Well-being, Purpose-Driven Leadership, and Mental Resilience – 5 Minutes with Alex Staniforth

I first heard of Alex in 2014 when he was planning his first ascent of Everest. He was a "young lad" who lived in the next village to me and we decided (as Collingwood Executive Search) to donate to his attempt. Since then, I have followed Alex’s journey in total awe. He is an inspiration and his story needs to be enjoyed by as many young people and as many leaders as possible. Overcoming any challenge, personal or professional, is what he does and his experience and mentality can help us all.

I enjoyed lunch with Alex Staniforth in a local Lakeland pub, hot off the back of ascending 446 peaks in England and Wales fully self propelled, and so it was great to hear about his 45 days successful adventure.

I asked Alex if he would be kind enough to put some of his experiences into our 5 minutes with… format and below is one focused on well-being, purpose-driven leadership, and mental resilience.

I hope you enjoy it and it adds as much value to you as it has done to me. — Doug Mackay

Doug: You founded Mind Over Mountains to support mental health through nature. Why is this connection so vital for leaders today?

Alex: We live in an always-on world and the boundaries between work and home seemed blurred more than ever before and we rarely ever get the opportunity or permission to slow down, breathe and reset. Changing our environment can change our whole perspective on a situation or challenge that we’re facing: to find clarity and resilience. When walking side by side in nature it’s also easier to have those difficult conversations compared to the typical face-to-face environment. That allows for easier intervention and it takes much less energy and resources to give people a leg up than it does to pick them off the floor. Most of my big ideas (including daft challenges) have come to me on a run, bike ride or in the mountains!

Doug: You have spoken openly about anxiety, eating disorders, and a stammer. How can leaders create psychologically safe spaces for vulnerability in their teams?

Alex: I speak openly now because I don’t want others to suffer alone for years like I did. It all starts with putting our hand up first and modelling the behaviour. I think if we’re willing to show vulnerability, we give everyone else permission to do the same. In our own charity, I reached a point of mental burnout, where I was really struggling and totally apathetic towards things I cared a lot about. I could never lead from that state of mind. Being able to put my hand up and ask for help wasn’t only the right thing for me personally but the whole organisation. We now start every meeting by asking "how are you, out of 10?" and as a well-being charity, it’s pretty important to set the example ourselves.

Doug: What role does purpose play in sustaining motivation and resilience, especially when the summit feels out of reach?

Alex: Purpose is everything and on reflection, it’s the times in life when I’ve lost a sense of purpose that my mental health has suffered the most. In the simplest form it’s finding that reason to get out of bed in the morning, and to feel like we’re part of something bigger. On the challenges it’s about knowing your ‘why’ and having the end in mind. In the tough moments that’s what I fall back on as the reason to get outside and run for 12 hours in the rain when I can find a million reasons not to. When I’m coaching people and they lack motivation or enthusiasm for something, they often discover it’s because the ‘why’ has changed, aligned or isn’t strong enough.

Doug: You have raised over £100,000 for causes close to your heart. How can leaders align personal values with professional impact?

Alex: After Everest I realised that my vision of success is about legacy and leaving something bigger behind. I’ve been fortunate that my work – motivational speaking, writing and coaching – directly fulfils my life purpose and mission. That was by design though. As a teenager I worked as a kitchen porter at restaurants and hotels (we all have to start somewhere!) and noticed how my colleagues continually moaned about their job. I vowed to myself that I’d never be one of those people who lived for the weekend. But we can all find ways to make a small positive difference within our work, whether that’s fundraising, personal or team challenges, mentoring someone or travel. And ultimately if we’re passionate about something, that can only be a good thing for ourselves and our businesses.

Doug: What daily habits or rituals help you maintain mental clarity and resilience in high-stakes environments?

Alex: For me, movement is medicine, usually by running, wild swimming or cycling. It’s not always relaxing or enjoyable but it forces me to focus on something else and change my thinking pattern, and I always come back more positive and proactive. Ultimately resilience is about recharging, not about enduring, and so we can either adopt healthy or unhealthy coping mechanisms.

In the high pressure environments it’s very easy to let the yoga mat go out of the window. But if we can just get the basics right – regular nutritious meals, sleep, hydration and breaks – that’s often enough. The same is true for athletes!

To find out more about Alex, or to contact him about his availability as a speaker at your next company meeting or conference, go to alexstaniforth.com.

Leadership resilience is something we talk about often with the leaders we work with. Our leadership development service and our wider insights explore it further, as does our piece on the characteristics of a purpose-driven leader. To talk it through, get in touch.