Upward Bound: Nine Original Accounts of How Business Leaders Reached Their Summits

This collection of essays from nine executives who are also experienced mountain climbers shows the similarities between this extreme sport and the business world. Certain qualities--patience, perseverance, a talent for teamwork--are important in both the boardroom and the outdoors. Contributors include Michael Useem (the director of Center For Leadership and Change at Wharton), Jerry Useem (a senior writer at Fortune), Asel (a venture capital advisor), Jim Collins (author of the bestseller Good to Great), Stacy Allison (one of the most experienced woman mountain climbers) and Al Read (the executive vice chairman of Geographic Expeditions); essays focus on their authors' mountain experiences, analyzing the decisions and challenges of their more difficult adventures. Reviewing a failed effort to climb the Himalayas, for example, Allison writes that""a leader's job in such an extreme setting is to balance drive with caution, but it's every climber's responsibility to recognize the true limits of survival--to know just how far you can push yourself before inviting disaster."" She goes on to suggest that""many companies have also faced much the same consequences when dealing with the absence of a strong leadership team at the top."" The other contributors all share Allison's belief that the skills and confidence that are critical to their success as climbers are equally important in the business arena. This book will appeal to hard-charging, type-A readers who are dedicated both to their professions and to their individual athletic pursuits. The essays preach essentially the same message about teamwork, loyalty, hard work and commitment, though, and the mountain climbing stories compel far more than the business lessons.