Be a Climber: How Climbing Mount Democrat With a Blind Climber Changed the Way I Lead My Sales Team

I met Erik Weihenmayer several years ago at a national sales meeting. He was a motivational speaker who shared his story about being the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. And in 2002, he completed the Seven Summits—one of only 150 mountaineers to do so, and the only blind climber to accomplish this feat. As he would say, he’s “just an ordinary blind guy with no barriers.” But to my team and me, his story was heartwarming, inspirational, and it made us want to test our own boundaries and limitations as well. And so, without really thinking, a few team members asked if we could climb a mountain with him. To our surprise, he agreed!

Over the next several months, we trained.

I personally trained hard. While I was athletic and fit, I focused all my training on mountain climbing specifically. It was harder than I thought!

After a while, I realized many of my teammates weren’t training as hard as I wanted them to or expected them to. In my mind, we were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from such an inspirational person, and it was incredibly frustrating to realize that people weren’t taking that seriously. I noticed their lack of effort, but ultimately never expressed my feelings.

Then, the time for our trip arrived.

Finally, after months of dedicated work, we acquired all our gear and set out to begin our mountain climbing journey. When we headed toward Mount Elbert in Colorado, we encountered our first obstacle, a freak snowstorm rolled redirecting us to climb Mount Democrat instead.

The climb began early—4:00am, to be exact. Very early on, we lost two climbers due to altitude sickness, and one of our Mountain Guides escorted them back down. Then, our second obstacle happened. The storm we were trying to bypass came in, and it was brutal. While Erik typically followed his guide dog by listening to the bell on his collar, the storm created intense whirring, swirling, and windy sounds that made hearing all but impossible. Erik was truly climbing blind at this point.

But we kept pushing through. After a very long day packed with setbacks and challenges, three of us made it to the top. I was so proud! The mountain climb journey taught me a lot about life, and about leadership.

1. Putting in the work is worth the reward.?

It’s much easier to stay safe and complacent, but it’s a lot harder to "move up". And people have a reason and purpose to be driven to move to the next level. The team members who didn’t put in the effort to train for this opportunity remained safe in their comfort zone, and weren’t able to reach the summit with the team. Because they didn’t put in the effort, they weren’t able to experience the incredible pride in accomplishing such a huge effort.

The same logic applies to my work. In sales, it’s easier to stay on pace and meet your standard goals, but it’s much harder to move up. And while it can be uncomfortable to give candid feedback to my team, it’s important to do it. Without that constructive feedback, they can’t learn or get to the next level. I have learned leadership is not about my success—it’s much more rewarding to see the team learn, grow and get that spark. When they elevate their game and everything starts falling into place, everyone on the team is more inspired and motivated.?

2. You’ll never have everything figured out.

Our group met a lot of adversity that day—a change in location, loss of fellow climbers, and brutal conditions made me wonder if we’d make it to the summit, and if this experience was worth all the effort. And honestly? It absolutely was! We reached the summit. Yes, it was hard work, and I occasionally had my doubts, but we committed and we conquered!?

I’ve had plenty of instances in my life requiring resiliency and discipline to move up and forward. Learning those skills is important, both in personal and professional life. And energy and attitude are important, too. I strive to be known for bringing energy into everything I do, because if you have a good attitude and endless positive energy, you can accomplish anything. So, go with the punches, use what you have, and you can get through, even if you don’t always have all the answers.?

3. I love to win.?

Okay, fine, I knew this before mountain climbing. But it’s still true! I’m ultra-competitive, and I always have been. And while I know you’re not going to win every single time, having that keen desire and determination to get the win is essential.

Erik is an incredible, inspiring person. He likes to win, too. And just like he puts effort into trying new things—no matter how many obstacles get in the way—it’s crucial for me to push my team’s boundaries a bit and see what they can achieve. Everyone tackles sales strategies differently, so being creative with how I push their boundaries and barriers becomes almost like a game. Watching their skills grow, capturing the win is fun and rewarding!

4. Leaders put in the work, too.

We couldn’t have climbed that mountain without Erik and his team of experts. And I’m not just saying that—the climb was tough work! He helped me understand that teams can’t get anywhere unless the leader is with you in the trenches experiencing the same situations. Today, I’m proud of how I show up for my team.

I’m a big believer in really knowing the people you’re working with. I don’t think you can motivate a team without truly getting to know them first. Look at any successful leader. They’re not a dictator—they’re right there with the troops, rallying around them. And they know the leader will sacrifice themselves to lead the team to success.

I model this with my team, as well. I’m right there with them, rolling up my sleeves for last-minute urgent RFPs, or helping to meet fast-approaching deadlines. For this, my team trusts me. And I wholeheartedly trust them and their capabilities. When they come to me in a time of need, I absolutely have their backs. I’ll clear my plate, get in the weeds and do whatever they need me to do to help them. It’s this teamwork that helps us push each other and continue to move up.?

5. “What’s within us is stronger than what’s in our way.”

This is a quote from Erik and the No Barriers Foundation that resonates with me to this day. The strength and motivation we find within ourselves makes all the difference between giving up or moving forward. We overcome hurdles every single day—for example, losing a sale. And this can keep someone down for a while. But it’s what’s within us that keeps us from giving up completely. With the right motivation and passions, we can push through the daily challenges and keep moving up.

You may have seen me use the phrase “move up” a few times in this article, and there’s a reason for that. Another quote from Erik has made all the difference to the way I push my team. It’s this:?

There are three kinds of people in life: Quitters, Campers and Climbers.

Quitters stop before they start.

Campers move until they reach a barrier they can’t see past, and then they stop and set up camp.

Climbers are the few that keep finding a way to push on past all the barriers until the day they die.

Choose to be a climber. ?

Ultimately, the biggest lesson that’s stuck with me is this: If Erik could find a way to be a blind mountain climber live a “No Barriers Life”, then surely, we can find a way to overcome the barriers of climbing our own mountains—both in our personal and our professional lives.

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