The Surprising Truth About Extraordinary Achievement

When an all-female, Nepalese mountaineering team set out to reach the summit of Mt Everest in 2008, their mission was less about the mountain, than challenging gender stereotypes.  To achieve their ridiculously challenging goal, they needed to overcome funding issues, ridicule, societal pressures, inexperience and physical unpreparedness. All of the women had challenging origin stories that included extreme poverty, sex trafficking, arranged marriages and zero mountain climbing experience, so the local scepticism about their chances was extreme. Local sherpas took bets on how many of them would die on ascent.

Despite the challenges, all ten women successfully reached the summit and survived the 45-day trek.  By 2014, the team had gone on to conquer all “Seven Summits” (the highest peaks on each of the seven continents), receiving international recognition and establishing education programs that fundraise, advocate and educate women.

The surprising truth about their achievement is that they literally built a social structure to support their efforts. Which is also why they were able to go on to replicate the feat on all continents (except Zealandia which is largely under water). Here are some of the ways they maintained 100% commitment over the extended period through which they needed to train and acquire skills.

We have structured their mission using the SMEAC (Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration and Communication) which forms part of the 4-Dimensional Leadership Program used by NASA (next launch is on 1 July 2024):

Read full article here

PODCAST | Shailee Basnet’s Lessons for High-Performing Teams

We interview Shailee Basnet, leader of the first all-female Nepalese team to climb Everest. They went on to climb all seven highest summits on each continent. She has since become the first female Nepalese speaker to join the US speaker circuit and has gone on to become a stand-up comedian in the US, also launching a female leadership academy in Nepal. Check it out here:

28-29 May 2024 | ICC Sydney

We are proud Gold Partners at this years Aus Space 24 Space Connect Summit. Come visit our stand and check out the behavioural toolkit that has helped make NASA Best Place to Work in federal govenrment for 11 years in a row.

Paul Hawkins, our Chief Combobulator is presenting on Day 2 at 12:25pm, just after Dr Paul Scully-Power, Australia’s first astronaut. His talk is on ‘How NASA Built High-Performing Teams using 4-Dimensional Leadership and How You Can Too‘.  The 4-Dimensional System has been delivered to over 100,000 individuals in over 75 countries. In this presentation, 4-D provider Crazy Might Work share how the program has been updated and why its four dimensions and eight behaviours are still relevant to any leaders who aspire to build high-performing teams. In this presentation you will hear:

How the 4-Dimensional Leadership model is architected.

Which 8 behaviours are considered crucial to team effectiveness.

Where it is currently being used successfully (outside of NASA itself).

How you can access the program and benefit from its powerful behavioural messages.

Quite a line up this year, check it out: AusSpace24

21 July 2024 | NASA 4-Dimensional Leadership Program

Like the seven Summits team, NASA learned the power of 100% commitment and creating social support structures  to achieve extraordinary goals. This immersive program can be delivered in-house or online and it will allow you to experience parts of the astronaut training program while acquiring the 8 core behaviours of high-performing teams (including how to build purposeful visions to inspire 100% commitment).

8 sessions during 1 – 25 July including on
Mondays and Thursdays (12:00-1:30pm AEST)

Be quick. These programs sell out fast.  Get Details