Teamwork and leadership from
the slopes of Mount Everest
The place where mountains and business meet is with people: ambitious people tackling overwhelming challenges in high-risk, high-stress environments – high achievers whose natural ambition drives them to competition rather than cooperation, yet who need to collaborate effectively in high-performing teams.
With honesty and humour, Cathy shares the ways in which we create our own disasters and shows how we can overcome our mistakes, refocusing teams to push upwards to summit success.
Teamwork & leadership from the slopes of Everest
The place where mountains and business meet is with people: ambitious people tackling overwhelming challenges in high-risk, high-stress environments – high achievers whose natural ambition drives them to competition rather than cooperation, yet who need to collaborate effectively in high-performing teams.
With honesty and humour, Cathy shares the ways in which we create our own disasters and shows how we can overcome our mistakes, refocusing teams to push upwards to summit success.
– Sara Mueller, WBR
– James Foice, Chief Executive, ASAP
A real-world case-study of the reasons for failure on projects,
and the keys to success for peak performing teams
A real-world case-study of the reasons for failure on projects,
and the keys to success for peak performing teams
A real-world case-study of the reasons for failure on projects, and the keys to success for peak performing teams
A real-world case-study of the reasons for failure on projects, and the keys to success for peak performing teams
Themes
Leadership
Teamwork
Goal achievement
Motivation / inspiration
High performing teams
Languages
English
Spanish
In mountains, as in business, there is much about the external environment that cannot be controlled. The place where we can most easily and quickly improve our effectiveness is in the attitude of our people – how focused, motivated and efficient our teams are.
Conversely, the most common problems that lead to teams falling apart are also of our own making. Most success speakers don’t talk about how wrong it can go, but Cathy shares the ways in which people create their own disasters and shows how to overcome them, refocusing teams to climb to summit success.
Reaching New Heights draws on the lessons Cathy O’Dowd learnt from her first Everest expedition. With the focus on finances and logistics, the dynamic of the team was ignored. The team collapsed into in-fighting and power-play from the first day, and three members walked out before reaching base camp.
The key obstacles that Cathy and her team-mates discovered on the mountain turned out to all come from within the team. However, they also discovered hidden tools that finally got them to the top – tools that are not about ropes and ice-axes but rather ways to manage people effectively in pursuit of your common goal.
Her stories of failure are told with humour and refreshing honesty. Her stories of success are dramatic and memorable, and the tools she highlights are as important in normal life as they are on the mountain.
Cathy is a natural story-teller and her passionate delivery creates an inspirational tale, illustrated with dramatic photographs from Everest. The contents of her presentations can be tailored to meet specific client requirements.
In mountains, as in business, there is much about the external environment that cannot be controlled. The place where we can most easily and quickly improve our effectiveness is in the attitude of our people – how focused, motivated and efficient our teams are.
Conversely, the most common problems that lead to teams falling apart are also of our own making. Most success speakers don’t talk about how wrong it can go, but Cathy shares the ways in which people create their own disasters and shows how to overcome them, refocusing teams to climb to summit success.
Reaching New Heights draws on the lessons Cathy O’Dowd learnt from her first Everest expedition. With the focus on finances and logistics, the dynamic of the team was ignored. The team collapsed into in-fighting and power-play from the first day, and three members walked out before reaching base camp.
The key obstacles that Cathy and her team-mates discovered on the mountain turned out to all come from within the team. However, they also discovered hidden tools that finally got them to the top – tools that are not about ropes and ice-axes but rather ways to manage people effectively in pursuit of your common goal.
Her stories of failure are told with humour and refreshing honesty. Her stories of success are dramatic and memorable, and the tools she highlights are as important in normal life as they are on the mountain.
Cathy is a natural story-teller and her passionate delivery creates an inspirational tale, illustrated with dramatic photographs from Everest. The contents of her presentations can be tailored to meet specific client requirements.
Themes
Leadership
Teamwork
Goal achievement
Motivation / inspiration
High performing teams
Languages
English
Spanish
– David McNeill, Enterprise Holdings
– David McNeill, Enterprise Holdings