If you’ve seen Bear Grylls on one of his TV shows such as “Man vs. Wild” or “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” you’ll notice that he seems more like an explorer from past times than he does a modern-day personality. Imagine the grit and cool perseverance of a Daniel Boone, Leif Erikson, Roald Amundsen, or Sir Ernest Shackleton and that’s what he embodies.
His life story reads like an adventure novel. He was one of the youngest people to climb to the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 23. He crossed the Atlantic from the tip of Scotland to Nova Scotia in a small inflatable boat. He’s traveled to Antarctica, through the Northwest Passage of the Arctic, and spent 30 days on a jet ski circumnavigating the U.K.
Grylls on the Stage at SAPPHIRE NOW
What brings Bear from the edges to the earth to the keynote stage at SAPPHIRE NOW and ASUG Annual Conference? He’ll be joining ASUG leaders to talk about achieving your personal best by tapping into your network and moving forward, even in the face of significant personal and professional challenges.
ASUG News had the opportunity to ask Bear about how his past experiences have shaped his personal philosophy. We talked about setbacks, survival, and the value of taking on new experiences. ASUG Members may not scale cliffs each day, but they will recognize similar patterns in the fears of change, barriers to progress, and what often seems like insurmountable work associated with getting big technology projects done.
Ann Marie: How did the experience of growing up on an island shape your perspectives on life?
Bear: My earliest adventure memories are of climbing with my dad on the sea cliffs around the Isle of Wight. It is where my dad first taught me the fundamentals of adventure: Keeping moving toward the mountain before you, even it scares you; follow your dreams and don’t listen to the dream stealers; and that respect and humility matter more than status.
Ann Marie: Tell us a bit about your mantra: “Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.” How can we apply this to our daily lives in technology and business?
Bear: The best expeditions and trips don’t always go to plan. Be prepared for the unexpected and develop an ability to go with it. The wild and open road often throws curveballs and you have to be willing and able to improvise, adapt, and overcome. It has become our mantra as a team when in these wild places.
Ann Marie: Humans are inherently adaptable creatures. Why, then, do you think it’s so hard for people to adapt to change?
Bear: Humans are creatures of habit and no one really likes change except a baby with a wet diaper! But from time to time, it is so important to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself—this is how we all grow. It keeps our edge.
We are at our best when we have a goal and things to aim for. It’s easy to get intimidated by the idea of failure, which may be why people fear the unknown. We need to not see failure as a bad thing, but instead see it as a stepping stone. I have failed so many times, but that’s OK. Without these, I would have had no successes. It’s about that spirit of endeavor and never giving up. That changes everything.
Ann Marie: What do you consider your most valuable survival skill? Why?
Bear: Our greatest weapon or survival tool is our spirit—that fire deep within us all. It is much stronger than we might ever imagine, and it gives us all the courage to keep going when it is tough and to never give up. Survival is not just about knowledge and skills, it’s just as much about good attitudes: positivity, resourcefulness, courage, and above all determination.
Ann Marie: What have you learned (sometimes the hard way) by challenging yourself and taking on new experiences?
Bear: I often say that the wild exposes us wide open and we can’t hide—that's the pain but also the magic. So often I have seen unlikely heroes emerge and those we might think invincible often crumble. The hardships and the camaraderie that we experience on these adventures build a pride and confidence that is hard to explain.
In business it’s the same, you only learn and grow by challenging yourself. As chief ambassador to World Scouting, I always try to champion the Scouts’ motto: Be prepared and go for things. Never feel too small to make a difference. I see this amazing spirit in so many young people around the world, and scouting is now a 50 million strong family.
Likewise, if I look at our filming team, our core crew has worked alongside me for years in some of the toughest places on earth and they are truly amazing. Always going the extra mile against the odds. As a team we just try to put our heads down and strive for what we believe in, which covers everything from expeditions to providing cutting edge gear and clothing. Same principles—do your best, be prepared, and never give up.
Ann Marie: What motivated you to serve as a trooper in the British Special Forces? What did you take away from that experience?
Bear: Passing Special Forces Selection at a young age to join 21 SAS as a Trooper gave me a confidence and belief in myself that I didn’t necessarily have before. I then specialized as a combat survival instructor and trained in all the climbing and free fall skills. These obviously have played a key role in my life since. But the real takeaway for me was some of the best friends anyone could ever ask for, and a cemented positive attitude that I can keep going even when all around me are giving up. That was at the heart of all our training.
Ann Marie: You’ve taken on a lot of adventures to raise money for various causes (navigating the Arctic, the world’s highest dinner party, traversing Antarctica, etc.). How do you typically develop the ideas for those adventures?
Bear: I’m often scribbling ideas down at airports and get stuck working on them on long flights when there are no distractions around. I have a long bucket list still!
Ann Marie: You’ve also experienced some setbacks along the way, including a few injuries. What did you find was the key to bouncing back from those and getting back on your feet?
Bear: There has obviously been a significant amount of risk along the way and too many close calls, but I try to be more considered now in how we approach the risks. Over the years, I have broken my back in Africa, busted my shoulder in Antarctica, been bitten by a snake in Borneo, and almost died in a collision with a high-speed camera on a mountain in Canada that should have killed me. After I broke my back while serving with the Special Forces in a free fall accident, I vowed if I ever recovered, I would live life with arms open and gratitude.
It also made me ever more determined to fulfill my childhood dream of climbing Everest. That climb became the focus of my recovery post military and it’s what then opened the door to my TV career. The lesson was that sometimes the brightest days come after the darkest nights. Just hang on in there and keep your eye on the goal.
Ann Marie: What intimidates you, if anything? What do you do to control your fear?
Bear: Fear is always present before big adventures. Otherwise it isn’t an adventure. I like to see fear as a natural response to danger and in its best form it should keep us sharp and alert. But the key is to make it serve you rather than control you. Fear is there to keep us honest and keep us sharp.
I have seen people shake with fear many times, but the heroes are the quietly courageous who edge their way nervously forward and find a way somehow to do it. That can apply to so many things in life and the key is the edging ever forward and not running from things that scare us.
Ann Marie: Who is your hero? Why?
Bear: My late father, friend, commando, climber, and inspiration. He taught me to survive and climb from a very young age. He also showed me that it was OK to have big dreams and that to fail a few times is essential to success.
Save your spot at SAPPHIRE NOW and ASUG Annual Conference. Register today for our biggest event of the year and hear from Bear Grylls about the path we can follow to move ourselves forward at the ASUG Annual Conference keynote on Tuesday, May 7.