the right balance of activity & rest, mental & physical efforts and stressful & relaxed times. Combining this with healthy nutrition, proper hydration and enough sleep will get you prepared for the challenges of the day. It’s also crucial to pace yourself especially at the beginning to not lose stamina in the last third and being forced to go constantly over your individual limits. It’s better to prepare for a marathon, not for a sprint.

4) You never walk alone

Walking alone through the mountains or backcountry can be daunting and intimidating at times, especially when things don’t go according to plan or your motivation to continue gets smaller. But one thing you can rely on is that other people are walking the same or a similar path. Even if it feels lonely out there, trust that like minded people will cross your way. And if they come ask for support if you need it. You will be surprised how supportive they are and once you realize that they share the same struggles as you, the burden on your shoulders will feel a lot lighter.

Also you will learn that you meet certain people more often than others because you have a similar rhythm and walk comparable distances each day. Make these people your allies and regularly exchange thoughts and ideas with them. They can relate to your journey and vice versa which enables you to overcome challenges and grow stronger together. Also they will know things that you don’t know and the other way round. And even if these connections are usually only temporary they hold a lot of value.

5) Be confident & committed but remain realistic

While hiking a difficult alpine path you sometimes need to get out of your comfort zone especially if the terrain is difficult or you feel overwhelmed by the length or complexity of the section. The key is to remain confident in your skills and stop doubting yourself. Also there are usually some “points of no return” and if you’re committing to pass this point, you need to pull it through because it would be more dangerous to go back then going forward. On the other side you need to remain realistic about your skills, your mental and physical shape and external factors like weather, time and condition of the way. Don’t be dogmatic about the suggested path you found in some mountain guide but define your own best route that gives you what you need and expect from the trip.

So if you’re committing to something you should silence your doubts and focus purely on the execution. You should walk confidently and your mantra will be that you have everything it needs to successfully complete what you want to accomplish. You will not be able to execute plan A with your full energy when you always have the fallback options in the back of your mind.

But you also should have defined check-in points to evaluate if your current commitment is still the best option to avoid following blindly the wrong way. Fallback plans have a justification if something changes in yourself or your surroundings but not as a constant distraction.

6) The journey is more important than the goal

Oftentimes while walking you are busy focusing on the next beautiful landmark, the highest peak of the section or to reach the final destination of the day early. But most of the time the best views, the nicest points to rest or the most interesting sights are located along the way and you’re too busy to see and appreciate them. Real growth happens not when proudly standing on the peak but during the hard climb of the hundreds of metres in altitude before that.

Also while leading people often focus only on the goal, the end result, the pure output. You’re hustling and putting in extra hours to achieve the upcoming milestone or ship the next deliverable in time. Take time to appreciate the journey, the learnings you gather along the way and the satisfaction you get from accomplishing smaller things that nobody besides you would even see. Also the biggest learnings and most difficult situations will happen during ascent and descent and not while sitting at your destination at the end of the day. This is why you need to consciously need to enjoy the journey and its challenges. Be present especially in the moments that feel insignificant and you will see the magic behind them.