"Todd Skinner delivers on the rare combination of being both captivating and relevant. [He] brings out the deep and truthful lessons of creating, building, and leading a high-performing team This is an inspirational text for anyone on any team aspiring to reach their full potential."

--DOUG BURGU M, senior vice president, Microsoft

Todd Skinner doesn't have a desk job, doesn't run a company, and doesn't have an MBA. So why have companies all around the country turned to this world-renowned rock climber for guidance? Because Skinner knows that mountain climbing is the perfect metaphor for business challenges. Everyone has a goal to achieve--a mountain to climb-and your success is determined by making the correct choices from beginning to end. You can choose to travel a well-worn path, or you can go where no one else has dared, be the first to make your mark, and surpass everyone's expectations, including your own.

Part inspiration, part business advice, part heart-stopping adventure, BeyOnd the Summit tells the gripping story of how Todd Skinner and his team set out to climb the most difficult mountain of their lives. In the process, it shows you bow to set and achieve your own exceptional goals.

When Skinner announced that he wanted to climb 20,500-foot Trango Tower in the Karakoram Himalayas, everyone said it couldn't be done. But he suspected that if something is said to be impossible, that might be reason enough to try. This history-making event required almost superhuman stamina, skill, strategy, and determination---exactly the qualities necessary to achieve extraordinary goals in any field.

Introduction

THE MOUNTAIN

Why Climb?

THE MIND BEHIND THE MOUNTAIN

Foundation Thinking from the Top Down

LAUNCHING THE EXPEDITION

How to Choose a Team and Prepare for the Unknown

FACING THE WALL

Making the Critical Transition from Horizontal to Vertical

CROSSING DIFFICULT TERRAIN

How to Fall Toward the Summit

THE STORM

Surviving Serious Adversity

THE LAST 10 PERCENT

How to Go the Distance When You Would Rather

Go Home

THE VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT

What to Look for When You Are Standing on Top

Index