How to Build Endurance and Succeed
Acclaimed mountaineer and business leader Alison Levine loves to share the valuable lessons she has learned along the way in her fascinating life. Delivering practical advice that helps leaders keep their real estate teams motivated and focused is her specialty, even when conditions are not optimal.
Failure Is Just One Thing — It’s Not the Only Thing
Failing to reach the summit during the first Everest expedition due to extreme weather conditions left Levine not only disappointed in herself, she recalled, but also with the feeling that she had let down the team’s sponsors and fans. In time, she said, she came to realize that she had achieved something significant — ensuring that every team member returned home safely.
She also learned to put the outcome in perspective.
“I eventually came to realize that failure is just one thing that happens to you at one point in time. That’s all it is. It doesn’t define you,” she said. “It’s one thing that happens to you at one point in time, and usually you’re much more focused on that failure. You internalize it long after anybody else is even thinking about.”
The Power of Encouragement
When Levine was ready to try her second trek up Mount Everest 11 years later, there were two people she drew inspiration from, she said. One was a late friend who had been supportive and encouraging after the expedition.
“She didn’t care if she succeeded or failed,” Levine said of her friend. “She just thrived off the fun of trying.”
Levine also drew inspiration from a Canadian mountain guide who met her at the point she had turned back on her first attempt. There he encouraged her and made her promise to “go further” than she had before.
It’s a lesson real estate leaders can also learn from.
“Just being there to encourage somebody who’s struggling can completely change the outcome of a situation. Just be an encourager to the people on your team and that can completely make the difference in your outcomes,” she said.
Go Big and Go Home
Levine said she is on a “one woman” mission to change up the mantra “go big or go home” to “go big and go home.”
“What good is it to achieve these great things when you don’t have anything left in you? For the people that you love and the people that love you, that’s the most important thing. So have the big dreams. Push yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Set your goals high. Go for it. Stumble along the way. Have the failures,” she advised.
“Get back out there and try it again. Yes, but at the end of the day, do not forget that the most important thing is having something left in you for the people in your life.”
The Curious CEO
In a recent interview on “The Curious CEO,” hosted by Buffini CEO Dermot Buffini, Levine shared the lessons she has learned not only as an acclaimed mountaineer but also as a top business leader and philanthropist.
Watch The Curious CEO with Alison Levine now.
