The pursuit of excellence – or the pursuit of attention?
Veteran British adventurer and long-term UAE resident, Adrian Hayes, embarks on a second attempt to climb the world’s third highest mountain. Mt Kanchenjunga (8586m), located in the Himalayas on the Eastern border of Nepal with Sikkim, India.
Hayes, a Nepalese speaking former British Army Gurkha officer is no stranger to high altitude mountains or Nepal, having been working in the country in his Army career since the late 1980s and climbing there since 1998. Amongst a CV full of adventuring accomplishments, he has summitted Everest and K2, trekked all the way expeditions to the North and South Pole, skied the length of Greenland, and crossed the Arabian Desert by camel, achieving two Guinness World Records, writing two books and featuring or presenting three documentaries to date.
“Kanchenjunga is little known but is a formidable challenge” says Hayes. “It is huge, steep and technical and has the longest Base Camp to summit elevation of any mountain on Earth” he adds. His attempt in 2024 ended prematurely due to what he states were a combination of poor conditions, insufficient resources, and some errors in judgement. If successful he will become one of the few people in the World to climb the three highest mountains on Earth.
But it is the ’why’ that enlightens Hayes, a professional leadership, team & executive coach, and keynote speaker for 18 years, who delivers speeches, programmes and seminars to organisations, executives and the public across the world.
“Having been adventuring since aged 17, both before, during and after my Army service, it is utterly fascinating witnessing what is happening today from a thought leadership, coaching and human development perspective,” he says passionately. Hayes had to cease all expeditionary work in 2017 to return to the UK to bring up his then teenage daughter, before returning to the Himalayas two years ago.
“We do these major challenges for one reason above all.” he says. “That is for the basic human need for significance. Some adventurers will say they are ‘doing x, y or z ‘to show others (women, nationalities, cultures, afflictions and so on) they too can achieve their dreams.’ Or they will say they are doing them ‘to raise awareness of climate change’ or other worldly causes. Or to raise money for this or that charity and similar. But these are secondary reasons behind this drive for significance – we do these things primarily for ourselves.” he adds.
Hayes explains that significance is a basic need in all humans to a larger or smaller degree and that, apart from a tiny handful of people, until recent years we achieved it through our work, children, a nice house, and other similar attributes. But that with the invention of smart phones and social media it has distorted matters vastly.
“At a stroke, social media allows anyone to amplify their significance tens, hundreds, or thousands of times. Or for some, hundreds of thousands. And, consciously or sub-consciously, it has morphed the desire for intrinsic significance to that of external significance, and thus recognition and attention.” he explains,
“In simple terms, in the last decade or more the adventure world has moved from such desires as the pursuit of excellence & achievement, experiences & enlightenment, a challenge & goal, or a life & meaning. To the pursuit of likes & followers, recognition & attention, awards & accolades, or a name & fame.” he cautions. “And with this social media driven increasing need for this recognition, many expeditions are now a race. A race for ‘records’ such as firsts – nationality, culture, one kidney, one -legged, blindfolded and similar, most, longest, fastest, hardest, youngest or combination records, many of which are quite meaningless.”
He adds that adventure is only the most notable example in all areas and aspects of our lives. “Put starkly, most social media posts of any kind are a desire to show that we are worthy and to ask our world to acknowledge us in some way shape or form!” he suggests. “Or, in other words, whilst few will ever know or admit it, a de-facto please look where I am, what I’ve achieved, what I’ve got or just look at me!”
On the question of whether this matters and what harm it can do, Hayes becomes enlivened and eloquently speaks of the consequences. “For one, it’s an unreal world on Instagram. If you are talented, attractive, have a lot of money and similar you can often achieve this external recognition and two minutes of fame. But, for those who aren’t or can’t, it only leads to difficulties and diminished self-worth. Look at the sharp rise of social media from 2010 onwards and the correlating rise in teenage anxiety, depression, worthlessness and suicides. It isn’t just correlation, but causation.” he adds, suggesting that the ‘epidemic’ of mental health issues is primarily caused by social media.
He also says that unwittingly pursuing likes & followers, recognition & records and suchlike never leaves one satisfied, “I can tell what the drivers are in most people by their social media posts.” he says. “And those who, consciously or sub-consciously, are seeking recognition will never have enough and forever need the dopamine hits that social media likes, comments and followers provides.”
Hayes then expands this to the subject of achievement in all areas of sport, business and life. “You can get to the top and / or achieve large successes in life in several different ways – in this desire for attention and recognition; or for power and control; for money; or for what I would suggest is the authentic pursuit of excellence and to be the best possible version of oneself. All will get you there, but only one will leave you fully satisfied.”
He says that it is Kaizen (the Japanese word for continued personal development) and the experiences, growth and enlightenment that it provides, that is the main reason for returning to the Himalayas. So will be eschew social media on his upcoming climb? In 2024 we went seven weeks without any socials, and it was bliss!” he laughs. “This year I am posting some things because we have been sourcing sponsorship. And I have a business which can bring enormous benefits to companies, leaders and teams. But I’m doing this, as I have since I was 17, mostly for myself….”
Adrian Hayes is an internationally acclaimed thought leader, extreme adventurer, speaker, consultant & coach, author, social commentator, documentary presenter and campaigner.
