Mountain climbing and business share similarities in their need for vision, planning, teamwork, guidance, and an element of luck. Both require setting a clear goal, analyzing strengths and weaknesses, creating a detailed plan with benchmarks, relying on a team with support roles, finding experienced advisors, and acknowledging uncontrollable factors. The document explores these parallels through comparing the processes of mountain climbing to developing and operating a business.

1. Is Mountain Climbing like
a Business?

2. • Nicholas Tart:
– How Entrepreneurship is Like Climbing Mountains
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Thank you! - Our main sources
• Websites
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDRf7sRRLOk
– http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/09/leadership.html
– http://www.mcqw.com/resources/articles/is-mountain-
climbing-like-a-business/
• Julie Fleming:
– Mountain Climbing Is A Great Business Analogy

3. • People climb mountains to
conquer them and we are aware
that it is not an easy task since it
requires a lot of preparation,
investments and specific skills.
• Many business people have long
been used mountains as a
metaphor for their strategies to
reach their company goals.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Introduction

4. • When climbing any mountain
we need to visualize its peak.
• And there will be times when
we will get only glimpses of
its main features and
challenges.
• And most of the time we need
to deal with some
discouraging thoughts of our
mind if we want to carry on
our task.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Mountain – Having a vision

5. • Vision for a business is no different
because we need to set up a goal or
a summit that our company is
willing to achieve.
• All the efforts of our team, guides
and others must be focused on
reaching that vision for our
company.
• In business when we don’t
communicate well, our team will
not be able to achieve our company
goals.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Business – Having a vision

6. • As we know, any mountain climbing
is going to take a lot of stamina and
tenacity to reach the top.
• Once you decide to go for the
summit you need to start training
immediately and get yourself
prepared for a long arduous journey.
• And it is always important to do a
strengths and weaknesses self-
analysis of the situation to avoid any
unexpected obstacle.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Mountain – Analysing our strength and weakness

7. • The same thinking relates to
business.
• It is essential to evaluate all
aspects of our business to avoid
any surprise when facing
challenges and hard times.
• A strengths and weaknesses
analysis will get you ready for
either climbing a mountain or
running a business.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Business – Analysing our strength and weakness

8. • If we want to climb a
mountain we need a very
detailed plan that includes
timing and an endless list of
equipment necessary to
adapt from ninety degree
weather to zero degree
weather, etc.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Mountain – Preparing a suitable plan

9. • In business we need to clearly lay
out our plan.
• And we need it structured in a way
that bench marks are established
that let us know we are proceeding
towards our goal.
• We call these Key Performance
Indicators or Metrics.
• They help us to evaluate our
performance and how far or close
we are from our company goals.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Business – Preparing a suitable plan

10. • Most mountain climbing requires
a well oiled team that assists you
in reaching the summit and this
includes: guides, porters and
fellow climbers.
• All these people are important
towards keeping you focused on
reaching the summit and they are
also a good source of information
on how you are actually doing
and can give you feedback on a
regular basis.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Mountain – Developing a positive team approach

11. • The team approach in
business is just as important.
• A well oiled team can help
you reach your goals.
• You need to reach out and
rely on your team to each do
their part of moving you
towards the company goal.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Business - Developing a positive team approach

12. • One of the most critical elements to
keep us safe and make our climb
successful is an experienced guide.
• He obviously knows every nuance
of the mountain including weather,
trail conditions, snow conditions,
etc.
• In addition he has worked with
thousands of individuals trying to
achieve that goal and knows the
best way to help make that happen.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Mountain – Finding an experienced guide

13. • We need someone who has
experience to assist us in
establishing realistic goals and
working with us to achieve them.
• This may be a mentor we have
been fortunate enough to come
across, a more experienced partner
in the business or a consultant we
hire to fulfill this role.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Business – Finding an experienced guide

14. • The final component of a successful
mountain climb is simply luck.
• We can control all the things up to this
point but luck will be the final
determinant as to whether we are
successful.
• Bad luck has a final veto vote that may
keep us from our destination.
• Bad luck may include a freak weather
storm that brings in eighteen inches of
new snow and makes passage
impossible.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Mountain – Dealing with luck

15. • The same phenomenon exists in
business.
• We need to do everything we can to
be prepared but luck will have a hand
in our final outcome.
• Bad luck may include a fire season
that produces so much smoke in
drives away your customers during
your peak business month.
• We need to take care of all the things
we can control to mitigate the effects
of things we cannot control.
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
Our Business – Dealing with luck

16. Feel free to send us an e-mail.
Our Website:
www.licoreis.com
Our E-mail:
licoreis@licoreis.com
licoreis@licoreis.com.br
Linkedin: Roberto de Paula Lico Júnior
Skype: roberto.lico
Is Mountain Climbing like a Business?
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