On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments

Alison Levine’s On The Edge has been miscast as a book about leadership principles. It is far more than that. The book recounts compelling stories about remarkable human achievements—Ms. Levine’s achievements, mostly—through which one may glean more than business or leadership lessons, and more of what I regard as life lessons that apply beyond sports and business environments. Along the way while reading about Ms. Levine’s adventures and tribulations toward achieving the Adventure Grand Slam, you will absorb life lessons like: do the right thing—always; show up prepared for whatever lies ahead; complacency will kill you; develop strong relationships; find ways to bring out the best in others; you are not special; it’s not always about you, but about those to whom you are accountable; empower those around you; progress doesn’t always look like progress; and own your failures and learn from them. It’s easy enough to read that list and say, “yeah, seems like a sensible list, I got it.” But absorbing these life lessons by traveling along on Ms. Levine’s journeys helps make them unforgettable and a part of you. (And, by the way, if you read about Ms. Levine’s adventure achievements and you think you know someone who’s accomplished more, I’d like to meet him or her.)The lessons that Ms. Levine conveys would benefit people of all walks of life: mothers & fathers; teenagers & college students; those just beginning careers of any kind and those much further down the path. Heck, have your youngsters try it. Please. In our era of domination by “millennials,” it behooves us to help young people begin to learn the life lessons that Ms. Levine conveys. Perhaps the members of the everyone-gets-a-trophy-for-showing-up generation will appreciate that leadership and achievement are not about what I can accomplish for me, but about how I can bring along others for broader achievement. (Now get off my lawn!)Part of the appeal of On The Edge is the force of Ms. Levine’s character, outlook and relatability. And all one has to do to confirm this view is troll the hundreds of Twitter raves about Ms. Levine’s personal appearances and speeches given about the same themes in her book. Or, you could be fortunate enough to attend one of her presentations. The comments from audiences as diverse as the Girl Scouts, West Point cadets, conventions and corporation audiences attest to the wide appeal of her story, message and personality.I mentioned relatability. The book is neither pedantic nor overbearing nor preachy. It’s easy to read, and the adventure stories keep it moving along. And Ms. Levine is relatable, too. Relatable like sitting down for a soda with Thor or Iron Man and talking about what they’ve been up to.Perhaps this recommendation comes a few weeks too late, as high school and college graduation season has just about passed us now. But for all those with the laudable practice of bestowing Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” on your favorite recent grad, I suggest you now give two books: Dr. Seuss, of course, and Alison Levine’s “On The Edge.” Two are great guidebooks for a most excellent adventure.

Reading "On the Edge" provided an excellent look at why the author, Alison Levine, is one of the most sought-after and highest-rated leadership speakers in the world.Ms. Levine has a gift for telling stories in such a way that you truly can imagine yourself being right there with her -- whether freezing, hungry, and disoriented on a dangerous mountain edge, or tired and struggling while pulling much more than your bodyweight as you traverse Antartica on skis -- while you learn lessons that will help you to become a much more effective leader and human being.Great how-to information along with IMMENSE inspiration...as well as a fantastic sense of humor that had me laughing out loud!And perhaps the best part is that once you read some of the situations that she experienced and was able to (had to) navigate her way through, you'll find -- as I did -- all your excuses for not doing what you need to do a thing of the past.I find myself recommending this book constantly!Again, just a TERRIFIC read!

Loved your recent presentation on Dave Ramsey's zoom. As you put it, "Yuichiro Miura is one of the most impressive extreme athletes in the world. Not only was he the first person to ski at an altitude above 26,000 feet; he also later went back to summit Everest. Multiple times. The first time at age seventy. The second at age seventy-five.Just finished "On The Edge", myself at age 75! You have an amazing life story and so beautifully linked to leadership and risk.Grateful for your life lessons!!Now you have me looking for the next!

I always admire books about leadership by people who have actually been “in the arena,” to quote Teddy Roosevelt. In “On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments,” Alison Levine has definitely been there and can speak with authority. Springboarding off her own experiences on Everest twice, and weaving in experiences from other adventurers and renowned mountaineers, she drives home the message: “The way you react to something in the moment will depend heavily on the way in which you prepare to face challenges.” Even her failed attempt on her first Everest climb taught her valuable lessons to share. She’s done the Seven Summits and Grand Slam. I’m writing this from Antarctica, I suffer from Raynaud’s too, and I cannot even imagine what she went through! So Levine has some true leadership chops and insights. Levine includes some basic leadership formulas that can often be found in other leadership books that use mountaineering or polar exploration as metaphors. But she also includes some edgy ones: Look for teammates with big egos. When you’re making progress, turn around and change direction. Practice sleep deprivation. Don’t try to overcome weakness. Success can be a problem. To be an effective leader, it’s important that you condition yourself for the times when sleep is not an option. I highly agree with these novel approaches and found this book inspirational, motivational and practical."On the Edge" is significantly marred, however, by a choppy style. Levine has credibility, hard won, and an overall great writing style. Why, then, does she constantly interrupt the flow of her text and her excellent stories with lame commentary in parenthesis (considered “noise” in writing), that is as juvenile as it is not funny? Some examples: “Millions of Americans are familiar with the 1996 Everest disaster. Someone could write an entire book about what went wrong (oh, wait—thanks, Jon Krakauer!).” “(Seriously, did you really just ask MapQuest for directions to the summit of Mount Everest?)” “...they go out on the backs of mules with oxygen masks strapped across their faces (the people, not the mules).” “...credit-card debt that I had racked up during school. (Save it, Suze Orman.… We don’t need to go there.)” “... couple of Norwegian teams had followed in Messner’s tracks (um, no, not his actual ski tracks…)” and probably the worst, “...including a scientific mission in the 1880s that led to suicide and cannibalism. (Note to self: seek teammates who are vegetarians.)” I could go on and on: the commentary is not clever, amusing or useful. It disrupts what otherwise is great content. But most of all, Levine does not need to be an adventurer, leadership teacher... and comedian. Why try to be everything, especially when you are not good at it? I hope in her next revision, she hires a better editor and lops off the lame commentary. That would get this book a raving five stars from me. Otherwise, kudos to Levine for her accomplishments and desire to teach us all about leadership.

Reading Alison's book you really get a flavour for what leadership is all about and she imparts her wisdom through reference to her experiences as a mountaineer, polar explorer and now an international leadership authority.It's a seriously valuable resource for entrepreneurs and a highly recommended read

Muy bien libro! Te encanta con las historias de cosas “inalcanzables” y te da muchas herramientas para tu vida profesional, familiar y personal

Great read, well written.

Nice book

Good fresh take on leadership mindset