Business Smarts · Leading in the Mountains and Other Places

Not all of us lead our clients in hazardous environments, but all of us as leaders have to deal with helping individuals come together into a team, objective reality vs. wishful thinking, flexibility and adaptability vs. rigidity, and being a continually learning organization.  This presentation will draw on the experiences of outdoors leaders to make applications to leading generally.  Topics will include the 4 facing directions of leadership, developing shared purpose, and some human attitudes that lead to suffering in the backcountry (and other places).  Participants will be invited to think through and discuss how these concepts can apply in their business situations.
 
About the Presenter
Lester Zook is owner and head guide for WILD GUYde Adventures (WGA).  Since 2004, WGA has been leading rock climbing, wild caving, and canoeing adventures in the Shenandoah Valley, along Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Massanutten Range, and in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia.  The Adventure, Leadership and Learning Institute (ALL IN) is the educational extension of WGA; ALL IN designs and leads groups in experiential leadership learning, teambuilding, and action consulting.  Lester is a certified Single Pitch Instructor with the American Mountain Guides Association and a Wilderness First Responder.  He is a former elementary school teacher, collegiate coach, and tenured professor.  His masters degree is from Temple University (1985), and his doctorate in Educational Leadership is from UVA (1995).  He is married to Robin (37 years), has 4 grown children, 3 grandchildren, a dog named Lily,  and a cat named Bruce.