This paper aims to examine some lessons that can be gained from the Everest reconnaissance expedition of 1921 for business strategy.
This paper adopts an essay approach.
There are at least six lessons to be drawn from the initial Royal Geographical Society reconnaissance of Mt Everest: strategies can be framed as expeditions; the right people need to be assigned the correct roles to make the strategy work; headquarters should respect the judgment of the people in the field and not arbitrarily impose their distant opinions on them; a team of one mind cannot normally succeed; a compelling goal makes up for a lot of shortfalls in other areas; a “failed” strategy can still be valuable if you learn from it.
The paper examines these issues in what is hoped to be a unique way.
