Jeff Evans

Speech Topics

• Teamwork

  Whether you are roped up in the mountains or roped up in a business initiative, you will win together or lose together. Either way, your fate is inextricably connected to those on your team. To promote positive rope team health, each member of the team should be constantly assessing, in real time, how they can contribute to the overall team dynamic. Jeff stresses that we are all connected by a rope…and in some cases, now a virtual rope. So undoubtedly it is more critical than ever to be paying attention to the “tension of the rope” that we’re all connected to and nurturing the concept of The Collective Power of One that the rope creates. Jeff has lead countless rope teams throughout his career and one thing always rings true...the collective power of one that comes from aligning with teammates can propel us forward. It simply requires our attention.

• Communication & Trust

  Jeff has honed his communication skills guiding his blind adventure partner Erik on mountains, rock faces and races all over the world for over 25 years. This partnership has been successful only because the two men have placed the highest level of trust in each other…where every step, jump and move matter. Jeff uses many of the situations he has encountered while guiding Erik across challenging terrain to illustrate the power and effectiveness of a "High Comms, High Trust" team. Discussion points… • Using a very dramatic video clip of Jeff and his blind teammate Erik jumping off a 40ft cliff into a river below, Jeff illustrates the need for reciprocal trust. • Encourage audience to develop collateral relationships based on trust and commitment to each other. • Much of trust is built on open communication. Stepping out of our “silos” to reach each other.

• Adversity

  Discussion points… • Jeff uses the experiences he gleaned from his team’s 2nd place finish on ABC’s Expedition Impossible to showcase adversity in an exciting and fun way. • Jeff reflects on his time as team lead/medic for a trauma team on the front lines of the war in Mosul, Iraq. It takes a high functioning team to work effectively in a V.U.C.A. (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment. • Adversity happens. Landscapes change. Attitude and adaptability are the ingredients to guiding your team through adversity in a constructive way. • As a leader, your team is watching how you manifest your reaction to adversity. • Without ever having faced strong adversity, one cannot expect to be an effective leader. What’s critical is to embrace the adversity and learn from it. Don’t shy away or back down. Hit it head on.

• Being a “Guide”… Both Professionally and Personally

  Discussion points… • Regardless of your professional role (or title), we are all guides… both professionally and personally. Definition: One who shows the way by leading, directing or advising. We are advisors, leaders, problem solvers and members of multi-dimensional teams. Being a guide and problem solver requires balancing and optimizing a cocktail of leadership, communication, accountability and critical thinking. • Jeff then introduces the Sherpa and the “Sherpa Attitude” which incorporates all of these attributes.

• Resiliency

  Discussion points… • Using Jeff’s work with his No Barriers Warriors organization (wounded veterans), Jeff outlines examples of resiliency and fortitude in the face of adversity.

• Commitment

  Discussion Points... • Jeff reflects back on how he committed to digging out climbing ropes on Mt Everest @ 28,000 feet to secure his team’s safe ascent. In doing so, he willingly “gave up his own summit.” By showing the team his level of commitment, the team charged forward, inspiring Jeff to continue on as well. All 19 team members summited Everest together on the same day shattering the previous record of 9 from one team in one day. • Encourage audience members to look for opportunities to show their team their level of commitment… to dig those ropes out when presented with a chance to do so.

• Embrace your Inner Mountain Guide” Virtual Series

  This live or alternatively prerecorded virtual keynote is a condensed, pandemic-specific event. Through the roughly 30-minute talk, Jeff distills out the learning opportunities that were baked into his life experiences as an Emergency Room Physician Assistant and international mountain climbing guide and draws out the parallels and relevance to the uncertain landscape we all find ourselves currently navigating, both professionally and personally. The result is an engaging, humorous, real-life storyline that provides the audience with solid take-home tools to move forward in these complex times. Topics Include: • Embracing your inner mountain guide. Tapping into the characteristics necessary to be an effective guide. • Nurturing trust within the “rope team” in an unfamiliar and remote landscape. • Learning how to communicate effective and transparently with your “rope team” in a remote and unfamiliar landscape. • Implementation of the “Sherpa attitude” of stepping up and pulling your weight in complex times. Looking for ways to be a selfless leader.  • Mapping out new routes to climb upwards when the route you chose isn’t fit for safe travel. • Embracing accountability for yourself and your team.

• Servant Leadership

  Discussion points… • Jeff describes the selfless attitude of the Sherpa to convey the nature of a Servant Leader. Working for the overall success of the team. Not interested in personal accolades or summits. No complaining or whining. Just go out and get the job done… for the people around them. That’s the “Sherpa Attitude”. Another term for that is Servant Leadership. • Servant Leadership… leading from a place that is centered around fostering the success of others. Whether teammates, clients or family. Nurturing others to help them identify their models of success and guiding them up the route that optimizes their particular skillsets. • The world needs more servant leaders. Adopt the Sherpa Attitude both professionally and personally.

• Embracing Your “Expeditionary Mindset”

  The Expeditionary Mindset is based on applying the optic of the mountain guide as we operate in our team settings. The guide is always willing to adjust the route up the mountain so that it’s congruent with the set of variables and conditions that are presented to the team. A guide understands the value in unpacking our backpacks and inventorying the tools and equipment in order to confirm that we have all the appropriate tools for the job, and then making adjustments as necessary. The guide is always considering how the team is acclimatizing as they move up the mountain. For the terms of this conversational topic, we discuss how the team should always be diligent on how we ascend the mountain, giving our “bodies” our “teams” the time necessary to climb the mountain in a healthy way. Occasionally that means we have to listen to the signs, pump the breaks a bit and re-calibrate. This mindset also teaches us to manage the storms that circle around us…assessing forecasts and determining when and how we will move from camp to camp in a safe and efficient way.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I check Jeff Evans's availability or request a quote?

  You can inquire about Jeff Evans's availability or get a customized quote by contacting Key Speakers directly. Our team will help you determine fit, logistics, and budget options for your upcoming event.
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  The typical range for Jeff Evans's speaking fee is $15,000–$25,000. The low end of the fee range represents their standard virtual fee. The high end of the fee range represents their standard fee for a US-based in-person speaking engagement. Appearances which require an extended schedule of activities or international travel will possibly exceed this fee range. Speaker fees update frequently. To receive a personalized quote for Jeff Evans to speak at your event, please consult with a Key Speakers advisor for up to date information and assistance.
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