What I learned from climbing Mount Kinabalu 2 / 3

 

You can't do it without the support of your friends. 

At one point during the climb, I was furthest ahead among my group, and I was impatient to keep going. I imagined myself reaching the summit. And then a question struck me. Why am I doing this in the first place? I organised the trip as a gathering of friends. We were going to conquer the peak together. Had I only wanted to reach the summit, I could have planned a solo trip any time. I rejoined my group, and we had a great time talking rubbish (when we had the breath for it), bitching about whose idea it was to climb a bloody mountain (it was mine), and supporting one another in reaching the top. This was what the climb was about. 

In business, we are sometimes so obsessed with one particular goal that we lose sight of our original why. We lose sight of what are most important to us. It is important to pause, think, realign, then resume with vigour.

BNI Lighthouse Chapter

 

There is a Chinese proverb - you become the company you keep. It was through a series of unexpected events that I became part of this community of entrepreneurs - BNI Lighthouse Chapter, the largest BNI chapter in Malaysia with 100+ members. Entrepreneurship for many may be a lonely journey. I am grateful to have a community of partners, collaborators, supporters, mentors, and also some jokers, who are always by my side. 

What I learned from climbing Mount Kinabalu 1 / 3

 

We underestimate what our bodies can do when hardships break our spirit. 

I am not the athletic type, and although I did do some training before the climb, in hindsight it wasn't enough. There were a few moments during the actual climb when I felt like giving up. I managed to push through, and I realised that my body could take it. Had I given up, it wouldn't have been because of my body. It would have been because of my (lack of) will power. 

In business and in leadership, we go through difficult times and we question our own capabilities and resilience. We sometimes underestimate what we are capable of. Clear the useless doubts. Focus on the next step. And the next. And the next. You will find that you are stronger than you think. 

Organisation culture series: Why we are lousy at handling arguments

 

Many conflicts are handled poorly because we don't realise the stated reason is just a trigger and not the root cause of the conflict. We work hard towards resolving the stated reason, or the apparent reason, without realising we've never touched the true cause, or we are subconsciously avoiding it. 

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Negligence is a decision too

Do you have that one thing (or two) which in your heart you know you should do, but you keep putting it off? It may never get done, and you subconsciously know it. Procrastinating about it is effectively having decided not to do it. If it is important enough, make a stand and do it. Else accept that you'll never do it. No point avoiding it and telling yourself you'll get to it some day.

E.g. reconcile with an old friend with whom you've had an argument. Spend more time with your grandparents. Bring your children on a trip. Learn that musical instrument.

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打工人的层次 Three levels of employees

打工人，第一层次是为老板工作。第二层次是为自己工作。最高层次是为理念工作。

当老板，第一层次是让员工为你工作。第二层次是让他们为他们自己工作。最高层次是让他们为理念工作。

The average employee works for their boss. A next level employee works for themselves. A top level employee works for their beliefs and values.

The average boss makes employees work for them. A next level boss makes employees work for themselves. A top level boss inspires employees to work for the employees' own beliefs and values.

Book - Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

This is a very popular and enjoyable book which looks at how humans got to where we are today. It examines our society and our behaviour as a society. It is almost human civilisation summarised into one book. Experts are critical of the book, saying it doesn't actually bring much that is new, and challenging some of the claims in it. I find it accessible and educational. I gained many insights from it. I wouldn't have survived reading equivalent textbooks.

A big part of leadership is understanding human behaviour, not just individual behaviours, but also how we behave as a society and in complex organisations. When we learn to understand people, we get better at leading people.