Steven A. BriganceLitigation Solutions Group

A New Earth ~ Eckhart Tolle Abandon Ship ~ Richard Newcomb Albatross ~ Debra Scaling-Kiley Alive ~ Piers Paul Read The Boys of Everest ~ Clint Willis Crazy for the Storm ~ Norman Ollestad High Altitude Leadership ~ Chris Warner, Don Schmincke Into the Wild ~ Jon Krakauer Into Thin Air ~ Jon Krakauer In Harm’s Way ~ Doug Stanton Not Without Hope ~ Nick Schuyler The Promise of Rest ~ Reynolds Price Philippians ~ “The Apostle Paul” Savage Summit ~ Jennifer Jordan Seaworthy ~ TR Pearson Simple Courage ~ Frank Delaney Ten Degrees of Reckoning ~ Hester Rumberg Touching the Void ~ Joe Simpson The White Cascade ~ Gary Krist

Field Guide to the North American Bird~Adam Blank & Lauren Blank

Table of ContentsChapter 1: The NestChapter 2: Birdus ClassicusChapter 3: Birds for the ChicksChapter 4: Bird PlumageChapter 5: Office BirdsChapter 6: Party BirdsChapter 7: Birds for the OutdoorsmanChapter 8: Birds of PreyChapter 9: Mechanical BirdsChapter 10: Birds of the WorldChapter 11: Rejected Birds

Afflatus

A divine imparting of knowledge or power; inspiration – not today, at least not from me

Fear of failure from which you cannot recover (personal or professional death)

Selfishness – “What’s in it for me?” Tool seduction Arrogance Lone heroism

-9 Dangers-

Cowardice Comfort Gravity A long journey ahead with no

clear outcome guaranteed

-9 Dangers-

Counteract it or risk the thing you fear most

Accept failure as an option (not necessarily a desired option, but an acceptable possibility.)

Acceptance counteracts fear by providing the power & freedom to act

Never seek to conquer all fear – fear, if managed, focuses the mind

DUD – dangerous, unproductive, dysfunctional behavior

Me first/CYA Entitlement mentality – “what’s in it for me?”/

”every person for him or herself” “Grin Faking” Blaming/finger pointing Credit taking Playing to the boss

Counteract selfishness by having a “compelling saga” – a passionate if not all consuming purpose beyond yourself, which involves other people.

Popular saying – “in the end, the person with the most toys wins.”

Business corollary – “the company with the most ‘tools’ wins.” Right best-selling book Right jargon Right computer system Right consultant Right resume

Tool seduction is both costly & risky “A fool with a great tool is still a fool” Behavior & adaptation are key to

avoiding tool seduction Appropriate decisions Appropriate actions/deeds/conduct Adapt tools to you – not you to the tools

In almost every failure event you will find one root cause to be arrogance/over-confidence

Arrogance places organizations and “teams” in danger of failure every day – Enron/Railroads

NIHS Following past “successful” formulas in new

circumstances One antidote to arrogance

Humility – it hinders neither competence nor confidence

A little mountain climbing humor: Q: Why do mountain climbers rope themselves

together? A: To prevent the sensible from going home

Lone heroism, though on the surface may appear or even be admirable is dangerous

Not talking about the “brave” people willing to stand up for the truth & what's right

Talking about the ego-driven, selfish, glory seeking, dream-killing Lone Ranger

Ask for help Rid yourself of the “if you want it done

right…” mentality Forge win-win partnerships

Give up control whenever prudent Empower key talent Give credit Let accomplishments define the results

Indicators – refusal to challenge traditional thinking; unwillingness to challenge the status quo; refusing to hold yourself and others accountable

Risk avoidance risks the very thing you fear most – failure

Antidote – bravery How to instill bravery?

Some are naturally brave, others need to be taught

Shame (peer pressure) – not pretty but can be effective

Truth, not motivational speakers By example – “walk the talk” Beware, some will never be anything but

cowards – take action

Comfort sabotages the search for greatness “the enemy of the great is the good”

Great achievements often require periods of extreme discomfort

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling un-comfortable, unhappy or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by discomfort, we are most likely to step out of our ruts and to search for different ways or new truths.” ~ M. Scott Peck, Author & Psychiatrist

Some of the worlds greatest companies have achieved lofty goals only to be derailed by basking in the comfort of their achievements

Comfort promotes politeness – comfort’s “evil offspring” – which ultimately leads to truth avoidance

Antidotes to comfort Take one more step – Press On Persevere Be comfortable being uncomfortable Immerse yourself in the truth Beware – blind persistence is not perseverance.

Perseverance sometimes requires retreat.

“Mysterious force of uncertainty that unpredictably pushes or pulls us for no apparent reason – it can propel you forward or suck you down.”

You have no direct control over gravity – gravity, just like sh@#, “just happens.” And, at the “darndest” times.

Survival tip, LUCK – yes luck Skilled luck Pure luck

Finding luck: Work hard (Paul “Bear” Bryant) Maximize your chances by being open to

new opportunities, new people and new ideas

Follow your hunches, unless…

Some concluding thoughts: Ernest Hemingway, when asked how he

went bankrupt, responded “gradually, then suddenly.”

So it is with High Altitude Leadership. Failure or success takes time and perseverance. Skills gradually emerge or disappear and success or failure explodes.

“DUD behavior in an organization doesn’t hit you as an avalanche. It creeps up on you.”

“Beware of the three small mistakes.” Persevere, be passionate and don’t lose

yourself in the process of seeking greatness. It’s never worth it.

So, with your new company and new colleagues, take with you what you have seen and learned over the last 18 months and strive to be High Altitude Leaders.

What you do, care & service, can and should be as long as you are in this industry, the centerpiece of your “compelling saga.”

Suggestions Embrace the possibility of failure, even

death – don’t pretend it’s not out there Think “we” not me Don’t be seduced by tools – ours or

anyone else's Have humility Seek win-win partnerships with your new

colleagues Have the courage of your convictions

Suggestions: John Wooden – “be interested in what is

correct, not who is correct.” Seek and live the truth, which is not dependant upon who has the power.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable Manage fear It’s a long, dangerous journey, but what

makes it worth it is doing the right things the right way – persevere, keep the passion.

“I took the road less traveled and it has made all the difference…”

~Robert Frost

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

~Johnny Carson

Perseverance Focus on the Higher Purpose Sacrifice/Unselfishness

“No Greater Gift…”