New York, Penguin, 2003. 194 pp. Hardcover with dust jacket. New.

World-class rock climber Todd Skinner was one of today's most sought-after motivational speakers for business audiences. Whenever he described his history-making sixty-day free climb of the 20,500-foot Trango Tower in the Karakoram Himalayas (shown on the jacket), people were in awe of his stamina, skill, ambition, and determination. They are also eager to apply his lessons in their professional and personal lives. 

Skinner argues that everyone has a mountain to climb, whether it's meeting your annual sales target or launching a new product or getting your department to improve its teamwork. And he stresses that you should set your goals even higher than you normally would, and constantly look beyond the current summit to the next one. For instance, instead of aiming for 10 percent revenue growth, go after a seemingly impossible 50 percent target, and then think of new ways to get there.

In both rock climbing and business, you must define your exact mission, assemble the right team, make the critical transition from preparation to action, have courage when crossing difficult terrain, and weather the storms well. Skinner offers fresh insights into all of these topics and explains principles such as:
* how you think is more important than what you know
* pick teammates for what they will do, not what they have already done
* make decisions in answer to the mountain
* fall toward the summit
* see each challenge as part of a bigger picture, your lifelong ascent

Beyond the Summit presents fresh and inspiring advice on leadership, teamwork, and decision-making skills, combined with an epic adventure tale.

About the Author
Todd Skinner, a Wyoming native, has established new climbs at the highest levels of difficulty in more than twenty-six countries. His experiences have been described in National Geographic and Life, and his expeditions to places as exotic as the Amazon and Timbuktu have been featured in nine documentaries. He is also a popular speaker at business events around the country. Todd died in a climbing accident in Yosemite in 2006.