Articles
Developing Leaders Through Adventure-based Programs
Monday, March 10, 2008
Recently, I read an article in Inc Magazine about CEO Perry Klebahn; he stated the following, "I need to accomplish six months of team building in six nights in the wilderness." I found this intriguing for several reasons. The first reason being that this CEO is talking about adventure-based programming and the second being the fact that an article related to adventure-based programming made it into Inc Magazine. Inc Magazine boasts a global presence and is known as being the premier business resource magazine for entrepreneurs.
Nonetheless, when Klebahn was asked about his audacious goal, he said, "the company was in the midst of a turnaround, and this particular group - the CFO, the directors of operations, sales, and e-commerce, and a manager of international sales - were all recent hires and had worked together for less than two months. 'In six months to a year, this will be a great team, but I can't wait for that.' The company was completely overhauling its infrastructure and operations to keep up with growing demand. 'We're not used to working together. We don't know one another's sense of humor, what stresses us out. My hope is that this trip will get us down to that level, so that we can understand one another - what we're all like and what makes us tick.'
I often use the words leadership and influence interchangeably. Sometimes the leadership or influence is welcome and sometimes it is not. Klebahn's leadership in securing an adventure-based program for his team, as it turns out, was primarily welcomed by his team. The experience brought on an awareness they had not yet experienced in their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. By interpersonal relationships, I am referring to how people interact in a group or team setting; by intrapersonal relationships, I am referring to how people interact with his or her self.
Adventure-based programming focuses on these relationships and attempts to create awareness in two areas: interpersonal and intrapersonal strengths and interpersonal and intrapersonal weaknesses or opportunities for growth. One goal of adventure-based programming is change, and awareness is the first step leading to change. If one is not aware of an interpersonal or intrapersonal behavior, then that behavior, whether for the good or bad, will stay the same. Allow me to further illustrate this point. If an individual repeatedly takes on tasks that could easily be delegated to another and never considers or contemplates why, then he/she may never realize they have trust issues. If this individual stops to consider the 'why' in this behavioral pattern, then he/she may become aware of the behavior and decide to make a change.
Adventure-based programming helps to develop leaders by exposing ones interpersonal and intrapersonal skill sets. When it is day five of an eight day trek and your group is lost, has been for six hours now, and you are fighting Steve's domineering personality, Cindy's willingness to agree to any and everything, a huge blister, hunger, dry water sources, rain clouds to the West, fresh bear droppings in the trail, a broken back pack strap, a marriage on the rocks, a secret addiction, and the ability to cope with it all, you typically react to the circumstances as you do other stressful or 'impossible' situations. Adventure-based programs catch you being who you really are, and if you can become aware of your interpersonal and intrapersonal responses, then you are on your way to becoming a better leader.
Leaders are developed in times of struggle, when things seem as if they cannot be immediately rectified. Adventure-based programs produce these struggles quite often. Participants have the opportunities to make decisions, practice self-control, be courageous, give vision and insight, plan, problem solve, empathize, goal-set, be creative and confident, give effort, sacrifice, be passionate and highly committed, trust, cooperate and practice integrity.
Companies are spending billions of dollars on training and development, attempting to develop employees with leadership qualities. Many alumni of adventure-based programs make note of their participation in these experiences on their resumes, and often Managers make strong considerations for employment as a result of an applicants' participation in these adventure-based programs because they know the benefits for leadership and personal development that arise from such experiences.
CEO Perry Klebahn thought it best to take his team of six on a six-night seven-day adventure-based trek into the wilderness. They experienced all the adventure-based program and each other had to offer, and as a result of the time, energy and effort they put up, their ability to influence and lead increased.
Cited:
www.inc.com/magazine/20071001/into-the-wild.html
Recently, I read an article in Inc Magazine about CEO Perry Klebahn; he stated the following, "I need to accomplish six months of team building in six nights in the wilderness." I found this intriguing for several reasons. The first reason being that this CEO is talking about adventure-based programming and the second being the fact that an article related to adventure-based programming made it into Inc Magazine. Inc Magazine boasts a global presence and is known as being the premier business resource magazine for entrepreneurs.
Nonetheless, when Klebahn was asked about his audacious goal, he said, "the company was in the midst of a turnaround, and this particular group - the CFO, the directors of operations, sales, and e-commerce, and a manager of international sales - were all recent hires and had worked together for less than two months. 'In six months to a year, this will be a great team, but I can't wait for that.' The company was completely overhauling its infrastructure and operations to keep up with growing demand. 'We're not used to working together. We don't know one another's sense of humor, what stresses us out. My hope is that this trip will get us down to that level, so that we can understand one another - what we're all like and what makes us tick.'
I often use the words leadership and influence interchangeably. Sometimes the leadership or influence is welcome and sometimes it is not. Klebahn's leadership in securing an adventure-based program for his team, as it turns out, was primarily welcomed by his team. The experience brought on an awareness they had not yet experienced in their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. By interpersonal relationships, I am referring to how people interact in a group or team setting; by intrapersonal relationships, I am referring to how people interact with his or her self.
Adventure-based programming focuses on these relationships and attempts to create awareness in two areas: interpersonal and intrapersonal strengths and interpersonal and intrapersonal weaknesses or opportunities for growth. One goal of adventure-based programming is change, and awareness is the first step leading to change. If one is not aware of an interpersonal or intrapersonal behavior, then that behavior, whether for the good or bad, will stay the same. Allow me to further illustrate this point. If an individual repeatedly takes on tasks that could easily be delegated to another and never considers or contemplates why, then he/she may never realize they have trust issues. If this individual stops to consider the 'why' in this behavioral pattern, then he/she may become aware of the behavior and decide to make a change.
Adventure-based programming helps to develop leaders by exposing ones interpersonal and intrapersonal skill sets. When it is day five of an eight day trek and your group is lost, has been for six hours now, and you are fighting Steve's domineering personality, Cindy's willingness to agree to any and everything, a huge blister, hunger, dry water sources, rain clouds to the West, fresh bear droppings in the trail, a broken back pack strap, a marriage on the rocks, a secret addiction, and the ability to cope with it all, you typically react to the circumstances as you do other stressful or 'impossible' situations. Adventure-based programs catch you being who you really are, and if you can become aware of your interpersonal and intrapersonal responses, then you are on your way to becoming a better leader.
Leaders are developed in times of struggle, when things seem as if they cannot be immediately rectified. Adventure-based programs produce these struggles quite often. Participants have the opportunities to make decisions, practice self-control, be courageous, give vision and insight, plan, problem solve, empathize, goal-set, be creative and confident, give effort, sacrifice, be passionate and highly committed, trust, cooperate and practice integrity.
Companies are spending billions of dollars on training and development, attempting to develop employees with leadership qualities. Many alumni of adventure-based programs make note of their participation in these experiences on their resumes, and often Managers make strong considerations for employment as a result of an applicants' participation in these adventure-based programs because they know the benefits for leadership and personal development that arise from such experiences.
CEO Perry Klebahn thought it best to take his team of six on a six-night seven-day adventure-based trek into the wilderness. They experienced all the adventure-based program and each other had to offer, and as a result of the time, energy and effort they put up, their ability to influence and lead increased.
Cited:
www.inc.com/magazine/20071001/into-the-wild.html
Related Information: inc magazine
