Kate Marshall

Columnist

Kate Marshall

Coach Speaker, Author, Facilitator

Putting our Big Boy (or Girl) Pants On!

With the level of uncertainty in the current unstable economic climate, the only thing we know about the immediate future is that we (and most economists) don’t know how this will play out. However, history shows us that in times like these, creativity peaks, new businesses are hatched, and great leaders and businesses rise to the top.

We cannot let the uncertainty of global economies dampen our ambition. I was fortunate to host a business retreat last month for one of the business groups I chair. Sixteen leaders taking time away from their businesses to reflect on their priorities and to refocus. At these retreats we always go deep. I like to move out of the comfort zone, to really challenge our perceptions and thinking, to expand our view of what is possible. Our speaker for one of the sessions this year was Atte Miettinen. Atte is a businessman and adventurer based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2012 he completed a project of many years to climb the highest mountains of every continent, known as the Seven Summits, and became the first person from his native Finland to complete the Seven Summits, joining just 100 people globally that have achieved the same in history.

Atte is also an accomplished businessman. He’s spent more than 20 years building disruptive technology and telecoms start-ups into industryrecognised category leaders. Currently, Atte serves as the President and Group CEO of Limitless Mobile, which he has transformed from a traditional retailfocused Mobile Network Operator (MNO) into a disruptive wholesale MNO serving enterprise customers both nationwide in the US as well as internationally.

Atte has tested his limits both in business and adventure and refined what aiming high and achieving peak performance requires in both environments. In his session, we were taken on a journey to climb Mount Everest, with the journey used to highlight parallels between the challenges faced and needing to be addressed in business, and in high altitude mountaineering.

Atte’s story was fascinating, inspiring and just plain bonkers in places! We asked him why – why would you risk your life to complete this project? His answer? “I wanted to find out what was possible for me, I was curious to see how far I could go, to see how far my ambition would take me.”

He is a disrupter. He gave us so many analogies between climbing Everest and building a successful business. Here are my takeaways if we are to reach the summit of our “Everests”.

• You must have courage to aim high.

We limit our ambition by acting at times from an unconscious fear • Reaching the top requires true commitment, humility, ambition and confidence – none of us are confident all the time but build confidence by reflecting on your past success and lean into that. • Your ambition drives your target setting – “if you think you can or think you can’t – either way you are right” –

Henry Ford. • You must do the right preparation, create the right strategy, make the right decisions to get you ready to climb or build. • Your mindset makes the difference.

Preparation is not just the tangible processes and tactics, it’s mental preparation that will get us through. • The tougher the target the harder

you must work – “effort needs to match ambition”. Tough targets require hard work, sacrifices and sometimes tough choices. • Tough targets need support and help from others, you can’t do it alone.

Pursuing the top requires a team, both in work and at home. • Right timing is critical to success. Be alert to the circumstances – in his case there was a small window to reach the summit – success doesn’t always come because you are ready, you have to be ready, in the right place and at the right time • To get to the top there is no room for egos or selfishness. That’s when it can all go horribly wrong. Arrogance is dangerous on a mountain and dangerous in business. • It’s not just about you… when you are aiming high, building or sustaining a business, it’s hard for your family.

Be aware of the impact on them and make time to communicate and be present, not just being in the room. • We need balance – we need good habits to reduce stress, improve sleep, build resilience. • A tired mind is worse than a tired body.

We are unlikely to make catastrophic decisions when our body is tired, but we are likely to do exactly that when our mind is tired. • Don’t ask why – ask why not!? Be curious constantly. • You are capable of more than you think. So think big!

I left that retreat inspired to raise my ambition, to have greater courage and to put my “big girl pants” on. I know my success won’t be defined wholly by circumstances, but it will be affected by my ambition, my hard work and my determination and courage to think big!