Melissa Arnot Reid

Mountaineers have a special term for teamwork on the mountain: the “brotherhood of the rope.” When you climb together, you form a unique bond—one that is forged in danger; in high stakes; in literal life-or-death situations. It’s a brotherhood that goes beyond the imaginable to save another climber’s life. It’s a brotherhood that sees climbers summit—or perish—together. Most of us will never experience this kind of brotherhood—but we can learn from it.

In this electrifying keynote, six-time Everest summiteer Melissa Arnot shares her strategies for fostering teamwork in your organization. When you work as a team, she says, you are united in the face of your goal. And when you behave in a strategic, collaborative way—by supporting one another, sharing skills, and uniting intent—you will be better and stronger. Your audience will walk away with the practical leadership skills they need to develop and nurture effective teamwork.

There are 50 states in the United States, and every one of them has a high point. Some are simple prominences that can easily be driven to; others require extreme technical mountaineering ability. To climb to the top of all 50 can take a lifetime. As of 2014, only 253 people had done it. To complete it in only 50 days is an incredible challenge of endurance, logistics, and mental strength.

In this talk, six-time Everest summiteer Melissa Arnot shares the story of the Fifty Peaks Challenge. Climbing a mountain every day  sounds pretty tough. But is that how regular life feels to you? For a lot of us, just getting through the day is a challenge. Stress, deadlines, juggling family and work, maintaining our relationships, making time for exercise—we have a lot on our plates. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we become drained and beat up, which takes a significant toll on our health and prevents us from being at our best both mentally and physically.

Melissa shares real-life, practical ways to overcome this pressure. Her strategies will help you be the very best you can be in all aspects of both your personal and professional life—so that every day doesn’t feel like climbing to an impossible height. (Unless, of course, you’re joining Melissa on her next mountaineering expedition—in which case, you can do it!)