Sherpa in Nepal

In 1997, I named my new company, Sherpa Higher Performance. It came about as the result of a really fun, multi-day brainstorming session with a few trusted colleagues, who graciously gave me their time. Our brainstorming process took us through discussions about our values, what impact I wanted to make on the world (or at least my little corner of it), and a listing of about 100 adjectives describing the people I anticipated would become my clients. We threw all those words, concepts, beliefs, and meanings into the air and somehow, “Sherpa” landed right in front of us. When it happened, it was clear as day.  And I have referred to myself as a sherpa, personally and professionally, for over a decade now.

What is a Sherpa? The Sherpa, according to Wikipedia, are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalaya. In Tibetan shar means East; pa is a suffix meaning ‘people’: hence the word sharpa or Sherpa. Sherpas are world renowned for their hardiness, guidance, and expertise on mountaineering expeditions up the high peaks of the Himalaya Mountains. When capitalized, Sherpa means the ethnic group. When written uncapitalized, sherpa generally means “guide.”

The metaphor of myself as sherpa has become my “true north,” the standard I use to make decisions regarding direction, purpose, new services, new clients, etc. The metaphor continues for me as I share some personal beliefs and values with the Sherpa people: humility, perseverance, importance of belonging to and contributing to one’s community, to name a few.

As a sherpa, I serve my clients by guiding them to a higher level and helping them reach heights they would otherwise not have reached on their own.

Who is a sherpa (or possibly, Sherpa) in your life? How does this person come alongside of you and encourage you to reach higher, to keep going?