I’ve known David Lim-the Everest Guy–since JC at Hwa Chong. He was my direct senior at A14 and was our X-country Assistant Coach in our second year. He is also a popular motivational speaker in the world currently. So, while learning to be a professional speaker, I met up with him. It was at the meeting that David gifted me the a/m book.
This book contains lessons from expeditions to Mount Everest and the high peaks in the world. David and his teammates had pulled off an unsupported trek across the largest salt desert in the world. They also reached the summits of virgin peaks in the Tien Shan mountains. He also solo-climbed the world’s highest volcano. And then in the boardrooms of the corporate world, David and his team negotiated the best outcomes and presented ideas persuasively. David brings the wisdom of three decades on the mountains and on the world’s big stages into this book. Here, you could learn how to:
- Achieve personal mastery
- Lead others
- Set and get goals
- Influence others
- Be resilient
Three Selected Chapters
- Three Ways to Succeed in the Workplace as a Millennial (Without Getting Fired)
- Work on those “soft skills”– The skills that were underrated in a technology-driven generation have remained as relevant as ever, and these include, but not limited to-communicating effectively and respectfully, presentation skills and persuading others.
- Take risks– Millennials need to consider how taking some risks with an employer, or a project can actually help them grow. Helping Millennial teams by including a brace of veterans (with open minds) so projects don’t simply fail because of inexperience, is a way to go.
- Stick it out– for a manageable period– Even if your boss is truly a pain, many jobs allow a huge amount of learning if you are prepared to stick it out, typically for a year. That’s arguably better than being an expert in how to be half-baked in a career compromising, for example, six months in four companies in succession.
- A Slice of Cake and Your Goals– David has a friend and fellow professional speaker, Nick French. The latter said,” Life is like a round cake, sliced into eight slices of equal size. Now, imagine each slice represents about 10 years of your life, with the average lifespan of a person to be around 80 years. Remove two slices; the first slice- representing your early childhood years when it might have been hard to see your life ahead might be like. The second slice removed represents your final decade on earth. For many, their health or other issues might prevent them from enjoying life as they should. You now have six slices. Which slice are you on now? And how many are there left?”
- 11 of the Biggest Mistakes Speakers Make- And How to Avoid Them
- Lack of focus
- Presenting a handout as your presentation
- Being a talking head, or a zoo tiger
- Telling irrelevant jokes
- Weak openers and closers
- Too many points
- Rushing
- Failing to stay in the real world
- Not being a member of the audience
- When in doubt, less is more
- It’s a pain
Key Takeaways
- This book is a must read for students and/or practitioners of leadership and resilience.
- It is particularly relevant for those readers who tread between adventure and management.
#Self-mastery #Leadership #Resilience #David Lim
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