Two years ago Ruth Nissim of the 3BL Group contacted us to discuss a vision she had to combine the world of leadership, corporate social responsibility and physical challenge. She was exploring a way for companies to achieve their financial goals while keeping their employees engaged and motivated (and therefore more productive) and making a contribution to the needs of the community – either locally or internationally.

Last week, Ruth’s vision became a reality when the seven day Larapinta Leadership Development Challenge took place on the spectacular Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory.

Taking up the challenge were eight leaders from four different organisations, with Malcolm and I joining the group as facilitators. Three members of the World Expeditions team were our guides and support over the week.

Larapinta Challenge participants 2012

We all met close to the starting point of the trail on Sunday 19th August and began an eight kilometre walk up Euro Ridge and into Ti Tree campsite for the evening. Whilst we had read the pre-departure information and descriptions of each day’s walk, it would be safe to say that none of us had a complete idea of what to expect and how we would each meet the challenges that lay ahead.

Malcolm and I ‘opened the space’ for the leadership discussions to commence on that first evening. Each person shared a specific challenge or opportunity facing them at the moment, and described what they were hoping to achieve from the week ahead with the group. The range of topics was very broad, though by the end of the week we would all be amazed at how much each of us could learn from not just about our own topic but also those of everyone else.

What also became clear quite early in the trek was the learning we could gain from understanding our own physical capabilities, and the relevance of those lessons to leadership. There was a significant range of physical fitness amongst the group and I am sure that the word ‘challenge’ evoked different emotions in each person as we were briefed ahead of each day’s walk: what it would entail, the number of kilometres we would cover and the terrain we would travel over. I know it did for me.

Perhaps the most important day for this connection was the day five 16 kilometre ascent and descent of Mt. Sonder, with its peak at an altitude of 1350 metres.

We arrived at the base of the climb at 3.00am, having had ‘breakfast’ at 1.30pm before travelling to the start of the walk. By this point we had already naturally divided into smaller groups based on our ability to climb and descend the trails. Our guides (leading by example) ensured that we were both challenged and supported to maintain the target times they had set to complete each part of the walk .

On this morning we set out not knowing what lay ahead. We could see only the feet of the person in front of us, lit up by head torch. Moving through the dark, up steep rock steps and ridges, I found that I established a rhythm that I hadn’t experienced during the day. Perhaps that was because I couldn’t see my surroundings so I wasn’t anticipating what was ahead, how steep it looked, how many more ridges there were before the top … all the things that in the past might have kept me from stepping up to this challenge.

For those of you who appreciate the typical coping strategy of an Enneagram Type 7 like me – avoiding anything that might bring emotional pain – I was right in it during this experience and appreciated that I was working through it. It was a significant step forward for me in leading by example and I felt proud of what I had recognized and achieved.

We all made it to the summit before the sun rose and were able to appreciate the most spectacular views. Then we looked around to see where we had come from (in the dark) and were amazed at what we had accomplished. In fact, if I had seen what I had to climb before I started, my previous comments about ‘stepping up’ may never have been written!

Whilst there will be more perspectives to share from this amazing week, it is with gratitude that Malcolm and I acknowledge Ruth’s vision and the opportunity we have had to support her in turning that vision into reality, whilst also gaining so much from the experience ourselves.

Gayle