It isn’t surprising when we hear about men and women so captivated by the beauty and majesty of nature that they’ve practically built their lives around it. The outdoors can be an excellent training ground for building the toughest, most resilient, and highly efficient leaders. Some have gone on to explore other industries and have shown that the skills and experiences they acquired in the wild can easily translate into boosting their confidence in other fields.
The famous leaders we’ll talk about today are Jim Whittaker, Andrew King, Jenny Bruso, and Jimmy Chin. These 4 exceptional outdoor leaders have carved a niche in their chosen fields. Their grit, persistence, and competence have helped them work toward becoming influential members of society.
I’ll walk you through a brief background of each of these prominent personalities, and we’ll discover how the know-how and experiences they gained in the outdoors were pivotal in helping them become successful in their endeavors. We’ll also talk about their contributions to society and how they’re able to help bring the wonders of the outdoors closer to the rest of the world. Let’s start!
Famous Outdoor Leaders
At Sancus Leadership, we take pride in helping leaders from various industries become the best versions of themselves and reach their highest potential. If you’re curious about how experiential training can help hone your leadership skills, book us a free leadership call. We’re excited to share with you the benefits of outdoor training!
Here are some of the most famous outdoor leaders from whom you can gain much insights and inspiration:
1. James W. Whittaker
Known as the first American to climb Mt. Everest, he planted his country’s flag on the summit in 1963, and along with the rest of his team, earned global recognition for this amazing feat.
However, Jim, as he was fondly called by most of his peers, not only was able to scale the intense 29,029 feet up to the summit — he was also able to do so despite running out of oxygen. In fact, he was gasping for air as he stood on Everest’s peak because his oxygen bottle was completely empty.
Jim has a twin brother, Lou, another avid outdoorsman. They joined The Mountaineers club at the age of 16 and started climbing mountains, even throughout their busy college years with Jim pursuing a degree in Biology.
In the 1960s, he became the president and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a small co-op that offered hard-to-find mountaineering gear. By the time he retired in 1979, REI was already a $46 million company with multiple branches nationwide and over 700 employees.
Jim can be partly credited for REI’s phenomenal growth in the 1950s due to his remarkable contributions in sales. His resolute, resilient attitude translated into how efficiently he functioned in his roles while scaling Mt. Everest. He was the equipment coordinator and was certainly not the most accomplished among the 20 men in the expedition. He made up for it, though, with sheer determination, excellent physical strength, and optimism.
Whittaker and 4 of his other companions were the first among the group to reach the summit. Despite battling through a storm and a blizzard, both of which forced them to practically crawl their way through, they reached Mt. Everest’s peak with empty oxygen bottles and frozen-solid water bottles. With 1 eye suffering from frostbite, Jim planted the American flag on the ice and spent roughly 20 minutes with his group enjoying the exhilarating experience.
Jim Whittaker’s mountain adventures didn’t end here. He went on to scale other peaks, and in 1990, he led an expedition on Mt. Everest dubbed International Peace Climb. The expedition’s aim was to gather climbers from the US, China, and the Soviet Union — rival countries in the Cold War.
His diplomacy, excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills, candidness, and perseverance paid off, and his 30-man team from 3 conflicting nations was finally able to set out for Everest. 20 climbers from this expedition successfully reached the summit, making Whittaker’s Peace Climb the most successful Mt. Everest expedition so far. They’re also applauded for eliminating nearly 2 tons of accumulated trash from previous climbs.
In Jim Whittaker’s autobiography, A Life on the Edge: Memoirs of Everest and Beyond, he wrote:
“If you stick your neck out, whether it’s by climbing mountains or speaking up for something you believe in, your odds of winning are at least fifty-fifty. If you take risks with preparation and care, you can increase those odds significantly in your favor. On the other hand, if you never stick your neck out, your odds of losing are pretty close to 100 percent.”
2. Andrew King
Explorer Andrew King is on his way to becoming renowned worldwide as the first African-American climber to conquer the Volcanic Seven Summits (the world’s seven tallest volcanoes) — Kilimanjaro, Ojos del Salado, Pico de Orizaba, Giluwe, Elbrus, Damavand, Mount Sidley — and the Seven Summits (the highest peaks of each of the world’s continents) — Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Vinson, Elbrus, Wilhelm.
He’s also an alpinist, free diver, and avid surfer. What’s great about Andrew is he utilizes his love for the outdoors, skills, and talents to promote positive changes in society. He is able to unite his personal and professional goals toward supporting and empowering others, as well as spearheading meaningful and purposeful projects.
He believes in fostering sustainable relationships with worthy non-profit and humanitarian organizations. He actively searches for opportunities to share his thoughts on climate change, sexual inequality, racism, and economic barriers.
What is perhaps most noteworthy about Andrew King’s social endeavors is that he’s the founder of The Between Worlds Project Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers assistance to individuals and communities in gaining digital media exposure. Through this foundation, he promotes connections, compassion, and collaboration. He strives to break down societal walls, offer hope, and provide better opportunities for people from all walks of life.
3. Jenny Bruso
Outdoor adventures were typically reserved for slim and fit individuals, those that fit the classic profile of a daring explorer. Jenny Bruso, an avid outdoor enthusiast herself, has been working hard at altering this slanted perspective through her hiking club, Unlikely Hikers. Founded in 2016, this inclusive outdoor club welcomes all individuals regardless of gender, race, disabilities, body type, or outdoor experience.
Being plus-sized, someone who identifies as queer, and a late bloomer in outdoor pursuits, Jenny experienced different forms of discrimination when she first started spending more time in nature back in 2012. Through her organization, she’s able to break down the walls and encourage everyday, unrepresented outdoor enthusiasts to be more active in the world of the outdoors.
Jenny Bruso taps various social media platforms to share her group’s diverse experiences and insights in this more inclusive outdoor culture that they’re striving to firmly establish. You can find out more about Unlikely Hikers’ explorations via Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and various podcasts.
4. Jimmy Chin
Jimmy Chin is a professional skier and mountaineer, and a photographer, published author, and filmmaker to boot. His film, Free Solo, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2019, and he released his first New York Times Best-Selling book, There and Back: Photographs from the Edge, in 2021.
As a long-time member of The North Face Athlete team, he has explored all 7 continents, led various climbing and skiing expeditions across the globe, and has established for himself quite an admirable summation of historic climbs and outdoor achievements.
Among these is his distinction for being the first American, along with Kit and Rob DesLauriers, to successfully ski-descend from the summit of Mt. Everest in 2006. In 2011, along with Conrad Anker and Renan Ozturk, Jimmy was able to capture the first ascent of Shark’s Fin, a notorious granite wall found in Meru Peak, India.
Together with his wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, he has produced documentaries and films that help shine the spotlight on outdoor culture. He has also collaborated with big brands, such as The North Face, Ford, Yeti, Apple, Chase, Bose, and Panerai.
Jimmy Chin is one of the most sought-after adventure photographers worldwide. He has a knack for capturing stunning images even in the middle of high-risk situations.
Sources
- National Geographic: 1963 American Summit: Jim Whittaker – Back on Earth
- History Link: Whittaker, James W. (b. 1929)
- Jagged Globe: The Seven Volcanic Summits
- Wikipedia: Seven Summits
- Andrew Alexander King: How My Journey Began
- Sea to Summit: Exclusive Interview with Andrew King: A Sea To Summit Ambassador
- Outside Online: The 20 Most Influential People in the Outdoor Industry
- Eddie Bauer: Jenny Bruso
- Trust for Public Land: A New Normal: Jenny Bruso
- Outdoor Project: Woman in the Wild: Jenny Bruso
- Jimmy Chin: About
- The North Face: Jimmy Chin
- Sancus Leadership: Do Outdoor Activities Really Improve Leadership Skills? (Examples, Pros & Cons)
- Sancus Leadership: 7 Steps to Becoming an Excellent Outdoor Leader!
- Sancus Leadership: The 3 Views on Truth at the Workplace: Resolving Conflicts
- Sancus Leadership: Discovery Call
