2021 Fall AEC Leadership Retreat
Discussing "Mindfulness" and Leadership with Randy Benn
Managing technology is easy compared to managing people (and their relative emotions). People are more than employees - and their life context easily influences team dynamics and project workflow. It's the role of the leader to truly listen their team beyond mere work dynamics. Listen for the clues of life dynamics in order to respond purposefully. According to Leadership Coach Randy Benn, Mindfulness is key to how you "show up" and defines the key leadership characteristic of responding rather than reacting.
This year's retreat focuses on a five part framework of good leadership:
Mindfulness
Presence
Curiosity
Empathy / Emotional Intelligence
Purposefulness
Mindfulness
Our discussion is the first in a multipart series that describes the core themes and framework for good leadership during this year's retreat.
Presence
Our next discussion is about being present. Being present is hard. I think we may actually enjoy being semi-aware with constant distractions. Being present determines how you "show up" - relaxed and calm. It's about dropping your agenda, critical mind and not trying to be the "smartest person in the room". Being present is ultimately about being authentic and the best version of ourselves.
Unconference
So far we've been discussing content. But we wanted to take a step back and discuss context. Why is the unconference location important? We want to create an environment where people feel comfortable, quiet, reflective and purposeful. That's really hard to do while sitting in a overly bright conference room ($tress) in an expensive ($tress) hotel focused on a PowerPoint slide deck ($tress) whist sneaking glances at your cell phone or laptop ($tress) compelled to respond to text and email ($tress).
Curiosity
Curiosity is the "secret sauce" that keeps us vital. Great leaders are focused while expanding their perspectives, asking questions and considering a multitude of perspectives. Sounds simple but it’s not easy. Curiosity does not mean agreeing with every point of view. However, the team needs to be acknowledged before the the curious leader speaks. It’s not about listening in order to provide answers.
Curiosity leads to accountability and acknowledging the team. Being acknowledged builds trust. Leaders are accountable beyond the horizon of an organization’s deadlines, numbers, sales, marketing, etc. Curious leaders listen rather than lecture.
Empathy
Good leadership depends upon trust. Yet trust requires vulnerability. Good leadership understands their team is vulnerable: order to risk success there's always risk of failure. Is it possible to truly succeed without fear of failure? Good leadership listens without judging and solicits ideas without critique. Empathy (not sympathy) is key creating an environment of trust where the team is able to risk success without fear of failure. Good leaders give their teams the freedom to succeed, fail and learn.
Purposefulness
The fifth and final theme culminates in the concept of Purposefulness. Good leaders have evolved beyond the Ego of youth and the Mastery of their craft, profession, etc. But then what? Most successful people are happy to remain in their secure and comfortable zone of Mastery. But according to Randy, this stasis risks discovering and embracing your highest Purpose.
Discovering and embracing your purpose allows good Leaders to become the "best version of yourself". It takes courage to become a good leader. And by recognizing the courage to step out of your comfort zone, you are ready to begin mentoring others on their journey to do the same.
Bonus AMA Style QNA
Bonus Unconference video! :) So many good questions about the Unconference we decided to hold a live AMA style discussion. What's the food like? Is there AC? What about Wifi and more. Yes - there will be cookies. :)
Lit Lessons in Leadership
What does Yoda have to do with leadership? Having discussed all five leadership themes for this year’s unconference, Randy and I decided to have a bit of fun. We briefly discuss our favorite examples from literature, history, pop-culture, film, music, etc. that exemplify each of this year's leadership themes of Mindfulness, Presence, Curiosity, Empathy and Purpose. Enjoy. :)
Are you a leader or in a leadership role committed to improving the effectiveness of your team, your organization and yourself? Good! This year's AEC Fall Leadership Retreat Unconference is for you. And if this unconference seems like a good fit for an associate or fellow professional please kindly pass this article along.
Week of September 27, 2021.
Capped at 50 attendees
$600 per person (includes all sessions, meals and lodging).
Plan on arriving Monday afternoon / evening of September 27 and departing late Friday morning October 1. If you’re flying, you'll want to arrive and depart from Gainesville, Florida (GNV). The camp is a 20 minute drive / Uber from the airport.
Weather will be warm yet comfortable. Nurture amid nature. Warmth, water, earth, wind and fire. The camp is on the edge of a clear freshwater lake with a clean sandy bottom. It’ll be pleasant enough during the afternoon for outdoor activities, walks and discussions. The lake will be warm enough to swim, fish, relax, canoe and water ski before dinner. Daytime highs in the mid-80s and evening lows in high-60s. The quiet and reflective fireside sharing is a highlight.
The camp is rustic, clean and comfortable (yes there is air conditioning :). I've spent many youthful summers here. The air is scented with pine trees. There's a few modest hotel and lake side hotel style rooms. The majority of rooms are cabins. The cabins typically sleep about 12 to 20 during regular camps but during the retreat each attendee will have their own cabin and sleep in the counselors room (unless you insist on the top bunk :).
We'll have the entire camp retreat center to ourselves. Not a 5-star hotel. But you will relish reliving an informal and formative summer camp experience. If exchanging business attire for jeans, shorts, tennis shoes / sandals, bathing suit and t-shirts appeals - you'll feel right at home. :-)
Food is high-quality buffet style. Freshly prepared hot and cold options and salads. Not plated dinners with linen napkins, tablecloths and formal centerpieces. Coffee, tea, water, juice. This is an alcohol-free retreat. We can all manage without alcohol for one week.
What is an unconference? No PowerPoint, keynote, sponsors, exhibitors and technical picks and clicks. Put down your phone and email. Be in the moment. This is all about thoughtful questions, discussions and the challenges of leadership while managing people, expectations, emotions and budgets along with all of the stresses that comes from working with people that don't always agree.
Randy Benn is a wonderful facilitator and coach that I've known more than a decade. He's a lawyer in Washington DC and holds degrees in Political Science, Psychology and Juris Doctor from Duke University (and the brother of Wesley Benn, the Executive Chairman at Digital Built Environment Institute). You’ll have probably met Randy at one of the many BILT conferences. He's incredibly thoughtful, kindly spoken and experienced.
Randy is also a wonderfully talented musician (I'm sure he'll bring his guitar :). He laughs easily. When I reached out to Randy in 2019 and began sharing ideas on holding a non-technical, professional yet informal leadership retreat our visions immediately aligned and he was graciously on board for 2020 and 2021.
I've known a lot of you a long time. We’ve shared ups and downs. It seems that many of us got our big break in technology yet evolved into roles that are about people. I think we can all relate to the epiphany that deep expertise in one doesn't prepare for the stresses of other.
If you've read this far: Thank You. If the 2021 Fall AEC Leadership Retreat seems interesting please reply via email ASAP. You can also download the PDF registration form over here.
Kind regards -
Phil Read / CEO ReadThomas / phil@readthomas.com