Scott Parazynski

Leadership under extreme adversity, on and off the planet

Scott has brought diverse teams together, challenging enormous odds on, well above and underneath the earth’s surface. Drawing on his lessons learned from the harsh vacuum of space, the route to the summit of Everest, and within tense operating rooms and board rooms, he relates attributes of situationally appropriate leadership and company culture that have yielded enormous successes over many years. Punctuated by great storytelling, breathtaking imagery and a self deprecating good humor, his style is relatable and inspirational to all audiences!

Murphy's law on the final frontier: You'd better be prepared!

Dr. Parazynski has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and leadership under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet.

He derives lessons from a wide range of spaceflight missions and mountaineering expeditions where in-depth preparation saved the day, and often much more. A focused approach to preparation for critical tasks leads to success, even if via unforseen “detours.”

The road less traveled: Finding your way towards really making a difference

Dr. Parazynski has spoken all over the world about the rigors, risks and rewards of exploration in extreme environments, deriving important lessons in teamwork, risk management and leadership under the most demanding circumstances, on or off the planet.

He derives lessons from an international upbringing in war-torn Beirut and Tehran, from those who inspired him to pursue his passions, and from “the view from the top of the planet,” which he attained via rocket as well as on foot… As he says: “Life’s greatest lessons come from outside the classroom” – based on the people we meet, the experiences we pursue, and having an openness to new challenges. Through perseverance, rigorous preparation and a willingness to fail every once and awhile, enormous rewards often ensue… He shares his path through life with stunning imagery, good humor and relatable anecdotes. Your employees will see their own pathways towards making a difference!

Managing risk vs. "taking risk."

Scott has zoomed down luge tracks at breakneck speeds, flown high performance supersonic aircraft, walked in space at considerable peril, summited Mount Everest after rupturing a lumbar disc on his first attempt, performed a scientific dive in the world’s highest lake and faced myriad other technical challenges in the planet’s most extreme environments – but he is no daredevil. He prepares for work in these challenging realms by exhaustive study, training, previsualization (of success as well as overcoming obstacles) and having a backup to the backup plan. Knowing how complex systems work and how they might fail is one of many skills in his toolkit, and his lessons learned are imminently relatable to all industries. An approachable storyteller, he warmly shares his experiences in a way that leaves audiences knowing they can translate them into their own lives.

The opportunity & the obligation to innovate

The Requisite Innovator’s Mindset: Open-mindedness and the relentless hunt for problems that need to be fixed.

For a company to be truly disruptive and grow, it must create an environment wherein every employee is not only allowed to contribute to the advancement of the mission, they feel a deep-seated Obligation to Innovate. That’s the kind of environment and work ethic Scott has spent a lifetime advancing: from developing tools and techniques to recover from the Space Shuttle Columbia accident to developing innovative medical devices and enhancing safety on the slopes of the world’s highest mountains, he draws on his background working in extreme environments as a catalyst for innovation in daily life. He can transfer this mindset to your workforce with powerful examples from aerospace, medicine, mountaineering and everyday life with engaging, relatable stories and good humor!

Tenacity redefined: Achieving the summit of Everest from space & on foot!

Scott first read of the early heroic and sometimes tragic conquests of Everest as a young boy, but it wasn’t until he ogled it from 250 miles straight up – from the overhead windows of Space Shuttle Atlantis – that he really committed to getting there on foot one day. His path to the physical summit was zig-zagged but unwaivering. He tells his tales with self-deprecation and good humor, fighting back after a serious back injury high on the mountain to return the next year a half inch shorter but twice as committed…! This is an exciting and inspirational story of tenacity and teamwork that appeals to a wide range of corporate clients.