Climbing to new heights

This is an excerpt of the original article. It was written for the March-April 2023 edition of Supply Chain Management Review. The full article is available to current subscribers.

March-April 2023

In June 2013, Frank Quinn stepped down as the only editorial director Supply Chain Management Review had ever known. “In thinking about those whom I’m indebted to for the success of SCMR over 16 years, there is one constituency that must rank first on the list—you, the reader,” Frank wrote, as he handed over the reins to Bob Trebilcock. Now, Bob has done the same, handing over the reins to the next generation. I am very proud to be that next generation. In a farewell letter of sorts, Bob wrote that he was the “old” and I as the “new.” Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no old or new, only continuity. That continuity is…

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In June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold did what elite rock climbers believed to be impossible: He climbed El Capitan, Yosemite’s iconic 3,200-foot sheer granite cliff, without ropes. Pushing the limits of human ability, Honnold achieved a personal quest for climbing mastery and elevated sports climbing to new heights. His journey was documented in the Academy Award winning movie, “Free Solo.” If you’ve never heard the term, to free solo is to rock climb without ropes or protective gear. One slip, one wrong move means certain death.

How intense is free soloing? Tommy Caldwell—the man National Geographic called “arguably the best all-round rock climber on the planet”—described Honnold’s feat: “Imagine an Olympic gold-medal-level athletic achievement, that if you don’t get that gold medal, you’re gonna die. That’s pretty much what free soloing El Cap is like. You have to do it perfectly.” The New York Times asserted: “Alex Honnold’s free solo climb of El Capitan should be celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind ever.”

As stunning as Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan was, you may be thinking, “What can I, as a supply chain professional, learn from Honnold’s ascent?” Pundits have drawn parallels to elevating innovation and conquering risk, key concerns on your radar.
Honnold, however, points to a more pertinent supply chain takeaway:

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