Thomas Huber: "One must be courageous in life"

"Analogy of Profession and Mountain" is the title of your presentation at the 11th Oberbayerisches Wissensforum on March 24, 2017 in Rosenheim. Was it clear to you early on that your profession and the mountains were connected?" No, not really. It wasn't until towards the end of our studies that my brother Alexander and I realized that we could sustainably make a living from mountaineering - through a combination with our presentations and with the help of initial sponsors. Because we were such enthusiastic mountain climbers, we wanted to give it a try. From this bold decision, a profession ultimately emerged. Today, it can be said that we work in a multimedia way, as mountaineers - as writers, as speakers, in collaboration with sponsors, covering an incredibly wide spectrum. You often operate in extreme terrain and temperatures, where optimal equipment is essential. What equipment should one pack in their backpack for professional life? Always adapted to the conditions! I am against over-equipment. In professional life, as in mountaineering, there should be a basic set of equipment available to protect oneself from external conditions and have optimal material at hand. However, one should not overly rely on equipment, because the real strength comes from within you! You must be mentally strong, you must prepare yourself for each project individually and in detail, only then can you overcome limits. Mountaineering is very archaic, but it still shows incredible parallels to the professional world and everyday life. My presentation is not about showing how people can live better, but rather about how I function in the mountains. Based on that, immediate connections can be made to the professional world. I don't just present my mountaineering achievements, but my presentation at the Wissensforum delves deep into the philosophical and even the comedic. Having humor is a very important part, in normal life as well as in extreme situations. Your brother Alexander is a very special climbing partner for you. In professional life, the term "networks" sometimes has a negative connotation. Should companies not focus more on expanding partnerships and networks? For me, "climbing partners" has absolutely no negative aspect, it is a wonderful metaphor for tackling extreme challenges. "Climbing partnership" describes a partnership where each person takes responsibility, and the rope between them is trust. Even in everyday professional life, I need a partner: if they do not take responsibility, trust cannot be built. For me, "climbing partnership" is one of the most beautiful terms: when you set out, you tie a rope and try to give your all to reach your desired destination. Trust only works if you know that each person takes responsibility for themselves. If one does not take responsibility, trust cannot be built. If trust is lacking, a situation should be ended immediately, in extreme situations as well as in professional life. You are fortunate to have turned your passion for mountaineering into a profession. However, in many work areas, passion cannot always be fully realized. What strategies do you recommend for overcoming dry spells? I advise everyone to do what excites and challenges them. Once you find that, you are on the right path. If not, you also need to have the courage to bring about change in life. Of course, it is not always easy, and sometimes dry spells can be overcome by taking a break and confronting something new to recharge and find answers. For some, it is difficult to muster this courage, but if you have the opportunity, you should summon the courage and pursue the path that fascinates you. There are situations in life where a certain responsibility must be carried, but then you should try to find a trigger point to work towards. Experiencing setbacks, admitting that things are not going as planned, and drawing consequences from them are unavoidable both in mountaineering and in professional life. How do you deal with defeats and where do you find motivation for new projects? I have defined for myself that there have been no defeats so far. In the mountains, there were sometimes setbacks that also deeply affected or saddened me. For me, every failure means a setback, but every setback is simultaneously a step towards the next attempt, you reflect on it, you learn from it. A defeat would be if you no longer know how to handle life. This year, you had a serious mountain accident where you fell 16 meters. Have you recovered well? Yes, I have. Actually, not much happened to me, I had a skull fracture which has healed very well now, but no bleeding in the brain. The doctors said, you can't have more luck in life. Has this event changed your attitude in any way? Any traumatic impact on a person inevitably leads to a change. I am incredibly grateful that I survived and I have gratefully accepted this luck, but I do not question this luck. I believe it is very important in life to accept everything that happens and be grateful, then you can look positively forward. What message do you want to leave with the participants of the Wissensforum to successfully climb the mountains in their professional lives? I just want to say: Be courageous! That contains the most important thing. I say this also in this time of populism and this fearful society. We should become more courageous and alert again. Be brave and go through the world with open hearts and alert eyes! Be ready for the new, because only then can we develop further! Thank you for the interview and all the best in the future! Interview: Maria Stuffer-Chunphetch   For more information on our Top 100 Speaker Thomas Huber, click HERE