the process
The Leadership Labyrinth (or Leadership Lab for short), is a 7 month process encompassing 3 phases:
Phase 1: 4 day residential leadership retreat: Journey to the centre
Phase 2: 6 months intervention of weekly individual personal & leadership coaching and group work
Phase 3: 4 day residential leadership retreat: Journey back to the world
A leadership labyrinth would typically invite a maximum of 10 leaders to embark together on a 7 month process.
Phase 1: The “Journey to the centre” leadership retreat
The process starts off with an intensive 4-day-
residential retreat. During this retreat the leaders will “return to themselves”. Before one can embark on a meaningful journey you have to know your starting point, you have to know yourself. The participants will be guided through a self discovery process. Individuals who have already done much personal work throughout their lives will have an opportunity to go deeper. Others might have to start this conscious journey for the first time. This process would typically involve a sense of letting go and shedding of old limiting beliefs and behaviours. They will also explore what leadership takes (and gives) on a personal, physical and spiritual level. Participants will learn how to access the strength and wisdom they already possess and learn how to stretch further into their best self – the powerful wise self-aware leader. Moreover, participants will learn how the respond to the world from a place of love and wisdom, instead of reacting from their own ego and fear.
They will be challenged to go further than they have ever gone, and acknowledged in such a way to accept themselves on a deeper level than ever before.
Phase 2: Individual Coaching and group work
After the first retreat all 10 leaders will embark on their own individual coaching process for 6 months: growing and building on the platform they have created for themselves during the retreat. Because of the specific nature of the retreat, it is possible to go much deeper much faster in the individual coaching. Personal and behavioural change can be achieved in a shorter period of time than would be possible in a normal coaching scenario. The coaching is aimed to serve a dual meta-purpose: to explore the inner world of the participant in order to create inner peace, authenticity, openness and connection with all, as well as to build rigor, strength, and discipline needed to be a powerful leader. Participants will also be implementing their own project during this time: this project would typically demonstrate their authentic leadership style as well as their overall commitment to self-aware leadership.
Each leader will receive an individual coaching session biweekly. On the alternate weeks the group will come together as a community to deepen their learning and offer and receive support. Each participant would have a turn to host such a group meeting (in-person or via teleconference).
Phase 3: Final Retreat “Returning to the world”
At the end of the 6 month coaching process, the leaders are ready for the last retreat: the Grand finale! This retreat focusses on how to integrate your personal transformation with the outside world and have it manifest in tangible and sustainable changes and results. The retreat metaphorically represents the participants’ incarnation from who they were before the leadership labyrinth to the powerful leaders they have become. The impact of their growth on their social and professional systems and communities will be considered and participants will learn how to take responsibility for their impact (intended as well as unintended impact). The retreat will also help participants to choose again from a powerful place what their intended impact is on their community/country. In this retreat a deepening and integration of the 7 month learning journey takes place. More importantly, participants will have an opportunity to apply what they have learned and show case the new leader that has emerged! The leaders will create a commitment-plan of how they will be showing up in the world after completion of their Leadership Lab.
