Internationally renowned survival expert and adventurer Bear Grylls told CNBC that “it has never been more difficult to be a young person” after the Covid-19 crisis.
The TV star and bestselling author of more than 90 books spoke on the sidelines of The Goals House January Dialogues about the launch of his new global learning and development organization, BecomingX, which aims to “decipher what it really takes to succeed. “.
Grylls, who was also one of the youngest climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, said the pandemic is “now turning those hills and those obstacles for young people into gigantic mountains.”
BecomingX
BecomingX aims to inspire today’s youth and give them the tools they need to succeed. Grylls co-founder is Paul Gurney – a former senior director at Accenture Strategy who is now also CEO of BecomingX.
The organization has interviewed some of the world’s most iconic and inspiring artists, athletes, educators, CEOs, adventurers, politicians, humanitarians and entrepreneurs.
Through short films on her website, the world leaders in their fields – including sports champion Roger Federer and Hollywood superstars Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum and Courteney Cox – share their own stories and what it takes 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 to lower-income countries and disadvantaged communities.
David Levenson | Getty Images
‘Big beast’
Grylls says that education can feel like a “big beast” that will always adapt and change slowly, and while good education exists in the West today, there are still many gaps in learning for young people.
“I think traditional education is also so much like linear learning and it should be through a book and through tests, through exams or through grades. And while we learn about people and how we develop, we don’t always learn like that, he said in an interview last month.
“What was so powerful about these films, and why … the response was so positive, is that it’s very raw and very candid and it’s very kind of the struggles and doubts of these stars and how they get through those challenges and runaway failures to eventually get to the right things, ”he added.
When asked what advice he would give to world leaders today to help them empower young people, he said, “The search for integrity and the search for humility is just as important as a clear vision and determination and courage.”
Trump trip into the wilderness?
In 2015, Grylls – a former British Special Forces soldier – took renowned US President Barack Obama to the Alaskan wilderness to highlight the impact of climate change for an episode of his NBC reality show “Running Wild with Bear Grylls.”
But Grylls told CNBC he wasn’t sure former President Donald Trump would want to experience a similar taste of life in the wild.
“I think the game is always the best, doesn’t it, you know, it doesn’t matter who we are,” he said.
“I don’t know. I doubt Trump would probably want to do that. I think you should definitely make yourself vulnerable in the wild and get out of your comfort zone and some people like that, some people don’t like that,” he added. he adds.
The multi-award-winning adventurer believes that learning from failure is key and “the only way we can achieve anywhere meaningful.”
“School all too often celebrates the natural heroes, you know, the athletic or the academic person. But actually life doesn’t really care about that stuff. Life actually rewards the resilient person,” he said.
“I think what I’ve learned is that success isn’t something people are born with … it’s rooted in resilience and never giving up and staying true to your vision and not getting distracted and not listening to the naysayers and the dream tellers and learn how to overcome those failures and setbacks, ”he added.