Publications

What does leadership have to do with mountaineering? Meticulous planning – and then being able to deviate from the planned path? Making fair decisions in a team and utilising everyone’s special skills in the process?

This applies both to leadership and … exactly: to mountaineering. Read here the story of how a podcast came about that is about both and in which mountaineering was not the starting point at all.

Thesis 1: Mountains in Hamburg

I’ve lived in Hamburg for more than eleven years now. And for more than forty years I’ve been hiking in the mountains, preferably at high altitude. I know only too well the comments I get when I talk about my mountaineering hobby, especially when I’m on assignment with customers in the south: ‘Harburg mountains – well’ or something like that.

But for a few years now, this has been a thing of the past, because a book entitled ‘Bergführer Hamburg’ has been available since 2021. It describes 80 tours and 89 peaks on more than 200 pages. Although: I can forget the passive construction, as I am the author. This first ‘steep thesis’ – namely: ‘There are mountains in Hamburg’ – has thus been published. Incidentally, including the proof that Hamburg is the steepest German city with over a million inhabitants (see page 12).

South ascent to the Müllberg Hummelsbüttel including elevation profile

Thesis 2: Leadership and mountaineering – two very similar things

The book is not only selling well, it is also resonating in many media. Jörg Wunram is no exception. Jörg makes blogs and podcasts – just like flow, by the way. But who am I telling? As a reader, you already know anyway 😉

Jörg’s topics are ‘mountains – water – stories’, which is also the subtitle of his website www.eventoplena.de. A few months ago, he asked if I would be willing to do a podcast episode. Sure, and so we met on a sunny September day at Hamburg’s Heiligengeistfeld to climb a mountain that I don’t even describe in my book – because it was only opened a few months ago. If you’re now frowning and wondering when mountains were opened (they can be opened in Hamburg!), you should listen to the first 30 minutes of the podcast episode (German language), which is all about mountaineering, Hamburg’s mountains and the views from them.

Leadership and organisational change

From minute 32 onwards, leadership and organisational change are the topic. In the ten minutes or so, the main focus is on what experience and approaches in mountaineering can be transferred to leadership and what can be transferred to change. And it’s about how leadership mistakes in organisations ‘only’ lead to failure, but can quickly become very dangerous on the mountain. But just listen for yourself: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ayMKZnEZWaNLgjZiUcHz5

And if you would like to go to Hamburger Berge – or would like support in ‘leading change’, just send me an email to frank.wippermann@flow.de

Until then, all the best for the New Year and a good outlook at all times!

Yours, Frank Wippermann

Photos: Frank Wippermann