How is this different from other leadership development courses I’ve done?
Some areas that stand out when comparing a Countersteer Leadership Adventure Retreat to traditional leadership development offerings include:
- Motorcycle riders share common DNA and bring a wide range of experiences to the table – As adults, we learn most effectively when we can apply our own experiences (and those of others) to our learning goals and edges.
- Real adventures, real challenges – When we can apply new skills to real-life scenarios, we begin making those skills our own.
- We learn the most valuable things about ourselves from others – “The best feedback you will ever get is the feedback you don’t want to hear” – Warren Buffet. Many times our biggest challenges are oblivious to us. They exist within our blind spots and are hard or impossible to see. We are often surrounded by others not able or willing to help us see these limitations. Our Adventure Retreats create the conditions where meaning feedback can be skillfully offered and skillfully heard. You might not like it in the moment, but it will likely serve you well in the long run and the skill of hearing it and really processing, it will serve you for a lifetime.
- Adrenalin gets the brain working – Traditional psychology described our experience of the world in terms of 2 conditions or “zones”: a comfort zone and a fear zone. These zones represented our deeply interdependent cognitive and emotional states. However, this bi-zone view fails to tell the whole story when it comes to learning. Modern psychology describes a middle zone, many times called the learning zone, where we operate at a heightened level of arousal and are therefore more capable of learning and retaining new skills. Our Adventure Retreats are designed to get you in this learning zone as often as possible
A broad range of leadership topics are addressed and range from self-awareness and precision language regarding behavioral specificity to cognitive biases and the inherent non-linearity of team dynamics. You will be introduced to tools and practices focused on your own learning and the learning of others.For a more detailed look, you can get access to the Leadership Topics area by Subscribing to our newsletter or contacting us directly via our Contact Us page.
How does Countersteer Leadership approach learning?When it comes to our instructional design and approach to learning, we adhere to Knowles’ theory of andragogy….the theory of adult learning. You can learn more on that topic here, but in general, the theory looks at the differences between how adults learn (andragogy) and how young people learn (pedagogy). Without getting bogged down in academic theory, we keep it pretty simple:
- Ensure the learning is relevant
- Connect the learning to experiences
- Share the learning with peers
- Create conditions for practice and personal reflection
The Leading on 2 Wheels (Lo2W) leadership adventure retreat is intended to help our clients learn new skills while learning about themselves. While there is some preparation, it is not a heavy load and it is a good opportunity to interact with your fellow adventurers before the retreat.
- Pre-adventure study: Through our Countersteer website, videos and reading will help you familiarize yourself with content explored during the retreat.
- Learning edges assessment (external): You are encouraged to request anonymous feedback (via our website) from your friends, family & colleagues regarding your “learning edges”
- Learning edges assessment (internal): You must assess and submit a brief summary (500 words) regarding your learning edges and leadership challenges
- Introducing yourself online: You are encouraged to introduce yourself to your adventure retreat cohort members prior to the event.
Depending on the location and type of riding, a typical day on a Leading on 2 Wheels Adventure Retreat looks like:
- Breakfast & Leadership Lecture
- Riding Skills Practice
- Lunch & Leadership Discussion
- Free Riding Time
- Dinner & Leadership Lecture
- Group exercise
We have 2 kinds of leadership training, workshops, and adventure retreats. As a new rider or someone who has not been riding for more than 2 years, our workshops are your best bet. While we reference riding related content, there is no prerequisite for riding skills
What are the costs?Costs vary based on the location and amenities of a specific retreat. Typically rates range from $400 to $600 per day. This amount includes everything you need aside from your motorcycle, personal riding gear and transportation to and from the event staging area. Rental motorcycles are usually available.Please use our Contact Page to drop us a note with any specific questions.
How do I sign up?Please use our Contact Page to drop us a note