Great leaders understand the value of slowing down to go faster. They know that to move ahead well they must pause or slow down to ensure they move forward in the right direction. The best leaders also know how to learn faster so that they can lead further. One way many leaders have employed this strategy is the use of monthly personal leadership retreats.
While personal retreats are great for leaders, the same wisdom can apply to a leadership team. Teams that wish to advance must learn to retreat. It’s not good enough for you to always retreat alone. To further advance the mission of your organization, your team needs to push pause too.
Retreats are good for business
1. Renewed commitment to success
Even the best teams do well when they’re reminded of your mission and values and how team success is defined. Joe Nettlemeyer, the CEO of Valin Corporation says, “How do we create sustainability in the future? It goes back to our value proposition…” Can your team clearly define your company’s value proposition? This is a question every leader should ask themselves often.
2. Inspire a more collaborative culture
Team retreats often lead to improved teamwork because people begin to see each other differently. Your team can brainstorm better ways to work together and how they might help each other accomplish the overall mission.
Steven Anderson, the Founder and CEO of Web20Classroom suggests, “Alone we are smart. Together we are brilliant.”Company retreats help everyone on your team learn how to work best together. As a result you build a brilliant team.
3. Identify individual strengths
Team retreats allow each individual team member to discover their strengths. Often team members don’t work well together simply because they do not know each other well enough to be productive and effective. I highly recommend the StrengthsFinder assessment by Gallup to equip each team member with the tools necessary to understand and manage their weaknesses and maximize potential. When your team is equipped with this knowledge, they can combine their strengths and help your business succeed.
4. Identify strategies to meet key metrics
Every team retreat should also focus on strategies to meet customer demands and increase profitability. Discuss changes in the market and evolving customer expectations. This proactive approach will help you stay ahead of the profitability curve. If you wish to move ahead in your industry, consider the benefits of how a one-day retreat with a customer-centric approach can position your company for success.
As Michael Jordan, “the greatest basketball player of all time,” has been quoted as saying: “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” The same is true in business.
Company retreats allow your team to come together personally and strategically and leverage group intelligence. These types of gatherings can cultivate communication, commitment, and excellence. Every team needs to retreat in order to move forward.
Ken Gosnell is the CEO and Servant Leader of CXP (CEO Experience). He serves leaders by helping them to have great experiences that both transform them and their organizations that enable to go further faster. He has worked with hundreds of CEOs and leadership teams to enhance strategic, operational and people accomplishments. He is an author, coach, and strategic partner with CEOs. Ken is the creator and facilitator of the Christian CEO Linkedin Group and creator of the CEO Experience Impact Assessment. He is married to Shonda, and they have four children. Connect with @ken_gosnell on Twitter.
