2022 Fall AEC Leadership Retreat
Class of 2021 | Fall 2021 AEC Leadership Retreat
Sunday, September 25 - September 30, 2022. Lake Swan Camp. Melrose, Florida.
Leadership doesn't have to be stressful. Learn to control the stress rather than allow the stress to control you. How do we step back, reflect, and manage teams without seeming indifferent or lacking empathy for those we lead? Resilience.
The profession for those of us that design, engineer and construct buildings leaves little room for empathy. From the first day of studio, deadlines are tight and reputations are on the line. We've chosen a profession that's often marked by high stress and low control. Stresses leading to more stresses; the flight / fight / freeze reaction to stress creates even more stress. How can we acknowledge the stress, take a moment to understand and even empathize with its source and then prepare an acknowledged response?
We learn to lead ourselves and in doing so become better leaders. It's about developing Resilience: the guiding theme for this year's retreat. We'll learn how to develop Resilience and become better leaders through the following best practices:
Mindfulness
Presence
Curiosity
Empathy / Emotional Intelligence
Purposefulness
Update 01: Here's the introductory video to this year's retreat. Randy and I pick up from last year's concept of reframing your unreasonably critical inner voice.
Update 02: Let's take a moment and get to know Randy Benn. During the next 20 minutes we'll learn where he's from, how he got here, and understand what keeps him curious. Most importantly we'll discover why Randy is uniquely suited to facilitate our retreat. Ultimately Randy is our guide us as we work together to discover a renewed sense of purpose to become the best version of ourselves. Result: Better Leadership.
Update 03: Bonjour ya’ll! :) You'll love our next discussion. Chef Charles Semail is a literal French chef with nearly 50 years experience in the culinary arts. Charles will be preparing all our meals during this year's leadership retreat.
Smile and laugh along as Charles vividly describes growing up in a small French village (population 600) the youngest of 6 children. From learning to cook at his mothers side to becoming the private chef of celebrities, banking executives and professional athletes - it's been a beautiful adventure.
What motivates Charles after all these years? “To please people…to make them feel good and happy.” I’m sure you’ll agree Chef Charles is a fitting addition to this year’s retreat.
Update 04: Resiliency. Randy and I discuss 5 key characteristics of Resiliency and the importance of Resiliency for good leadership. Resiliency is the overriding theme for the Fall 2022 AEC Leadership Retreat.
We also discuss a few modern leaders (corporate or otherwise) that we believe display Resiliency. Is there another less obvious characteristic? I think we're on to something! Perhaps the only thing you can control is how you respond to what you can't control.
Update 05: Let's recap. The Fall 2022 AEC Leadership Retreat is six weeks away.
√ Pre-retreat 1 Day Canoe Trip (Optional).
√ Meals Prepared by a French Chef
√ Rustic Camp Surrounded by Nature
√ Private Spring Fed Lake
√ Canoe, Kayak, Paddleboards
√ Nature Walks, Sand, Sun, Water
Serious Question: Is this a Junket or a Leadership Retreat?
Serious Answer: It's important to be in the right environment to instill the right frame of mind. Randy discusses the importance of turning off distractions and being actively present in order to focus on better leadership. Quiet, nurturing environments surrounded by nature is enjoyable. But the work is not easy. You'll be focused, mindful, and willing to be honest with yourself by being quiet. Each 12 hour day is spent Learning, Reflecting, and Sharing with industry peers committed to becoming their best selves.
Update 06: According to Randy, good leaders are resilient and open to new ideas because they're also curious. Which begs the question: are good leaders curious because they're resilient or are they resilient because they're curious?
If being incurious is safe, perhaps curiousness requires an appetite for risk? We also chat about the wonderful documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" and the importance moving beyond technical mastery and embracing the journey of good leadership. Perhaps technical mastery is easy compared to learning how to empower others and trust.
I'd like to personally invite you to the Read | Thomas 2022 Fall AEC Leadership Retreat at Lake Swan Camp in Melrose, Florida. This year’s unconference is the week of September 26, 2022. Randy Benn has graciously agreed to facilitate this years gathering. Here's the link to our discussions ahead of last year’s retreat. Randy will bring his guitar. I’ll bring mine. Feel free to do the same!
Lake Swan Camp borders Lake Rosa, a spring-fed and clear lake a few minutes drive east of Melrose, Florida. Temperatures are expected in the low 80s during the day and low 70s at night.
We’ll have plenty of lakeside time to relax, chat and discuss leadership challenges and goals during the week. The closest airport is Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) in Gainesville, Florida. The retreat is capped at 36 attendees.
Lake Swan Camp is rustic and comfortable. Yes - there is air-conditioning, hot water and WiFi. :-) Everyone has their own cabin or motel style room. The lake view porch off of the Lake View Lodge is popular for gatherings. Perfect spot to relax in one of the rocking chairs and quietly start the day with a cup of coffee.
Another sunrise option? Head down to the lake for an early swim. Or take one of the paddle boards, kayaks or canoes for a quiet morning workout. Later in the day there's also a ski boat available for water skiing.
Meals are a wonderful opportunity to catch up with other attendees. Chef Charles Semail will oversee the kitchen staff and prepare all meals during the retreat. I've had the pleasure of knowing Charles more than a decade and to say that he’s created the most memorable meals of my life is an understatement. His enthusiasm is contagious and he's wicked quick with a smile and laugh. Charles' company website is over here.
There's also an optional one day, 15-mile canoe trip down the beautiful Santa Fe River on Monday the 26th. The Santa Fe River is calm and slow-moving and suitable for paddle board, kayak or canoe and at times no more strenuous than a brisk walk.
This trip is a purposeful way to start the week while reconnecting with industry peers. Note: you must arrive no later than the evening of September 25 (Sunday) in order to leave first thing in the morning on Monday the 26th for this trip.
The Santa Fe River is brackish in color. However, the river is fed by cool and spectacularly clear springs. We'll have time to explore a few springs during morning and afternoon breaks and lunch. Feel free to bring your snorkel and mask. :)
The schedule is focused, thoughtful and we're not going to be locked in a conference room all day. There's no PowerPoint, lanyards, sales presentations or technical best practices. The retreat is focused on better leadership through thoughtful group discussions and peer feedback. After dinner we typically sit around the campfire for a few hours and discuss personal observations and discoveries.
Here's the daily schedule:
Monday: Arrive early afternoon and pick up your room key. Drop off your bags and go outside - shorts and sun glasses kind of weather. Dinner at 5pm. After dinner we'll get together and discuss expectations.
Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday:
8am - 1pm. Learn. Meet as a group and discuss the topics and goals for the day.
1pm - 5pm. Reflect. Explore. Walk, swim, paddle, etc. Hang out lakeside and chat. Try to be present and avoid the laptop or cell phone. :-)
5pm - 9pm. Share. Open discussion of any new ideas and discoveries from the day.
Friday: Breakfast. Wrap up and lessons learned. QnA. Depart late morning / early afternoon.
Kind regards -
Phil Read / CEO ReadThomas / phil@readthomas.com