@alexaseleno

Leadership & Team Building

You can LEARN these business and wilderness survival skills to insure your company and team come out on the winning side of the equation:

  • In a high-pressure, high-stress situation, will you succeed or stumble?
  • The world is changing today more rapidly than ever. Will you sink or swim?
  • Today’s economic challenges are overwhelming. Your team is counting on your leadership. Can they?
  • Businesses are failing at an alarming rate. Do you have what it takes to ensure yours thrives?

Five people are adrift in the Pacific. Two survive and three die…why? What did the two survivors have that those that perished did not? Some businesses succeed and grow in this uncertain economy while others fail…do you have the same “will to survive and thrive” in any economic situation? The instructors at Mountain Shepherd have discovered that the two, wilderness and business survival, are more similar than they ever believed possible AND that teaching them in tandem creates a brilliant learning atmosphere which exponentially increase ones knowledge and ingrains that knowledge indelibly in both arenas.

Let Mountain Shepherd’s world-class instructors take you on a safari through wilderness & business survival. Whether you’re in a company, a school or even just a group of friends, you will learn the skills to handle the curves life & business throw at you. The 100 acre private reserve in Catawba, Virginia, offers the perfect environment for team-building exercises & improving leadership skills.

What else should I know?

Do I get to eat bugs? Meals are catered and served in the Pitchwood Pub. Based on your budget, meals can range from budget burgers and dogs to gourmet.  We can accommodate all dietary restrictions.  Of course, if you like, we’ll show which bugs to eat!

How long are the courses? We will work with you to determine the course length that suits your objects and budget.  You can combine a course with your corporate meetings, have a fun team building experience or we can facilitate a program that incorporates your short term/long term strategic objectives through parallels from wilderness survival to business survival.

Do I sleep under the stars? This is your adventure!  The course is designed for options. You can sleep in the comfy lodge beds or outside.  The choice is yours.

What should I bring? Weather appropriate clothes and comfortable shoes.  We’ll take care of the rest.

Is the course taught outside? The training camps are setup outside held under parachute canopies. Courses are held on Mountain Shepherd’s gorgeous 100 acre property bordering the Jefferson National Forest.  The multi-purpose training room is available should weather necessitate or if your organization would like to conduct other business.

How many employees should/can I bring?  We can work with small teams or large organizations.  Tell us what your goals are and we’ll help design a training program to meet your needs. No group is too small or too large.

Why did you choose a survival training course for your leadership training?
Women struggling with substance abuse issues have struggled with “survival” in the day-to-day world for many years of their life. Having them take part in the survival training course translates into what they are learning in treatment about “survival” and recovery from their addiction. What are the “tools” you should take with you? What are the things you need to take with you in case of “emergency”? We have had several trainings thus far and our women, and staff, have translated this experiential experience into their daily recovery and work environment.

Before you went, what were you expecting it to be like?
We honestly weren’t sure what we would experience, but in our meetings with Dina, we knew it would be a motivating experience.

How did your experience differ from your initial expectation?
We were so empowered by the things we learned from this, I don’t think any of us expected that. Learning to build a fire and keep it going was so exciting and such a feeling of power.

What was the most important thing you and your company got out of the training?
We built unity and teamwork. The women in our program gained valuable experiences that they can easily transfer to their addiction recovery

What other benefits of this training were there for your employees?
With our program being therapeutic in nature, the therapists on the training were able to work with the women experientially. It was a great bonding experience for the attendees.

What would you recommend for other organizations considering survival courses for their leadership training?
Dina provides an awesome experience. She is very motivating and knowledgeable.

Denise Yopp

Bethany Hall

Why did you choose a survival training course for your leadership training?
Truthfully, I was intrigued by the approach. Federal and corporate “training” and “leadership” is replete with classrooms and talking heads and big notebooks – mostly passive. I like the idea of a hands-on, action-oriented course where I would do more of the heavy lifting.

Before you went, what were you expecting it to be like?
I was a little nervous. I don’t consider myself an “outdoor” person. I figured I would learn a few things about survival but wasn’t looking forward to trekking around mountains and working outside.

How did your experience differ from your initial expectation?
Really from the beginning! The Mountain Shepherd staff are so personable, and they seemed to connect right away with us. It was clear that we would stretch but that no one was in peril, and the focus –very important to me – was on learning. We weren’t “thrown to the wolves” but rather helped to learn at our own pace.

What was the most important thing you and your company got out of the training?
The amazing crossovers from wilderness survival to “office” or corporate survival. The atmosphere challenged us and seemed to unleash creativity I am not sure we knew we had! We came in with trepidation and skepticism and left with excitement, new knowledge, and a better sense of how to work together. We literally “learned how to fish” rather than having someone do it for us.

What other benefits of this training were there for your employees?
At a more individual level I think several of us discovered some hidden strengths. Most of us have never even tied more than a granny knot, and now we know the basics of making fire, sanitizing water, and building shelter. It’s kind of empowering (and I know that word is overused these days) to feel that sense of independence, of capability.

What would you recommend for other organizations considering survival courses for their leadership training?
Wholeheartedly! The connections are awesome, you get out of your comfort zone, and the staff really bring the lessons home with their debriefs around the fire. It’s a break from the usual, gets you out of the office area –quite frankly it’s the best teambuilding experience I have ever had – and that’s saying a lot! I cannot thank you enough.

Gail Funke

Federal Executive Institute