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In Into Thin Air author John Krakauer recounts an ill-fated expedition on Mt. Everest in which 4 out of the 6 climbers died. One of the tales of that disaster includes the story of an airplane pilot who had reached Everest’s summit earlier that day. He later told Krackauer that he had recognized dangerous cloud formations and saw the early signs of an impending storm that would claim the lives of 4 climbers. Krackauer recalls “…he told me that he recognized these innocent-looking puffs of water vapor to be the crowns of robust thunderheads immediately after reaching the top. ‘When you see a thunderhead in an airplane,’ he explained, ‘your first reaction is to get the f**k out of there. So that’s what I did.’ ”

This story has haunted me since I first read it several years ago, not just because of the disaster itself, but as a potential business lesson. This airplane pilot was a unique observer. He saw imminent danger when others only saw “innocent-looking puffs of water vapor”. This story has spurred me to ask, What are the equivalent warning signs for a business disaster? Would I recognize them and more importantly would I recognize them in time to get out? I’ll share some danger signs I’ve experienced in future posts. What are your danger signs?