Imagine a wilderness leadership retreat
Have you ever sat in another leadership workshop and wondered why your most capable people still seem to be missing something? You’re not alone. We’ve been having conversations with HR directors and CEOs for a while now, and they’ve consistently expressed the same frustration that goes something like this.
Our leaders are technically brilliant, but they’re not inspiring anyone.
Does that sound familiar?
The crisis of disconnected leadership
Here’s what we’ve noticed after years of working with a number of corporate leaders: modern leadership development often fails because it treats symptoms rather than root causes. We teach communication techniques without addressing authentic presence. We develop strategic thinking while ignoring intuitive wisdom. We build teams without fostering genuine human connection.
The result? Leaders who are technically competent but spiritually depleted, strategically sharp but emotionally disconnected, professionally successful but personally unfulfilled. (This is a generalisation, doesn’t apply to all).
And honestly, it’s not their fault. The corporate world has created environments where leaders learn to perform rather than be authentic, to analyse rather than feel, to compete rather than collaborate. We had one of our HR consultants say that we’ve accidentally trained the humanity out of our humans.
Think about it. When was the last time your leaders had space to just… be? To sit with themselves without a phone ringing or vibrating (because at least it’s on silent), without a meeting to rush to, without a KPI to hit?
When did they last have a conversation that wasn’t about deliverables or budgets?
The wilderness advantage
This is where we get excited, it’s what we know from first-hand experience. Wilderness immersion creates conditions that are impossible to replicate in traditional corporate settings. And we mean impossible! You simply can’t manufacture this stuff in a conference room.
Stripped-down authenticity
Picture this: your CEO, who’s usually impeccably dressed and perfectly composed, is sitting around a campfire in the African bush. No suit, no gold title on the door, no executive assistant to manage their schedule. Just them, the firelight, and the vast African night, maybe a drink in hand.
Without familiar roles and status symbols, something magical happens. Leaders discover who they truly are beneath their professional personas. We’ve watched senior executives become genuinely vulnerable for the first time in years, sharing real struggles and fears instead of their usual (and expected) polished presentations.
This raw authenticity becomes the foundation for more genuine leadership back in their business. When leaders know themselves deeply, they can connect with others far more authentically. It’s like watching someone remember how to be human again.
Heightened awareness
You know that feeling when you’re in nature and suddenly everything becomes crystal clear? That’s not just nice-to-have relaxation, it’s neurological reset.
Natural environments demand present-moment attention. There’s no multitasking when you’re tracking wildlife or navigating terrain. Leaders develop the capacity for deep listening, to their guides, the environment around them, and their inner wisdom. Like a light switch, it transforms dark to light – their team connections are more real and so are their decision-making capabilities.
We’ve had leaders tell us they made their best strategic decisions not in the boardroom, but while watching elephants navigate complex herd dynamics, and even snorkelling. Nature is the ultimate teacher of systems thinking, patience, and intuitive decision-making.
Collaborative survival
Here’s where it gets interesting for team development. Wilderness challenges require genuine collaboration where individual success depends entirely on collective wisdom and support. Not the kind of collaboration you get in team-building exercises, but the real deal, where everyone’s wellbeing depends on everyone else stepping up.
We work with partners in Africa that curate and design experiences where your leadership team has to work together to solve actual challenges from navigating terrain, understanding weather patterns to making decisions with incomplete information. These experiences create bonds and trust that endure long after returning to your office or workplace.
One boss of a digital tech company we worked with said to us: ‘I learned more about my team’s passions, real capabilities and character in just three days in Africa than I did in two years of quarterly reviews and zoom meetings.’
Expanded perspective
There’s something profound about standing before Africa’s ancient landscapes, the same vistas that shaped early human consciousness. The Serengeti plains stretch endlessly, making quarterly concerns seem appropriately small. The night sky, unpolluted by city lights, reveals the universe’s vastness that puts everything in perspective.
Leaders gain perspective on their challenges that is both humbling and empowering. They realise they’re part of something much bigger than their business, while simultaneously understanding their crucial role in it.
Wilderness leadership retreats
What it looks like
You might be thinking, this sounds amazing, but how does it actually work? It’s a totally valid question. So let’s take a look at an example of a six night retreat and what we’ve seen.
Days 1 & 2: The unravelling
Your team arrive with their laptop bags, phones, schedules – a familiar way of being. They’ve printed off the runsheet ready to go. But within hours, something shifts. The constant connectivity drops away. The need to perform starts to relax. We watch corporate masks begin to slip, revealing who they are as humans underneath their corporate suit (analogy of course because not all leaders are suit wearers)
Days 3 &4: The opening
This is where we start to see the magic happen. Conversations become deeper. Laughter becomes more genuine. Leaders start asking questions they’ve never voiced: What kind of leader do I actually want to be? How can I serve my team better ? What legacy am I creating?
Days 5 & 6: The integration
By now, insights are flowing. Leaders are making more natural connections between modern challenges in the office and life with ancient wisdom. They’re seeing their businesses as living ecosystems rather than mechanical systems. They’re contemplating and even planning changes that go far beyond new processes. We’ve seen leaders literally envision new ways of being.
Post-return: The transformation
This is where we see the real impact that’s out of our control, and perhaps does us most proud. Leaders return with something different in their presence. Their teams notice. Their families notice. They make decisions from a deeper place and begin communicateingwith greater authenticity. They are now navigating personal and professional challenges with a significantly enhanced resilience.
The science behind the magic
Before you think we’re just being romantic about mother nature, let’s talk neuroscience. We’ve read up on it quite a lot and thanks to our HR specialists (that work with us designing these retreats) , we’ve got access to research in environmental psychology that shows that wilderness immersion:
- reduces cortisol levels by up to 50%, clearing the mental fog that clouds judgment
- increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), enhancing learning and memory
- activates the parasympathetic nervous system, enabling the calm-alert state optimal for creative problem-solving
- strengthens neural pathways associated with empathy and emotional regulation
Your leaders literally return with upgraded brains. Ok maybe that’s dramatic, over the top… but it’s great to think that’s the pure power of a wilderness retreat in Africa.
Why Africa specifically?
I’ve had a lot of people say we’re mad to want to focus on this area. They question us like ‘why is Africa so special? Can we not just escape to the wilderness?’
Mother Nature anywhere in the world will be powerful and stir something inside. But Africa offers something much more significant.
It is not just about the wilderness. Africa is literally the cradle of human consciousness. It is here our species developed the actual cognitive and social skills that make us human.
So when you’re in Africa and its landscapes, there is something that seems to speak to your deepest self. You really do feel a sense of place here. There’s a rhythm of life that is so natural yet so terrifying (when you see one animal attack and eat another for example!). Then there’s the migrations, the seasonal cycles, the ancient wisdom of communities that have thrived for thousands of years. And all of this offers leadership lessons you just won’t find anywhere else.
Plus, let’s be honest, when your leaders tell the story of their transformation, would you rather they say it happened in the local forest or while watching lions hunt in the Masai Mara?
We believe impact and inspiration matter long after the leadership retreat itself.
The business case
Now, let’s talk results, because we know that’s what you really want to hear about. So here we go…
Retention: Leaders who’ve experienced this kind of transformation don’t just stay, they become advocates for your company’s culture.
Engagement: When leaders are more authentic and connected, employee engagement scores consistently improve.
Innovation: Leaders who’ve learned to think like ecosystems rather than machines make better strategic decisions and foster more creative cultures.
Resilience: Businesses with wilderness-trained leaders navigate crises with greater calm and adaptability.
Attraction: Word gets out. Top talent wants to work for companies like this that truly invest in this kind of meaningful leadership development.
Common concerns (and why they’re not actually problems)
My leaders are too busy.
That’s exactly why they need this. Busy-ness is often a symptom of unclear priorities and ineffective systems. Leaders return with better boundary-setting skills and clearer focus on what actually matters.
It sounds too touchy-feely.
We get it. But authentic leadership isn’t touchy-feely, it’s practical. The most effective leaders throughout history have been those who could connect with others on a human level while making tough decisions.
What if they don’t want to rough it?
We’re not talking about survival shows here. Our experiences are designed to challenge leaders appropriately while ensuring comfort and safety. Think comfortable tented camps, not sleeping bags on the ground.
Make it work for you
Here’s what we’ve learned about creating successful wilderness leadership experiences:
Start with the right people
This works best for leaders who are already competent but need that next level of development. High-potential leaders, senior teams, succession planning candidates.
Set clear intentions
What do you want your leaders to gain? More authentic presence? Better collaboration? Enhanced resilience? We design experiences around your specific objectives.
Plan for integration
The real work happens after they return. We help you create systems for applying and sustaining insights gained in the wilderness.
Invest properly
This isn’t a cheap and cheerful quick fix or a reward trip (which we do of course for a few businesses) It’s serious leadership development that requires serious commitment.
Next steps
If you’re still reading this, something’s resonating. Maybe you’re nodding because you want your leaders experiencing something different, something deeper. Maybe it’s the realisation that traditional leadership development has hit its limits.
Here’s what we’d love to do: have a conversation. Not a sales pitch, but a genuine exploration of what your leaders need and whether wilderness immersion might be the answer.
We’ve been curating these experiences for a little while now and we know that every single business, company, organisation is different. What works for a tech startup and a financial business might not work for a manufacturing or retail giant. What resonates with one leadership team might fall flat with another.
That’s why we don’t do cookie-cutter programs. We listen, we understand, and we design something exactly right for your people and your culture. We work with you, your HR team and bring in our experts so it’s a fully informed, exciting journey from corporate retreat concept to travel completion.
The wilderness is calling your leaders. The question is: are you ready to answer?
Let’s explore what’s possible
Reach out to us at Encompass Africa and tet’s have a conversation about your leaders, challenges, and how Africa might be exactly what you need for your corporate travel.
After all, the best leaders throughout history have always been those who were willing to venture into the unknown. Isn’t it time your leaders did the same? Be the mavericks and watch the magic happen.