In a similar fashion, I should be able to deduce the hallmarks of successful teams by looking at other aspects of the metaphor. Here are a few:
Successful teams are good planners, but they're not obsessive about it.
Comment: A small amount of good planning beats a lot of detail every time.
Ability to move fast with small teams; get on and off the mountain before Mother Nature changes her mind and decides not to let you climb this one this day.
Analog: Get it done before the requirements change too much.
Talent for assessing incoming data in real time and making appropriate changes to the plan at appropriate times.
Analog: Use iterative development, integrate and test early and often, and use the information to adjust your plan.
Good balance between top-notch individual contributors and good team players and leaders; the key here is usually very wide communications bandwidth.
Comment: Need to have balance and shared mindset.
Monitor against plan at the appropriate granularity.
Comment: Need a sense of when you are getting in trouble, and what to do about it.
Leaders display maturity and good judgment.
Comment: Knowing when to amplify and when to dampen is important.
Stamina: Understand that overall extended performance is much more important than burst-mode performance. It is no surprise that most climbing leaders come into their own in their forties, not earlier.
Analog: It would be interesting to see the statistics on software leads.
Toughness: Ability to bear down when things go badly.
Analog: Important when tracking down really hard bugs, for example.
Focus: Team stays centered on a clearly defined objective.
Comment: All members know what, why, when, and how.
Creativity: Willingness to experiment and to experience genuine joy in what they are doing.
Comment: Just like the rest of life.
