YPO: Young Presidents---Not So Lonely At the Top!
"Improve Team Work and Team Think Through A Collaborative Tribal Council"
I just returned from facilitating a 2 Day YPO Forum at a California Dude Ranch. For those of you not familiar with the YPO, this top drawer organization, which has been around since 1950 represents a virtual "Whose Who of Business Leaders" There's considerable political influence in the group as well with YPO members including Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Nelson Mendela and Fidel Castro. YPO was founded so that Top Business Leaders (CEO's, Chairmen & Managing Directors) could find wisdom through mutual support and not have to say "man it's lonely at the top".
The YPO Mission: "Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange". CEO Think tanks are a concept that dates back to Native American Tribal Councils, where the Top Tribal Chiefs gathered around the fire to share best practices of hunting and fishing; Today those discussions held in the trusted privacy of the CEO Tribal Circle are about a different, but nonetheless challenging , hunt to build a prosperous and ethical organization in a competitive marketplace. Talk to any CEO! To be beloved and respected by shareholders, customers and employees, not to mention your number one customer "your own family" requires a mixture of warrior instinct and an ultimate blend of Survival Skills and Emotional Intelligence. Trust me, these execs need support from their peers who know what it's like on the high wire and can share pitfalls and best practices.
So how do you talk about such serious stuff in a 2 day retreat? Well the format is not really that different from the Native American Pow-WOW's known as a "Quickening of the People" and the Tribal Council Rituals that are designed to achieve mind and body connection and build trusted communication among members. I wasn't privy to the secret handshake but I did manage to tell the team "I was out of there" if they met at the Badda Bing Club and their Leader's name was Tony.
There was barely time to breathe in this YPO Retreat with a packed forum agenda that included "A Rocks and Ropes Team Adventure", "A Course in Leadership and Fly Fishing--Add to Your Flybox" and even a workshop in how the Wisdom of Wine makers can improve Corporate Communications. During this YPO Tribal Council consisting of Bankers, Advertising Executives, Hospitality Entrepreneurs, Manufacturing and Logistics Mavens, YPO members embarked on a Learning Adventure as a Forum Group--understanding that in order to help each other, they needed to know each other first and what better way to do that than with the help of the Great Outdoors!
During the two days, this YPO Forum discovered how the 5 keys to Wilderness Survival apply to Success in Business and Life, based on my Audio Book "Go Wild! Survival Skills for Business and Life". They shared inside tips and best practices.... like how a CEO can conquer e.mail overload? There were also two mornings of golf, although we didn't have time in this retreat to delve into how golf can help improve your leadership game. There were also critical YPO round-table meetings and an informal after-dinner dialog.
Unlike Keynote Presentations or training seminars, facilitating this type of Senior Team Retreat or Think Tank is not about the speaker message as much as it is the dynamic of building a "trusted group alliance" through structured activities designed to improve creative thinking and communication between team members. Careful design of the agenda and activities to match the team's overall objectives is critical and should include pre-planned debriefing questions that prompt dialogue and practical business application. For example, these YPO Execs shared a hot business idea while connected together as partners and high up in the air on "high wires". HUA! The different perspective from above the tree line.
If you're Business or Peer Team seems "stuck" or needs a "quickening" to go from Now to WOW! you may wish to consider leaving behind the "Bored Room" and convening your own Tribal Pow-WOW! 2 days amidst the creative environment of mother nature with a structured retreat plan could make the difference between Now and WOW in your business.''
For Information on Hosting a Now to WOW! Pow WOW! contact Rosemary@gowildgogreat.com
For Information on the YPO Organization, visit YPO.org
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