What happens when you mix 24 Leadership Challenge enthusiasts with good food, good wine, and the chance to meet Dr. Barry Posner in person? The research shows that the one-word answer is “Fun!”
Folks arrived in McKinney, TX for the Capstone Retreat on September 3rd, were greeted with their choice of beverage, and then thrown into a competition at Barons Creek Winery called “Name That Tune Bingo.” Three 15-minute rounds were performed by our musical host. He would play just enough of a song to allow our guests to guess the actual tune. Each of the three rounds was hotly contested – to say the least! The advantage went to those who not only listened intently but who had obviously misspent their youth listening to music in bars.
The Capstone sessions themselves were an eclectic display of case studies, book summaries, and motivational talks. Important people like Kevin Johnson, Trigena Halley, Dan Nogal, Lisa Hoston, Tom Pearce, and Kim Gibbons presented in the morning. The afternoon of Day One was hosted by Kim Gibbons and Tawnya Mitchell. They guided the group through a deep dive of LPI-360 Coaching which was very well received.
A big celebration was held on the night of September 4th at the Harvest at Masonic in Historic Downtown McKinney. A delicious Texas-themed meal was served. But the fun was brought by our ’emcees for the night, Tawnya Mitchell and Kevin Johnson. The iLead 5 Practices Awards went out to some exemplary leaders again this year:
- Model the Way – Felix Yerace
- Inspire a Shared Vision – Dan Nogal
- Challenge the Process – Dennis MacGillivray
- Enable Others to Act – Chumash L & D Team – Lorne Chui, Maria Jones, Lisa Hoston
- Encourage the Heart – Terry Black
- Rookie of the Year – Steve Gfell
- MVP – Michael Curtis
Our final morning together was spent hearing from none other than Dr. Barry Posner. He did 90 minutes in his “unplugged” session thoughtfully answering questions and sharing his vision for future research supporting The Leadership Challenge. Sara Cabral and John Thomas were our final two speakers, bringing us ways to maintain our values even when it’s hard and motivating us to live a noble life. The celebration ended with an amazing lunch from the world-famous Hutchin’s BBQ.
Our thanks go out to all who journeyed to McKinney to join this special gathering.
Next year we will be in Fort Collins, CO for this same event from August 4-6. Mark your calendars now and plan to join the fun!
Tom
