“How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.” —Yvon Chouinard

Welcome to the July edition of Friday Leadership Inspiration! This month we’re highlighting businessman, environmentalist, and father Yvon Chouinard, Founder & CEO of Patagonia.

Before his incredible business success, Chouinard was an outdoorsman at heart. Growing up in Southern California, his favorite activities were surfing, kayaking, and rock climbing. However, once he mastered the art of climbing, he began exploring ideas and tools to improve traditional techniques, starting a new adventure in entrepreneurship.

The first product Chouinard introduced to the outdoors market was steel pitons: spikes edged into rocks to provide climbers support. The products’ success led him to open Chouinard Equipment Ltd, which Tom Frost later joined as his partner to co-create tools for multiple terrains. Together, with the fundamental understanding that we’re all interconnected, they noticed that the steel material of the pitons caused significant damage to the cliffs they loved so much.

After strategic consulting and sharing the willingness to learn, the two discovered new, less damaging materials to make their products. As a result, they committed to “clean climbing,” a term coined to introduce their eco-friendly, revolutionary approach. Recognized as an advocate for environmentalism, the company grew exponentially despite getting rid of the steel pitons, which were not only their best-selling product but also accounted for 70% of their profits—talk about business model innovation!

Today, Patagonia is one of the leading businesses in sustainability and innovation management. As a fellow BCorp, the company remains committed to serving people and the planet before profit.

Patagonia recognizes that prioritizing employee work-life balance allows them to bring their whole selves to work.

“Hiring people with diverse backgrounds brings in a flexibility of thought and openness to new ways of doing things, as opposed to hiring clones who have been taught a codified way of doing business,” says Chouinard.

Patagonia’s demonstration of compassionate leadership shows its success: their turnover rate remains below 5%, they’re a top competitor in their market, and they’ve been listed on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” six times. The company’s employee-centric approach includes flexible work schedules, on-site childcare services, complete healthcare coverage, and college tuition reimbursement, to name just a few benefits.

Yvon Chouinard’s story shows the power of creating a business and workplace where people feel valued. When people work in harmony with nature and one another, productivity flows. Our leadership training program and executive coaching services can help get your team’s values aligned.

Ready to take on your adventure? Get in touch to start your Shared Leadership Journey™!