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Teamwork at Altitude:
Lessons for the Workplace

 

 

In October 2025, I set myself a personal challenge: trekking to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 5,895 metres (19,341 feet). Over the eight days of the climb, it was physically demanding, mentally exhausting, and at times overwhelming. But ultimately an incredible experience. And it reminded me how the same qualities that get you to the top of a mountain can help you succeed at work.

 

Upon arrival in Tanzania, I joined a group of people I had never met before. Yet within days, we were encouraging each other, sharing the tough moments, and laughing when we could. That sense of camaraderie became one of the biggest reasons we reached the summit - and it showed me how quickly a team can come together when the goal is clear and everyone is invested.

 

As the days went on, I started to notice how many of the behaviours that helped us progress on the mountain were the same ones that help teams thrive in the workplace. The parallels were impossible to ignore.

 

What I Learned Along the Way

 

Shared Purpose Builds Unity

Strangers became a team because we all had one clear goal: the summit. In the workplace, a well defined objective can unite diverse individuals just as effectively.

 

Trust Forms Through Action, Not Titles

Trust grew every time someone slowed their pace to help another climber, offered a word of encouragement, or shared a snack. At work, trust builds the same way: through small, consistent actions that show reliability and support.

 

Positivity Makes Hard Things Easier

A joke at 4,000 metres can do wonders for morale. I saw how a positive attitude can shift the whole group’s energy — just like celebrating small wins can keep a project team moving forward.

 

Simple Guidance Creates Stability

Our guides kept things straightforward: stay hydrated, keep moving, look out for each other. In business, clear expectations and simple rules help teams stay focused when things get challenging.

Resilience Spreads

Watching one of the group refuse to give in — even when they were struggling — lifted the rest of us. In any organisation, resilience is contagious. One person’s determination can change the tone of a whole team.

The Hardest Part Isn’t Always Where You Expect

Sometimes the only option was to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. I expected the descent to be the easy part, but fatigue and aching knees made it the toughest section. Work can be the same — the “easy bit” or final stretch often demands the most persistence and focus.

 

Accountability Drives Commitment

With charity donations pledged, turning back wasn’t an option I wanted to consider. That sense of responsibility kept me going. In work, accountability to clients, colleagues, and stakeholders plays the same role.

 

Some Final Thoughts....

 

In the days after the climb, what stayed with me wasn’t the altitude or the cold or even the view from the summit. It was the reminder that progress is often slow, sometimes uncomfortable, and rarely predictable - yet always possible when you stay connected to the people around you. Kilimanjaro taught me that we don’t get through the hardest stretches by being the strongest, but by being steady, open, and willing to lean on others when we need to. Those lessons follow you home. They shape how you show up at work, how you support your colleagues and clients, and how you keep moving forward when the path isn’t as straightforward as you hoped. 

 

In many ways, the mountain doesn’t leave you; it simply changes the way you walk back into everyday life.