Beyond Business: The Personal Journey of Leadership Academies

So many people ask me the question: Why do you do all these leadership academies? What's in it for you?  What's in it for your business?   

 The simplest answer is that I do these academies because they feed my heart and soul. 

 I need to take a step back and explain.  In 1981, a diverse group of community leaders recognized the opportunity to embrace a new era of international business. SIBF was founded as an organization that bridged cultural and economic endeavors and positioned business professionals to impact their communities and the global community positively.   

 SIBF is a network of over 1,800 members in 46 countries, including sister networks in Central Eurasia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. SIBF recognizes that engaging the power of different perspectives results in innovative solutions to global business and social issues.   

 From SIBF sprung a network of leadership academies worldwide:  Central European Leadership Academy in 2002, Middle East Leadership Academy in 2010, Southeast Asia Leadership Academy in 2013, and North American Leadership Alliance in 2014. 

 These academies are a profoundly different type of learning than the usual commercial offerings and off-the-shelf training. We share practical knowledge and leadership tools, mentorship, network support, and global networks, making them fully available to a new generation of leaders. 

 On the first day of any academy, it is clear that this is not just a 10-day program but something that will carry into your personal and professional life.   

 Each academy's curriculum is built around the 3P's of leadership: Purpose, Process, and Participation.  Each participant (and, in turn, facilitator) is encouraged to think about their purpose for themselves, the program, and the lives we will all touch when we return home.   

 We are also directed to focus on Process. Process is all about inquiry. It is the act of asking. It is a seeking or request for truth, knowledge, or information. The Process is critical because we must all learn how to answer technical and generative questions. More importantly, you must learn how to ask yourself these types of questions.   

 Lastly, we discuss Participation.  There are really three ways to "show up" and participate in any leadership program.  You can audit, do your best, or go all-in. In addition to how you participate, each person must come with a mindset that will allow the program to transform.  

 Mindset in all aspects of life is essential.  Are you a knower, a judger, or a learner? I had the a-ha moment on the first day of my first academy, MELA, in 2023, that I have been approaching most situations as a knower and judger. Because I am a CEO, it just seemed right.  My shift in mindset to being a learner during the academies and in my life has changed my purpose and how I approach the Process of leadership. 

 Shunryu Suzuki said, "In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert's, there are few."  

 I want to live my life with as many possibilities as possible. These academies have pushed me to look past my own self-assuredness and dive deeper and learn more. 

Beyond the 3 Ps, the foundation of the SIBF leadership academies is based on five pillars.  You must understand these pillars to lead yourself, others, and organizations. 

1. Understanding Self 
2. Understanding Others 
3. Understanding Systems 
4. Understanding Authority 
5. Leadership Skills 

The curriculum builds on each of these pillars using assessments, exercises, and lectures that work together to assist each participant in discovering for themselves where they are and where they are going. For example, there is a negotiation exercise that is not intended to teach participants how to negotiate but to reveal how you show up and, just as important, what you understand about the person you are negotiating with.   

The assessments reveal your emotional intelligence, where your blind spots might be, your character strengths and purpose, and your "personality type." When combined with deep introspection, these create an environment for real transformation. 

The foundational elements of these leadership academies foster an environment where self-discovery is possible. As a facilitator, I have had the privilege of learning from my fellow facilitators but even more so from the participants I work with. 

When I was first admitted to participating as a facilitator in March of 2023, I really believed I was going to impart all my great experience and knowledge to this new generation of leaders.  I would be their guide and voice of wisdom and reason as they embarked on this intense 10-day journey.   

As I prepared for this great new experience, over Zoom calls and reading with the facilitator and curriculum teams, I began to understand that I was wrong about my role as a facilitator.   

I didn't truly grasp how wrong I was until I got to Oman and started. Leading up to the academy and during the 3-day facilitator academy on site, I kept hearing how transformative this would be for the participants. I just kept thinking transformation is such a big word, and the claim seemed, frankly, absurd.   

I could not have been more wrong.   

Not only are the academies transformational in your work and leadership style, but they are also transformational in your life. And while I thought the transformation was only for the participants, I discovered it was for everyone involved. 

We think of leadership as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "lead," influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. Leadership also includes management, communication, problem-solving, and organizing. However, the academies teach so much more than that.  

Leadership is about commitment and love.  It's about being knowledgeable and wisely using that knowledge.  It's about letting others find their strengths and use them.  It's about changing your game and finding your why.  

It's great to be in the environment of the academies and to understand self, others, systems, and power in a better way. Still, it is the application of these understandings that creates true transformation.   

When I need to recenter the lessons I have learned, I ask myself these questions:  

1. Am I willing to be uncomfortable? 
2. Am I willing to stand alone? 
3. Can I be humble and ask for direction and feedback? 
4. Can I think deeply about what needs to be done? 
5. Can I unlearn the things that no longer serve me? 
6. Can I do it for the greater good and put my ego aside?

Working to accept feedback, listen without judgment, reflect on my values, and constantly set goals for myself enables me to put the lessons I learn at each academy into practice in my daily life.  

I have now facilitated at three of these academies, and each time, I am able to refresh my understanding of leadership. I am afforded the opportunity to grow, learn, and apply leadership, and each time, I am becoming a stronger and better leader.   

The truth is that authentic leadership is hard.  It is sleepless nights, hard decisions, and the feeling of never doing enough.   The best leaders understand that leadership is not about power, prestige, titles, or money.   It's about making things better (even when it's hard) and shouldering the burdens.  

“We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.” - Peter Drucker