Survival of the Fittest

Partners in Business

The Laws of the Jungle

The life of an intrepid adventurer may seem a long way from the world of business, but acclaimed British explorer Benedict Allen – who has survived dangerous expeditions in South America, Africa and Asia – believes there are many similarities. Speaking to an audience of business leaders at a Fujitsu Private Sector Dinner event, Allen said his exploits, such as crossing the Amazon rainforest, could be viewed as a metaphor for self-preservation in the corporate jungle - a confusing and complicated world where assassins could strike at any time and assessing and understanding risk is key to survival.

In Allen's case, however, the threats were far from metaphorical. Delegates sat on the edge of their seats as he recounted how he was almost shot by gunmen in a terrifying canoe pursuit (after inadvertently straying into territory controlled at the time by Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar). Another time, he was tricked, robbed and left for dead by illegal loggers who'd previously helped him recover from a bout of dysentery. Allen likened himself to a cat who'd already used up six of his nine lives, but his tales also revealed there was far more than luck at play.

Just as in business, preparation and planning are vital, he said, as is the need for local knowledge and an appreciation of the value of working in a team. Although Allen did his travelling alone, he prepared for the Amazon adventure by spending time living with tribes such as the Niowra "crocodile people" and Matses "jaguar people", both of which welcomed the young explorer into their communities, teaching him the critical importance of collaboration and the practical skills he would need to survive in such a hostile environment.

"You need to know who are your allies and who are your enemies," said Allen.

He also emphasised the need to take calculated risks - and pointed out that people are most likely to take the biggest risks of all when at their lowest ebb. For example, after being left for dead by the aforementioned loggers, Allen tracked the outlaws, crept into their camp at night and managed to retrieve one of his stolen bags - a huge gamble that paid off.

Other business-relevant tips included always having an exit strategy or "plan C", learning from mistakes, and breaking up vast challenges into smaller, more manageable chunks. For instance, walking 100 miles through the rainforest in high temperatures and near 100% humidity seemed far less daunting when Allen began notching a stick every 100 paces.

But he said his greatest motivation was always his passionate belief in his vision and its validity. "What keeps you going isn't how many times you've nearly died," he said. "It's about how many times you and your projects live."

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