Thriving Through Transition: The Strategic Impact of Leadership Retreats on Hybrid and Remote Teams

Executive teams encounter distinct hurdles in today's dynamic business environment, where hybrid and remote work are the new standard. From nurturing a cohesive culture to managing internal restructuring and enhancing communication strategies, the role of leadership has evolved significantly. Leadership retreats, particularly those guided by Hakemia Jamison Jackson, MS, LSBT, PCC and her team at Divinely Powered, emerge as essential instruments for organizations seeking to fortify their leadership capabilities, enhance organizational culture, and ensure sustained success amid both expected and unexpected moments of change.

Strengthening Connectivity Among Leaders

Divinely Powered leadership retreats transcend traditional corporate getaways; they are pivotal investments in an organization's future. In this era of hybrid and remote work, leaders must possess digital proficiency, strategic communication skills, and adeptness in managing virtual teams in ways that foster collective authentic connection. Unfortunately, hybrid and remote setups often pose challenges related to isolation among team members, including executive leadership. According to Entrepreneur, 72% of the global workforce reports feeling lonely.

Divinely Powered retreats counteract this by creating intentional spaces for leaders to reimagine and rebuild connection. Leaders can convene in their authentic leadership style, interact meaningfully, and align their strategic visions. Encouraging open dialogue and fostering a sense of unity, these retreats emphasize the importance of collaboration, shared goals, and collective accountability. In the McKinsey report, (Extremely) Out of Office, participants stated that their sense of connection, cohesion, and performance continued following their participation in an executive team retreat. Divinely Powered prompts leaders to embody the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” During retreats, this creates cohesion among leadership that unifies the team’s performance. When teams actively work to reduce workplace loneliness by bridging the gap between employees' desire for social connection and their actual experiences, they see a marked improvement in team well-being, engagement, performance, and loyalty.

The Client Enrichment Journey - Strengthening Connectivity

Akashinga a conservation organization protecting 11 million acres across Africa, boasts a global staff of over 900 dedicated to wildlife preservation. Having recently rebranded, their leadership team gathered in Zanzibar, Tanzania with Divinely Powered to align on vision, culture, and strategy. Through facilitated exercises, it became evident that despite a strong foundation of trust and commitment, there was an opportunity to align staff across country programs on vision and mission and an opportunity for an intentional culture-building exercise (in line with the new brand identity) as the organization scales. The cohesion fostered during the retreat unified Akashinga’s results-driven strategy, with the team aligning on mission, vision, and values as well as strategic goals.

Cultivating Organizational Culture and Accountability

A strong organizational culture and accountability are paramount for navigating internal restructuring and fostering sustainable growth. When cultural misalignment or systemic leadership dysfunction disrupts cohesion, Divinely Powered's retreats provide a platform for leaders to challenge the status quo, discuss values, and implement behaviors conducive to a healthy culture.

Accountability is a cornerstone of effective leadership and team dynamics. For a team facing challenges in upholding accountability, the consequences can be severe: missed deadlines, unmet goals, and a general lack of trust and reliability. Encouraging accountability means ensuring that each team member takes ownership of their actions, follows through on commitments, and contributes their fair share to the team's objectives.? By promoting accountability and integrity, these retreats contribute to enhanced employee engagement and long-term organizational resilience.

The Client Enrichment Journey - Cultivating Organizational Culture and Accountability

Akashinga had to confront a difficult reality: with growth comes the risk of a more ambiguous organizational culture.? They had to confront the dilemmas faced by so many global organizations: How do you keep the heart and passion of Akashinga across geographic, cultural, and temporal differences? How do you make sure that every staff member feels excited about the WHY, about going to work every day, and what part they play in the broader mission? By defining their values and aligning on how they were to be implemented, Akashinga’s leadership team was also creating a strong sense of identity, guiding decisions and behaviors critical to a more focused, motivated, and ethical organization.

By prioritizing accountability, Akashinga decided to boldly address their growth opportunities in this area. We have seen positive momentum toward an increase in transparency and collaboration, as everyone understands their roles and the expectations placed upon them. By fostering a culture of accountability, Akashinga has not only improved team performance but also created an environment where employees feel valued, respected, and motivated to contribute to the organization’s success. This, in turn, will enhance our ability to protect the natural world by attracting and retaining the best talent in the sector.

Investing in company retreats is a crucial step in this process. Retreats provide the perfect opportunity to reinforce the value of accountability through team-building exercises, open discussions, and leadership training. These events can help reset expectations, clarify roles, and build the trust necessary for a high-functioning team.

There is a reason Fortune 500 companies invest in culture building, it attracts and retains talents, it is a guide star for how to act, and creates fulfilled employees. Often in NGO’s this investment isn’t made as there is an assumption that the mission is enough to carry people.? Time and time again, this proves to be false as data shows that nonprofits have a higher turnover than any other sector.* Akashinga realized on the heels of the rebrand, it was a critical inflection point to be intentional about how to foster this internal brand, to invest in leadership who can lead the teams across seven countries, to invest in their greatest resource – their staff.? The problem is too big to risk high attrition rates – they need to protect the natural world and to do so, they need to attract, and retain, the best talent in the sector.? Internal cohesion and alignment, coupled with a strong employee brand will do this for them. To be successful, they decided they needed to identify and strategically amplify their core values --- Brave, Accountable, Just, Collaborative, Effective, and Resilient.

*Why Nonprofit Turnover is So High & What To Do About It (rallyup.com)

Guided by Expert Facilitation

External facilitators play a crucial role in maximizing the impact of leadership retreats. Experts like Divinely Powered design engaging activities and navigate challenging conversations, ensuring that each session contributes to the retreat's objectives. Their neutral perspective can lead to authentic dialogue and uncover underlying issues that may not surface in traditional settings. By leveraging their expertise in group dynamics and executive coaching, these facilitators maximize transformative growth experiences for leaders.

The Client Enrichment Journey - Expert Facilitation

Leadership must be intentional. Leaders must live and breathe values and culture.? They will be the examples of their teams to follow. Akashinga required external support to guide their leadership team toward necessary cohesion. Through a series of exercises and conversations, they identified critical issues to address. Both in full team sessions and small group breakouts, the leadership team engaged deeply, fostering authentic connections and understanding. This deeper level of interaction was crucial for uncovering the roots of needed change and enhancing their overall effectiveness as leaders and collaborators.

Building Long-Term Resilience

Resilient leadership requires adaptability and foresight. Divinely Powered retreats equip leaders with the skills to pivot and adjust strategies amidst uncertainty, nurturing organizational resilience. By continuously investing in leadership development, organizations cultivate a leadership team capable of navigating future disruptions and seizing growth opportunities.

Leadership retreats offer a strategic pause for reflection, realignment, and growth, particularly in the context of hybrid and remote work environments. By partnering with external experts, organizations can optimize the effectiveness of these retreats, driving sustainable growth and strategic foresight. Through transformative experiences provided by Divinely Powered, leaders emerge better equipped to tackle challenges and lead their organizations to long-term success.