What I learned from young leaders

“The best course in leadership the school offers” is how it’s often referred to at The Hotelschool The Hague: a five day outdoor programme in The Ardennes, Belgium.

Twelve young leaders are thrown together to complete a range of assignments, 2 night time hikes with overnight camps, a bunch of new leadership theory and not a lot of sleep. 

Having gone as a co-trainer on a recent retreat here’s what I learned…

Walking and talking

The course has 2 night time hikes and in February this means that the entire hike is in darkness. At the hike’s destination (a field) students set up camp creating a single shelter for 12 people to sleep under and they cook a meal over a camp fire.

And it’s a meal. This is not heating up a can of hot dogs and eating a bag of sticky gummy bears, found at the bottom of someone’s back pack, for dessert. No, there are ingredients and an actual recipe to follow.

What did I learn?

I learned the power of walking and talking. People get to know each other. Casual chats become thoughtful conversations, trust is formed, different cultures are better understood, friendships are started or deepened, laughter is shared and songs are sung.

Digging deep

On the first night hike it rained. For about 8 hours. It was relentless. My 100% waterproof parka bought in Iceland (a place where the weather can be ferocious) took 2 full days on a radiator to dry out.

Our hike’s destination was where I got picked up by our trusty outdoor trainer and taken back to the hostel. Our hike’s destination, a water-logged field, was where the young leaders ‘checked in’ for the night and built their shelter.

It was quite the contrast to the work placements that those same students had recently experienced in some of the most luxurious 5 star hotels in the world.

It’s wasn’t that. It was a field in Belgium. It was wet. It was cold.

What did I learn?

The following morning after hiking back to the hostel, folk were tired, some were beyond tired and some were a bit stunned. But there was also a steely resolve. People were digging deep, getting on with it and pushing through. And knowing what you can endure is a pretty good leadership lesson.

Kindness counts

We all have our moments of self-doubt where our emotions spill over. When co-ordinating tasks become overwhelming, when indecision fogs our thinking and when we simply aren’t sure of what we’re doing because we’ve never done it before and we really, really want to get things right.

Each assignment had 2 leaders at the helm who were responsible for leading the task and leading the team. And when someone was having a tough time of things emotionally these people stepped up.

What did I learn?

I saw people pulling together, thoughtful words offered, and leaders focusing on how to support the person having a wobble rather than getting stuck straight into fixing the problem. People stopped and listened before going into action. It was a lovely thing to see. No matter the task, time pressure or technicalities involved how we use our words matters.

Takeaway

My 5 days left me with an appreciation of how leadership is shaped: that communication skills are honed to create rapport and connection, experiences teach us what really pushes our buttons and how to manage that calmly and the crucial importance of hanging on to a sense of humour when things get tough.

What lessons have you learned in your leadership journey, so far?