I’m fairly new to rock climbing. That may be surprising because my two other careers are outdoor adventure guiding and information technology. (A note on the latter—physically active geeks tend to try rock climbing at some point, and some of my colleagues are really good.) But as I learn the basics of climbing, I notice some cross-disciplinary lessons that are applicable to most careers.
The first lesson is: lean in. When you’re climbing a wall, thrust your pelvis against the rock. This will keep your center of gravity closer to the wall, so your hands and feet do not have to work as hard to keep you on. The further away your center of gravity is from the wall, the easier it is to become off balance, and the more your grip strength will have to compensate for the added load.
In the same way, you need to lean into your profession. You need to read the daily news in your industry. You need to go to conferences, know who the people are, and be known by them. That way you can understand the changes in the landscape. Just like griping the wall, it will be easier to persist in times of adversity and to adapt to changes in the industry.
The next rock climbing lesson is a mantra familiar to rock climbers everywhere: keep moving. Your muscles quickly tire in a static position, even as you are searching for the best route forward. It is usually better to quickly find a hold and keep moving rather than search for a better hold. Many times on real rock there are no good holds; but a poor hold that you can stick to for a short time can be a bridge to…another poor hold that you can stick to until you reach the next one or a perhaps even a blissful good hold.
In a professional career, keep moving. Movement takes different forms. It could be new positions within the company or in a new company, new skills acquired, or new initiatives you formulate and drive forward. Recently I joined my IT company’s mentorship program as a mentor; not a great foothold into management but a bridge to something else that might lead to something else that might lead me into management. As it turned out, my mentee was an accomplished program manager on our French team. Quite possibly outranking me, she is now an ally I can rely on in the future.
When climbing, I tend to be eager out the gate and pay attention to what’s at eye-level and above. But legs are stronger than arms, and when I neglect my footholds the attention they need, I’m in for a world of hurt. Those cool dynamic leaps only work from a stable footing, and even simpler upward movement requires a solid foundation. Focus on the footwork is the lesson. Foot placement is usually more important than handholds.
Similarly, make sure you lay the foundation for your next career move. The flashy elevator speech or projection of presence at a critical time are important, but they need to be backed by solid credentials, education, and experience. In information security, for instance, everyone wants to be a hacker, but only those who code AND get the certifications are truly recognized as such. Make sure you have good footholds before launching for the next level.
The final rock climbing lesson: grit. You know it when you feel it. This weekend I was climbing a route that had stumped my climbing partner. Fifteen feet up, the rock wall bulged. There was a foothold at the base of the bulge but no foothold or handhold for another ten feet up. I made it where my partner had failed, but I’m not sure how. I remember that I was determined and even more that I felt uncomfortable as I operated outside my comfort window. As I made my way over the bulge, the thought crossed my mind, “never again”—but of course we always do it again. When I got down, we talked about how rock climbing shoe rubber makes it possible to smear your foot on the rough surface of the stone and stick long enough to keep upward movement. But on reflection, success has even more to do with grit. Rock climbing is one of those sports where determination translates visibility into concrete progress.
Grit’s needed in the workplace too. The determination to go on—even and especially when you’re operating outside your comfort zone, outside of what’s acceptable behavior, outside of the traditional work ethic. It’s especially important as an entrepreneur in my outdoor adventure guiding business, where I feel like I am at once and the same carving out a niche where none exists and generating demand for that niche. Who wants to be outside in Texas heat? You do, and I’m here to tell you why. Even better, come out with me, and I’ll show you the ropes.
My climbing partner reaching the top of The Nose at Purgatory Hollow, Mineral Wells State Park.