Inaugural Leadership Development Workshop – Kudardup, WA
Life took on a different dimension in 2020. Many of us were literally stopped in our tracks and we had to do things differently and quickly.
At the time, we knew offering our workshop programs online would not work well for us or our clients. Instead, we focused on developing our coaching skills, undertaking an innovative coach training program designed to support leaders and entrepreneurs. It was an intense process and on a whole new level, we discovered how important coaching is to leadership and personal development. From our own experience and learning, we designed a regenerative leadership program we were keen to test.
Late last year, we brought together an eclectic and committed group of curious women and men, from across the state to explore what it means to be a regenerative leader. Several farmers, a fisherman, a teacher, a radio broadcaster, an enviro-friendly transport advocate, an academic and a business coach all converged for three days at a secluded venue situated close to the Blackwood River amongst the forest only a few kilometres north of Augusta, WA.
Leaders are constantly being stretched in ways no one has experienced before and we believe being in an unrelenting state of feeling mentally confronted and physically challenged is not conducive to human flourishing. We experimented using leadership development processes that were nurturing and facilitated creative conversations combined with some challenges around dealing with relationships that were no longer working, or not working as well as they could be.
In the program we included a morning meditation and grounding on the banks of the Blackwood river, a leisurely afternoon pair-share bush walk, a sunset nature connection at Hamelin Bay and nourishing home cooked meals prepared by teams of participants designed to encourage teamwork and collaboration. The evenings were a chance to discover something new about local business people. Augusta’s entrepreneurial abalone businessman, Nathan Adams, shared his story about changing the direction of his business in a challenging COVID-19 environment. Usually selling to the high-end Hong Kong market, Nathan has introduced his product to the local market. It was the first time some people thought about the nutritional value of buying locally produced food.
The highlight for us was seeing new relationships emerge from sharing stories and aspirations for the future. One courageous couple took up the opportunity to continue coaching with us and they are about to launch their entrepreneurial business venture. Rod and Katrina Butler are on the journey to train land stewards in WA in holistic management practices. They now have a support structure to help them transition to their new future. Out of the work we did together, Rod and Katrina are learning how to powerfully lead themselves.
