Internationally renowned adventurer and survival expert Bear Grylls told CNBC that “it has never been so hard to be a young man” after the Covid-19 crisis.
The TV star and best-selling author of more than 90 books was speaking on the sidelines of The Goals House Dialogues in January about the launch of his new global learning and development organization, BecomingX, which aims to “demystify what it really takes to have success”.
Grylls, who was also one of the youngest climbers to reach the top of Mount Everest, said the pandemic “turns these hills and the obstacles facing young people now into giant mountains”.
BecomingX
BecomingX’s goal is to inspire young people today and give them the tools they need to succeed. Grylls’ co-founder is Paul Gurney – a former senior director of Accenture Strategy who is now also the CEO of BecomingX.
The organization interviewed some of the most iconic and inspiring artists, athletes, teachers, CEOs, adventurers, politicians, humanitarians and entrepreneurs in the world.
Through short films on their website, global leaders in their field – including sports champion Roger Federer and Hollywood superstars Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum and Courteney Cox – share their own stories and what it took for them to succeed .
The initiative has an educational arm and offers more than 100 digital lessons through “BecomingX Education”, as an option to help schools teach personal development and life skills. It also aims to take the initiative from low-income countries and underserved communities.
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‘Great beast’
Grylls says that education can seem like a “big beast” that will always be slow to adapt and change and, although there is a great education today in the West, there are still many gaps in learning for young people.
“I also think that a lot of traditional education is like linear learning and it has to be through a book and through tests, exams or numbers. And as we are learning about humans and how we develop, we don’t always learn that way,” he said. him in an interview last month.
“What is so powerful about these films, and why … the reaction has been so positive, is that it is very raw and very sincere and it is very like the struggles and doubts of these stars and how they overcome these challenges and failures to eventually it will come to good things “, he added.
Asked about the advice he would give to today’s global leaders to help empower young people, he said: “Seeking integrity and humility is as important as having a clear vision, determination and courage.”
Trump’s trip to the desert?
In 2015, Grylls – a former British Special Forces soldier – became famous for serving US President Barack Obama to the Alaskan desert to highlight the impact of climate change in an episode of his NBC reality show, “Running Wild with Bear Grylls “.
But Grylls told CNBC he was not sure whether former President Donald Trump would like to experience the similar taste of life in the jungle.
“I think the savage is always the great leveler, it’s not, you know, no matter who we are,” he said.
“I don’t know. I doubt Trump would probably want to do that. I think certainly in the jungle you have to become vulnerable and get out of your comfort zone and some people like that, some people don’t like that,” he added.
The multi-award winning adventurer believes that learning from failure is the key and “the only way to get anywhere meaningful.”
“The school often celebrates natural heroes, you know, the sportsman or the academic. But in reality, life doesn’t really care about these things. Life really rewards the resilient person, ”he said.
“I think what I learned is that success is not something people are born with … it is rooted in resilience and never giving up and staying true to your vision and not being distracted and not listening to pessimists and dream thieves and learning how to overcome these failures and setbacks “, he added.