Bonus Book of the Month, February, 2024 On the Edge by Alison Levine

We have a bonus book this month. Last week I had the privilege to hear Alison Levine speak at our Turnpoint Leadership Conference in Dallas- which gave me the motivation to read her book ahead of time- and to listen closely to what she had to say. I just had to add it to our February reading list.

Alison is impressive- she led the first all woman expedition to the top of Mount Everest and was the first woman to climb to the highest peak on each continent and ski to the North and South Poles -to say her accomplishments are substantial is an understatement. However, what this piece is about is the book she wrote that calls out the Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments - and I have to say, that looking at what might sound like ordinary lessons, sounds a whole lot different when learned under extraordinary conditions.

There are some terrific examples of important lessons from extreme adventures in the book- here are three. First, when she talks about picking good team mates- it is not unusual advice-but when your life actually depends on getting this right- it takes on a whole new meaning. Second, when she says make sure that your team has the right equipment, it sounds just like fine but again- when the situation is that you can die without it- it sharpens the quote quite a bit. And finally, when she says Network Like Your Life Depends on it- it sounds maybe a bit intense but when she is referring to the mountain and the possibility that you could need life saving help at any moment, the whole networking discussion has a lot more impact.

More broadly, this is an interesting read and draws some broader philosophical

points. My favorite one of these is the Essential function that failure plays in innovation and progress. A really good point well delivered. Even more so, she speaks with great conviction that caring really matters, the importance of a leader to know their people really well and the overall importance of being a good person- really refreshing to see that in a book about such grand accomplishments. Finally, and the New Jersey in me really appreciates this, she has a very sharp, dry sense of humor that she uses effectively to drive home some key points- and make the reader laugh out loud.

I recommend this book- I have read several "climb the mountain books" and this is absolutely the best of the bunch. While I am never going to be motivated to try and actually climb Everest as I am sure I would perish quickly, I am inspired to try to live the key principles brought out in this book vividly- the extreme conditions make the associated learning points more memorable.