Sir Chris Bonington delivers exclusive masterclass to Cass MBAs
Renowned British mountaineer delivers lecture on leadership at the inauguration of the Cass MBA Expeditionary Society.
Cass welcomed renowned mountaineer and Everest legend, Sir Chris Bonington to deliver an exclusive masterclass in leadership for inauguration the Cass MBA Expeditionary Society. Sir Chris is the Patron of the new society in its inaugural year.
Dr Sionade Robinson, Associate Dean, MBA Programmes said, “At Cass, our aim is to encourage and build an explorer’s mind set for our MBAs. It’s my pleasure to have Sir Chris here this evening... he shares Cass’s passion for experiential learning in leadership development.”
Fellow mountaineer and Cass Honorary Visiting Professor, Dr Rodrigo Jordán, introduced Sir Chris to a packed auditorium sharing his own story of meeting Bonington for the first time as a young mountaineer.
What Everest can teach us about leadership?
Speaking about his illustrious career and his successful climb to the peak of Mount Everest in the 1980s, Sir Chris Bonington said, “Leadership is a having a clear vision of something you’re passionate about and then you involve others in that vision. But, to be successful, you must have single clear aim – there can be no confusion in your objectives. This is as important in climbing Everest as it is in leadership.”
During an amazing recounting of his many attempts to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Sir Chris said:
“Never be afraid of failure. If you’re going to push the limits, don’t look at your attempts as failures, instead view them as setbacks. There is always something you can learn and take from your experiences.”
Leadership is having a very clear vision... there can be no confusion in your objectives.
Sir Chris Bonington
He added, “It’s not about you personally reaching the summit, but making sure your team is successful, because a good leader is sensitive to the needs of other.”
He concluded, “What I learned from Everest is that it didn’t matter that it wasn’t a first ascent expedition… it was the quality of the expedition. How you achieve your journey is every bit as important as your success… and that journey was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
About the Cass MBA Expeditionary Society
The Cass MBA Expeditionary Society will explore leadership through experience. It aims to build a community of Cass MBA students and alumni interested in developing leadership skills through experiential learning in unique stretch experiences.
You can join the society here.
About the Cass MBA
The Cass MBA programme is delivered in both a full-time and Executive part-time format, with programmes delivered in London and Dubai, and our MBA students have access to the best research and industry knowledge.
To find out more please visit our website: cass.city.ac.uk/study/mba