I need to give credit where it’s due before I say another word. This article exists because of my direct manager, Mary Beth Walker, who gave a talk on this concept at an HP event that genuinely stuck with me. It was one of those moments where someone frames something so clearly that you can’t stop thinking about it. So, Mary Beth — thank you. This one’s yours. I’m just the guy writing it down.

Here’s the idea.

In your career — and honestly, in your life — you’re either climbing or you’re camping. And the part most people get wrong is thinking one is better than the other.

Climbers are in motion. They’re chasing the next role, the next challenge, the next level of “how good can I actually be?” They thrive on the ascent. The journey matters more to them than the view from any single peak. They’re energized by discomfort because discomfort means growth.

Campers have found a spot that works. They’ve built something — a career, a lifestyle, a rhythm — and they’re protecting it, deepening it, and enjoying it. They’re not lazy. They’re not stuck. They’ve made a deliberate choice to be present where they are.

Dr. Paul Stoltz, who coined the Adversity Quotient (AQ) framework back in 1997, categorized people into climbers, campers, and quitters. His research — used at institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Carnegie Mellon — found that climbers are driven by the power of the journey, while campers are motivated by achieving specific milestones and then consolidating. About 80% of the workforce, according to Stoltz, falls into the camper category at any given time. harker.org

But here’s the nuance Mary Beth nailed in her talk that I think gets lost in most leadership conversations: you are not permanently one or the other. Life has seasons.

Maybe you just had a kid. Camp. Be present. Soak that in. Maybe your kids just left for college and you’ve got bandwidth and fire again. Climb. Maybe you just came off a brutal two-year project and you’re running on fumes. Set up camp. Rest. Recover. Get your bearings.

The problem isn’t being a camper. The problem is being a camper who thinks they should be climbing and feels guilty about it. Or being a climber who never stops to appreciate the ground they’ve already covered.

Here’s what I’d challenge you to think about this week:

• Which one are you right now? Not which one you think you should be. Which one are you actuallybeing?
• Is that intentional? Did you choose it, or did you just drift into it?
• Are you at peace with it? If not, that’s data. Pay attention to it.

The best leaders I’ve worked with — and Mary Beth is one of them — understand that climbing and camping aren’t character traits. They’re strategies. And knowing when to deploy each one is what separates people who build sustainable, fulfilling careers from people who burn out chasing someone else’s definition of success.

So wherever you are on the mountain right now — lacing up your boots or sitting by the fire — own it.

Both are exactly right. As long as you choose it.