Five reasons why leaders should embrace adventure

There is no secret that effective leaders contribute to success in business. Whether that's customer satisfaction, employee retention, profitability, wellbeing in the workplace, top line growth and more.

However, what does that have to do with adventure I hear you ask!?! What does this mean in the workplace...

Well, here's five reasons why leaders and businesses should be embracing adventure as a core part of their training and development requirements -

1. Improved courage

The thing is, you have to do the thing to get the thing. You do the reading so you get the knowledge. You do the exercise and then you get the fitness. You have to do something first. So, with courage, you have to do scary things before getting courage.

This is where adventure can be so powerful. In a controlled way you get to stretch out of your comfort zone and build the courage which in turns enables a transformational life and business experience.

Do the scary thing, get the courage and then you'll feel more capable and energised in the workplace. This then becomes a ripple of inspiration for others.

2. Greater resilience

Life and business can be tough. Really tough. As the Rocky quote goes, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. 

Adventures are about one foot in front of the other for a sustained period of time. To keep pushing through, even though it's hard, until the work is done. Like summit day on Kilimanjaro, just keep on walking through the dark, to the top, then back down again.

When you do this you know how capable you are. You know you can do tough things. Tough times build tough character and that touch character is more resilient.

In the workplace this means you can withstand hard times. You can lead people through adversity. People will admire your resilience and that will motivate them to become the same.

3. Improved wellbeing

Happy leaders are effective leaders. How can you be great in your leadership role if you don't feel great about yourself?

It will become obvious if you've lost that spark, lost that will to lead and/or lost that energy that you can't quantify but can qualify in how you stand in the workplace.

When you do amazing things you feel amazing about yourself and that flows through in work. You'll also sleep better, want to be better, no doubt eat healthier all of which contribute towards greater wellbeing.

When you have an adventure in the planning you have more purpose, again, contributing towards wellbeing because you're looking forwards to something.

All in, adventure is a wonderful space for wellbeing and leaders who embark on adventures will shine in the workplace.

4. Greater self-worth

Great leaders have a kind confidence that people can't put their finger on. Not the arrogant kind, the confident kind. That is fuelled by self-worth. They believe they can do great things in the workplace and therefore they can.

Imagine how you feel about yourself having trekked to Everest Base Camp, when the world thought you couldn't? How do you feel? Amazing, right? That you can do anything?

This is where confidence is built from. There is when the game changes in your favour.

Leaders who embrace adventures and expeditions have more self-worth and therefore more confident in the workplace.

They make business magic happen.

5. Improved empathy

Empathy is one of the little understood attributes that the greatest leaders have but we know little about how to "become more of...".

To be successful on adventures and expeditions you have to:

- Surrender yourself to the task in hand

- Listen to the experts

- Be humble and accept you don't know it all

- Be willing to change your perspective

- Listen to feedback and act accordingly

When you witness this, act and see positive change, you can understand more about empathy and apply to the workplace.

To realise that other perspectives exist, that not everything is based on your view, that people have different journeys etc. 

You'll have seen the world differently. Be more humble. Be more grateful AND be more empathetic.

Imagine then being able to apply this in the workplace? That's powerful...

We love delivering adventures and expeditions for teams, leaders, businesses and organisations.

We've delivered corporate teams on Kilimanjaro, multi-activity adventure challenges for businesses, Board level events to stress character and more.

We can design something just for you that aligns with your goals for the year, current challenges and wider objectives.

Email us at enquiries@aspire-adventures.com and let's help you to make magic happen.

See you on the hill.

Team Aspire