In November 2009 a lifelong dream came true, when I was able to see and photograph the great Mount Everest from a distance. I did so from the Kalapatar, which although it reaches an elevation of 5,550 meters in elevation, in the Himalayas has a hill-like relationship to the Savannah in the middle of the Central Valley.
The tour of the most imposing mountains on the planet, I was accompanied by two Turks, two New Yorkers and a couple from North Carolina, with whom today I maintain a wonderful friendship that has extended to our families. Then, we were also accompanied by dozens of dzos and yaks that carried everything, and of course, Sherpas.
The Sherpa tribe, whose millennia-old origins come from Nepal and Tibet, was chosen by Sir Edmund Hillary for his expedition and first-ever ascent to the roof of the world. Since then, Sherpa has been a word that refers to those who assist in the ascent of Everest, the knowledgeable locals and cowboys, experienced climbers and devoted fellow adventurers.
And here’s the simplest observation of the trip: their job is to get other people to the top! Everything they do is joyfully and dedicatedly focused on getting us to achieve our mission. They do this through the care they take for our nutrition, acclimatization, our rest, enjoyment and preparation to continue. They add positivism, patience, conversation, trust and affection, as they turn their daily work into their way of life.
Of course, to exercise good Sherpa leadership, the objective must be precisely defined, planning is essential and resources must be correct. A Sherpa leader is knowledgeable, guides, teaches and inspires. He also recognizes danger and walks away, understands prudence and advises caution. For a Sherpa leader, teamwork is constant and the attitude defines better results if done with a smile on the lips. The spirit of the idea is to become Sherpas of our company, Sherpas of your team, to be Sherpa in the family and so in life as well.
To take others to the top.That is leadership, and of course, it leaves us with a powerful idea: Sherpa leadership. As a consequence, I am convinced today that there is no better way to understand leadership than this, and that is as far as I go with my observation. That being the case, it is a commitment to dedicate ourselves to helping other people reach the top.
Germán Retana took the idea and turned it into an inspiring column published last June. Hopefully someone will develop the Sherpa concept and write a leadership book, produce a documentary or delve deeper into its values, because if we all decided to be Sherpa leaders, the world would be a much better place.
