Parental Advisory Warning. This interview is not for the faint of heart. Don Schmincke is a renegade scientist, author, and leadership guru. His top selling book, High Altitude Leadership, captures the guts and glory of climbing Mount Everest. He and co-author Chris Warner translate lessons from the mountain to leadership in the corporate world. I call them decidedly un-stodgy.
LISA: What prevents people from reaching top performance at work?
DON: Great question, and too many answers. Lack of motivation, recognition, cash, vision, values, good managers, great culture, supportive policies, skills, talent, systems, communication, structure, etc. My opinion? Choice and biology. Choice in that if the situation isn’t a good fit at work, then leave and find a fit. Biology due to the level of factors beyond your control where self awareness of those factors help you find that fit. For instance, jobs requiring an aggressive nature won’t work for someone without the hormones and other biochemicals for aggression.
Sure you can fake it, but it’s draining and you’ll always feel like you’re catching up to the natural players. Or, a position requiring long term strategic thinking will be impossible if your brain isn’t configured for what Dr. Elliott Jaques calls the capacity for cognitive complexity.
Physical advantages in observation, listening, and even pheromone detection vary as well, even between genders. All this is politically incorrect but scientifically accurate; often missing in MBA education. But we’ve trained 7,000 CEOs who confirm it’s right on. Also, I’ve been grilled by Lou Dobbs and a few days ago by G. Gordon Liddy, not lightweights on the controversial issues. Both find the research we do using anthropology and genetics refreshingly valuable.
LISA: You climb mountains. Talk to us about fear – how does it impact our ability to lead?
DON: In our best-selling book High Altitude Leadership, Chris Warner and I answer this in the first chapter – particularly the Fear of Death. Fear impacts you by causing you to freeze or run, when accepting death removes fear and provides power to leaders. Companies that accepted their death became free to make decisions and create breakthroughs that sent some of them to the Fortune 500.
LISA: Many of our MBA members want to take the leap into entrepreneurship, yet they fear failure. What’s a good first step to break through with confidence?
DON: I love guest speaking at MBA programs and this question comes up a lot. First, it’s best to understand that fear of failure always exists for entrepreneurs. But out of desperation, passion, or even boredom entrepreneurs engage the high risk game of creating something new. Accepting the fear and taking it with you on the journey helps a lot. Let the excitement exceed the fear.
Confidence comes with taking the first step, then the next, then the next, . . . AND, remember that entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. I had one student who was frustrated because colleagues didn’t get the insights of my first book, The Code of the Executive, based on an ancient Samurai manuscript. I had to remind her that not everyone became Samurai. Similarly, not everyone gets to be entrepreneur. We also need good managers to help take mature business forward to higher levels. This is where a lot of entrepreneurs suck. Many eventually end up holding their companies back.
LISA: What’s the most meaningful insight you’ve had on a climb?
DON: How to tolerate someone vomiting, and how to go to the bathroom at all angles of inclination.
LISA: How has climbing influenced you in business?
DON: Other than vomiting and unique bathroom positions, it’s helped me learn more about myself and the level I can push myself even when my body has totally given up. Now if I can just do the same thing when my cash flow has given up.
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If you want more of Don, read the book and check out the leadership assessments on his website.
