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Next to Geneva in Switzerland are two mountains, the Salève and the Mont-Blanc.
Easy or impossible mountain?
The Salève is a cosy mountain. You can drive to the top of it by car. This is a usual walk for locals. It is so close to the city that it almost gives the impression that you can reach out and touch it.
However, it might be relatively dull; after a while, it no longer presents a challenge.
On the other hand, the Mont Blanc is further away, more daunting, and almost impossible to climb. But imagine the view up there. No wonder it is called “the roof of Europe”, as it is the highest mountain of the “old continent”.
Which mountain are you considering climbing? The easy one, where you know all the turns and the places or the scary, impossible one.
This is an essential question for your life. What you can achieve depends on the mountain you are considering climbing—of course, I don’t mean a real mountain, but your life goals.
Go for an impossible goal.
Do you have a dream, a goal, or a purpose that is too big for you, impossible and even scary? Good! Welcome to the club!
What is your goal, your dream, your call, your purpose? Mine is to transform the culture of leadership, not only within one company but also worldwide, and beyond companies, in entire countries. This is a too-big purpose, and some think I have a “too-big dream”. I take it as a compliment, and I would love to offer one to you as well.
As I considered this ambitious goal, I wondered, “How am I going to do it?” and realised it was the wrong question. Who said that you and I should do it on our own? So, the first step on this journey toward impossible dreams is to form a team of like-minded but complementary people who can take this goal to “high places.”
This is how Swiss Leaders Group was created, not using my name but as a worldwide group, hence the label “group.” I even wanted to find people better than me. Therefore, I am incredibly proud of the exceptional team of professionals on five continents who have joined my vision.
5 people you need on your team to climb a high mountain
I think you can follow my thoughts here, and guess what I will say now: if you want to do it on your own, you won’t reach the summit of the Mont Blanc. You need to follow the people on your team:
- A mountain guide is a mentor who has been there before and can support you.
- Sherpas are people who assist you in carrying your luggage. Carrying a broad vision is a lot to carry on one’s shoulders. You can empower people to carry some part of the vision and do it even better than you do.
- A physical trainer: To prepare for your mountain, you need preparation and a challenge. Let one person stretch you beyond your limits, pushing your comfort zone to the limit. This coach can question your thinking and challenge you in the direction you want to go.
- A driver is somebody who gets you to the starting point of the climb. I have many precious people who understand and share my vision and open unique doors of opportunity to “higher places”; without them, I would not have even got to the starting point of some of the fantastic projects I am working on.
- A junior climber: Your climb is more than about yourself. As you climb and learn to climb better and better, please take with you at least one person with similar goals, and it furthers the level of experience you have. As you learn and grow, pass on what you’ve learned and be a mentor. Give what you wish to receive; would it be an encouragement, support or even somebody to believe in you? There is more joy to give than to receive.
First steps to climbing a high mountain
If you are still wondering which mountain to climb, here’s the answer: both! The smaller one, the Salève, is there for training, to help you gain confidence and master the first step. But the real goal is not the Salève but the Mont-Blanc.
Would you like to see your life serve a great purpose and embark on an exciting journey? Please don’t focus on people who tell you it’s impossible, but turn this seemingly impossible destination into a possibility by training and building a qualified team.
See you at the top of the Mont-Blanc. I look forward to celebrating you and the high, impossible and “too big” goals you reached!
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Hi Joël, I loved the text, specially because I experienced the insights myself while climbing 1.600 mts high mountain this weekend. I had the two Co-Founders with me: a young and energetic CTO who climbed fast and went further, then our COO, an experienced man , older than me, walked steadily and happily to the top, and then I came following them, the CEO, taking every step very carefully but surely to the top, happy for the experience and achievement. We all reunited there and celebrated happily the time spent together!!
How powerful and inspired can be to exercise together our willpower and goals!!
It was rewarding and a very inspiring to take it further!
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Thanks Claudia for sharing this powerful story. Indeed, as a team, we can conquer situation and goals that we couldn’t reach on our own, as we need to complement in each others.