There's no denying it: humans have an impulse for adventure. Whether it's scaling Mount Everest or landing on the moon, some people have always pushed to go higher and further than ever before.

Some now indulge their adventurous streak in the boardroom by pioneering new products and smashing targets as well as world records.

In fact, some say entrepreneurship can be enhanced by real-world exhibitions. Former army officer and mountaineer Neil Laughton is one such enterprising adventurer.

He is the founder of multiple businesses including the OPL Group, which was acquired by Balfour Beatty for £8M in 2011. Today his main focus is coaching businesses, working with Speakers Corner to deliver wisdom in the form of keynote speeches.

With several Guinness World Records under his belt, Neil is used to success. Most recently, he set records for the fastest speed on a penny farthing bicycle – but the businessman has also climbed Everest and driven a flying car. He thinks daring expeditions "absolutely" equip business leaders for success because of the similarities between the two fields.

"Someone undertaking a daring expedition will have to prepare themselves physically and mentally for their journey – this means they will be organised, engaged and ready for a challenge," Neil explained.

He says resourcefulness, flexibility and resilience are important traits during an expedition – and that great explorers carry these traits into their business dealings.

"They will use these same skills and experiences to good effect in their professional roles," Neil argued, adding that great stories also prove useful when entertaining clients.

He added: "Adventure has been hugely beneficial to me in so many ways, giving me self-confidence, life skills and resilience that have positively impacted my professional career.

"Adventure is fun, life-enhancing and a wonderful antidote to the stressful business of work. And the best news is, there are no barriers to participation. The only qualities required are curiosity, ambition and a little bit of courage."

But, leaders will need to use their day-to-day skills when risky situations arise. "Good leadership is crucial on any expedition," according to Neil.

"A leader must ensure that good decisions are made, that members of their team are not subject to undue risk and a plethora of other leadership attributes that make for a happy, safe and successful expedition."

There are plenty of risk management lessons to learn from adventure – after all, mishaps can be a matter of life and death.

Neil almost died in 1996 during the worst storm to hit Mount Everest in a century. Eight people died in the blizzard, but Neil was among those who clung to life for two terrifying nights on the world's highest mountain. He says the experience taught him about leadership as well as survival.

"Looking disaster in the face is not much fun…" Neil reflected, lost in thought. "The key, as in other walks of life, is to try wherever possible to prevent disasters from happening in the first place.

"I am not one of those people who adhere to the principle that failures are necessary for a pathway to success. But they can lead to better ways of being prepared to cope with difficult situations in the future.

"One of the best ways is to ask 'what if?' questions ahead of entering a period of uncertainty, difficulty or danger. Such as 'What if a member of my team were to collapse above 8,000m on Mt Everest?'

"During the 'worst storm in 100 years' in May 1996, I spent two uncomfortable days and nights sheltering at the South Col and sadly witnessed much loss of life and limb. Under these circumstances, one can but grin and bear, learn lessons and pray for better luck next time."

Some survivors lost limbs and even noses from the cold. For many, enduring such horror would be enough to quash all dreams of reaching basecamp – but not for Neil. Just two years later, he teamed up with star adventurer Bear Grylls to scale the mountain again.

The first experience inspired a few changes to Neil's approach on the second attempt. He said: "I had observed in 1996 that protocol for departing the South Col for the summit was in the early hours of the morning and that the unwritten rule was for climbers to turn around by 3pm, wherever they may be at that time.

"It seemed to me more sensible to depart at 9pm and have a safer margin of error with a turnaround time of midday.

"Bear Grylls and I set off ahead of everyone else, reached the summit at 7:30am and were safely back down at the South Col at lunchtime, with a big smile on our faces.

"Interestingly, most teams have now adopted our lead, which will have saved a good few lives since," Neil observed.

The leadership benefits that come from adventure go beyond strategy, however. Seeing the beauty of the world may make leaders more responsible as we enter an era of climate consciousness. Neil says the Sahara Desert and Antarctica are equally 'beautiful, challenging and inspiring'.

He said: "These environments serve to remind me that our planet is fragile and must be protected from human exploitation.

"It's a myth that these environments are only suitable for tough nomads or hardened adventurers because as the saying goes: 'there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing'."

Neil thinks everyone can benefit from seeing the world's wonders with their own eyes.

"Ordinary people should take the opportunity to travel to these wonderful environments as and when they possibly can but ensure they do not damage the environment when they get there."

What is his favourite expedition to date? On this, Neil is unsure.

"It could be the journey I made to south Georgia, crossing the island on foot following in the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

"It might be the circumnavigation of our incredible island by jetski. The UK's coastline is quite remarkably varied and beautiful.

"But I will settle on the SkyCar Expedition. A clever young British engineer friend of mine, Giles Cardozo, built the world's first road-legal, bio-fuelled flying car back in 2009 and I volunteered to be the test pilot."

The journey took him from London to Timbuktu in 46 days. On the way, he met with 'challenges galore, remarkable memories and friendships for life'.

Best of all, for Neil and the explorer-entrepreneurs like him, he was able to let these rich experiences sharpen his decision-making skills at home.