Sharon Wood

Sharon Wood is the first North American woman to summit Mount Everest, a mountaineering achievement she accomplished in 1986 via the challenging West Ridge route. Her extraordinary career in high-altitude climbing and her experience leading teams in extreme environments have made her one of the most compelling leadership speakers in North America.

A Lifetime in the Mountains

Wood’s climbing career began at age 12 when her father took her up her first mountain. By 17, she was devoting all her time to climbing. Her Everest expedition required meticulous planning, extraordinary physical conditioning, and absolute trust among team members in conditions where a single mistake could be fatal. She reached the summit via a route that only a handful of climbers had ever completed, establishing herself as one of the elite mountaineers of her generation.

Leadership Lessons from the World’s Highest Peak

Wood has translated her mountaineering experience into a powerful framework for business leadership, team performance, and personal resilience. Her presentations draw on the realities of leading and performing in environments where the stakes are life and death and where preparation, trust, and perseverance determine whether you survive. Her keynotes deliver unforgettable lessons on teamwork and trust in high-stakes environments, meticulous preparation as the foundation for success, perseverance through extreme adversity, and the leadership mindset required when failure is not an option.

Everest: Insights from a higher ground

Sharon Wood teaches, entertains and inspires with her personal story about reaching the top of Mount Everest. Stunning still images and video illustrate the journey of a small team who shared a bold vision to climb the highest mountain in the world by a more difficult route and with fewer physical and financial resources.

Her story powerfully demonstrates how exemplary teamwork and leadership can render the impossible possible. Sharon effectively conveys both the individual and the team perspective by stressing the importance of honoring her own passion and dreams while fulfilling a role as a member of a team – a team committed to a shared vision.

Sharon’s style is personal and moving. She uses powerful anecdotes and vivid analogies to convey the elements that parallel the challenges of striving individuals and organizations. Sharon’s authentic, humorous and honest approach evokes listeners to consider the value of their own resources and opportunities.

“To the Summit and Beyond” is more than an adventure story – it is a timeless, universal story about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. For anyone wanting to be more effective in his or her work or life, Sharon’s story is a powerful inspiration.

Each presentation is tailored to the focus and timelines of the audience. Based on the objectives of the client the following themes can be incorporated:

• The power of passion and curiosity
• Fostering a shared vision
• Accomplishing more with less
• Thriving through change and adversity
• Integrating personal aspirations with team power
• Looking outside the box for creative solutions
• Maintaining the momentum and staying the course
• Believing “better is possible”
• Firing on all cylinders
• Expanding possibilities
• Maximizing courage – diminishing fear
• Leading from where you are – personal leadership
• Embracing the value of diversity
• Being and living our potential
• Performing versus conforming
• Recognizing, giving and accepting support