Alan Hobson's Topics:
1) Rising to the Challenge of Change
The hostile operating conditions on Mount Everest change by the minute with changing wind conditions, snow conditions and weather conditions. With ever-increasing competition, technological innovation and sudden market shifts, so does the landscape of business. Three years after standing on the top of Everest, Alan was faced with the most cataclysmic change of his life when he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and given less than a year to live. Today, he is more physically fit than he was prior to his last Everest expedition and is considered officially medically cured. He shows audiences how to rise to the challenge of change, and profit from it.
2) Learning from Setbacks
Success in business is never instantaneous. It is always the result of continuous improvement and an ever-refined process. Alan’s team was unable to make it to the top of Everest on their first two attempts but they learned volumes about how to be more efficient and effective each time. During his presentations, Alan tells the tale of his three expeditions to Everest and how we can all emerge victorious if we mine the priceless knowledge from the depths of our experiences.
3) Succeeding – on Purpose
After his first non-guided, corporately sponsored and self-organized Everest expedition did not make it to the top, Alan’s second attempt missed the summit by just two city blocks when the expedition's lead climber came down with life-threatening high altitude sickness. His team worked for 33 continuous hours and saved the man’s life, but it meant postponing the achievement of their goal. Discouraged, but not defeated, Alan walked away again with another set of precious lessons and started over on his third expedition with renewed determination. This time, he succeeded in safely climbing to and from the top of the world. Alan shows audiences how to rise to the challenge of cataclysmic change and effectively re-prioritize without losing sight of their mission, vision, values or objectives. Beyond that, the possibilities are limitless – if we stay on purpose.
4) Executing with Excellence
After three non-guided, corporately sponsored and self-organized expeditions to Mt. Everest, an experienced Alan Hobson finally stepped onto the roof of the world. It was a true triumph of tenacity almost two decades in the making. He shows audiences that even when times are hard, if we remain focused on executional excellence and maintain a relentless upward drive toward higher performance, we really can achieve the ultimate. A must-see for any organization aspiring to greater heights.
5) Turning Adversity into Opportunity
After being diagnosed with cancer of the blood and given less than a year to live, Alan not only survived, but thrived. The acid test of an organization is no less so. Alan offers a living example of how to transform trial into triumph.
6) Adapting to Shifting Priorities
It happens to everyone. We set out toward a goal, but suddenly, a competing priority forces us to shift our focus and resources. When one of Alan’s teammates came down with life-threatening high altitude sickness just two city blocks from the top of Everest, his team had to choose between their objective and their teammate. The choice they made and how they implemented their sudden shift in focus provides a stirring example of peak performance under pressure. It resonates forcefully with every organization today.
Also: Achieving ROI through Risk
About Alan Hobson:
At the age of 29, international bestselling author and worldwide adventurer Alan Hobson set out to realize his greatest childhood dream. It took him 10 grueling expeditions to high altitude, three to Mt. Everest, and a decade of intense fundraising, training and organizational effort before he finally stood on top of the world. As he gazed out from the highest physical point on the planet, tears froze to his face. He could see the curvature of the Earth as the horizon bent in his peripheral vision at 29,035 feet.
“Half the dream is done,” the then 39-year-old radioed to base camp as his voice cracked with emotion. “If we’re persistent enough, we can do the dreams.”
In August 2000, Alan set out on his ultimate adventure to date. At 42, he was diagnosed with cancer of the blood and given less than a year to live. Using the hard-won lessons he learned on Everest, he chose to ignore solid medical evidence that there was an 85 per cent chance he would die and thanks to raw courage and the miracles of modern medicine, he not only survived but thrived. He is now one of less than a dozen people to achieve an elite level of fitness after a blood transplant for acute leukemia, is more physically fit than he was prior to his last Everest expedition and has been cancer-free for over five years. He is now considered to be medically cured.
Alan is the international bestselling author of half a dozen books, a former nine-time All-American gymnast, marathon runner, hang glider pilot, white water kayaker, parachutist, journalist, and winner of the prestigious William Randolph Hearst Award for Excellence in News Writing. He has scuba dived beneath the ice of frozen mountain lakes in the dead of the Canadian winter, visited sunken wrecks in Lake Geneva, and executed numerous night dives in the frigid and turbulent waters of the north Atlantic. He is a tough man for tough times – an expert at overcoming adversity, managing cataclysmic change, and enduring hostile and life-threatening operating conditions.
Alan’s first expedition to Everest ended 3,000 feet short of the summit when a fierce storm ripped his team’s high camp right off the mountain. Undaunted, Alan was back on Everest three years later, this time with half the budget of the first trip, half the personnel, and no bottled oxygen. His team missed the summit by an excruciatingly disappointing two city blocks when their lead climber came down with high altitude sickness and they elected to rescue him rather than continue blindly going for the goal. Finally, on his third expedition, Alan changed his strategy completely, attacked the mountain from its southern, Nepalese side, outsourced the organizational and leadership aspects of the climb, and focused exclusively on training and fundraising. The plan worked. His team put six expedition members on top – almost half its climbers -- a feat achieved by likely only a handful of teams in Everest’s storied 80-year climbing history. Little did he know then, that an even greater challenge lay ahead – the Everest of illnesses.
What Elevates Alan Above other Adventure Speakers:
· A Cancer Survivor (100% cured after 500 hours of Chemo, terminal diagnosis), who has turned misfortune into way to help patients overcome chronic fatigue.
· Tangibly links his adventures with business and everyday life (see topics above).
· Researches the distinct needs of each group, integrates the results of his study into each presentation. Using an exhaustive preparatory process that begins long before he steps on stage, he connects deeply with each group on both an individual and organizational level.
· To prepare for each presentation, Alan goes through a 5-step preparatory process:
o Studies client's website(s), annual report(s) and promotional materials and makes notes.
o He conducts one to four telephone interviews of 60 to 90 minutes each with senior leaders to familiarize himself with the challenges of each organization/group, its markets/target audience, products/services, competitors, goals and the specific needs of the audience to which he will be speaking. Again, he takes extensive notes.
o He synthesizes the results of his personal research into one page and before arriving on-site, reviews his summary for accuracy and comprehensiveness with the client. He makes changes as needed.
o Once on-site, whenever possible, he attends any relevant plenary or breakout sessions that might assist him to further understand the needs of his audience. During these sessions, he gathers additional information he might be able to use during his presentation.
o He commits the information he has gathered to memory and then smoothly integrates it into his presentation.