As we wrap up 2019, let’s chat a bit about how you get from base camp to the summit in your professional life. Many people know what it takes to summit, but not many actually put this into action.
What is Your Base Camp?
Base camp is your starting point—where you know you and your team are consistent and can perform. Setting up your base camp is a tremendous accomplishment in its own right. Congratulate yourself on even getting to that point. That was quite a climb.
What is Your Summit?
Think of your summit as where your vision lives. Just like the summit in climbing is the peak of the mountain, the summit in business is reaching the heights of your professional journey. Climbers are always pursuing more difficult summits, and you should always challenge yourself to reach new heights.
How to Get from Base Camp to Summit?
“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.” – Jim Collins, Good to Great. It’s a conscious choice to go from base camp to summit. As you plan for 2020, think about how you’re going to execute on your vision. Consider the following elements as you plan your hike to your summit.
- Get Your Team On Board. Does your team buy into the vision? Is the vision compelling enough to draw them in so they can help execute?
- Share the Vision. Get key leaders on board and have them spend time sharing how they interpret the vision. Show dedication at all levels.
- Determine Your Measures of Success. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. What does success look like to you at the summit? How will you know if you made it to the summit, or if you have to adjust?
- Recognize That Vision Evolves. In three to five years, you may be re-tooling your vision based on the strides you have made, external forces, or other elements. If you go forward with the understanding the summit may move slightly, you can always adjust.
The key is movement—movement towards your summit, your vision.
