We knew there must be a better way

Our failures pushed each of us to search for more effective ways to champion sustainability in our work. Nearly a decade ago our searching brought us together and we compared our experiences. We discovered that while the details were different, what helped us move forward was fundamentally the same – it was discovering for ourselves the truth of the cliche that you can’t solve complex problems with the same mindset that created them.

The shift in mindset that we made over a decade ago is becoming increasingly mainstream and can now be found in some surprising places.

This landmark United Nations conference stated that “Our relationship with nature needs redefining, from one of extraction to one of care.”

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UN Stockholm+50 conference

Unleashing values and action is the third most important leverage point for sustainability, well above technology and finance.

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IPBES Global Assessment

The shift in mindset that we all made, and that these respected global organisations now call for, is grounded in embracing three realities:

Our Sustainability Leadership Programme – six extraordinary days to realise your potential to be a force for good

No lectures, no slides, no cringey icebreakers, no flip charts, no sticky notes, no tests.

Instead: Wild mindfulness, guided visualisation, wilderness solos, structured dialogue and reflection.

Why: Because in our 20 years of working on sustainability leadership, we have found that nothing else comes close to the impact of having time and space to slow down, go deep and personally experience the transformative power of engaging with wild nature.

Based in a comfortable, remote, off-grid lodge, we will spend most of our time outside, where we will guide you through a unique programme of personal, paired and group practices.

This creates the optimal environment for breaking free from the unsustainable mindset of our culture and catalysing the shift in mindset that is essential for profoundly effective sustainability leadership – and for the world.

Why does this environment and process work so well? Take a deep dive into the three realities that underpin sustainability…

1. We are part of nature

The root cause of the climate and nature crises is that our culture would have us think and behave as if we are separate from, and in control of, the rest of the living world. Even when we acknowledge the reality that we are part of nature, our culture constantly tells us otherwise, unconsciously shaping our thoughts and our actions.

The solution is to develop a strong sense of ‘nature connectedness’ – a deep psychological and emotional feeling of being part of nature. That’s why the retreats at the heart of our programme are in wild places, off-grid and internet free; as far from the mindset of our culture as we can get. The outdoor practices will strengthen your nature connectedness, helping you:

• Boost your wellbeing to avoid and overcome burnout.
• Deepen and clarify your sense of purpose and meaning, so you can align your work more closely with your personal values.
• Find creative solutions to challenges in your professional role, organisation or sector – solutions that work with, not against, nature.
• Strengthen your courage to act for the greater good when the way ahead seems difficult.

Escaping from the demands of the day-to-day isn’t a luxury, it’s a powerful way to build your nature connectedness and break free of the unsustainable thinking of our culture that undermines your sustainability efforts.

2. Humans are naturally kind and caring

But we live in a culture where policy, media, education and business assumes people are essentially selfish, reinforcing the worst in human nature. This creates a vicious cycle that suppresses people’s kindness, holding us all back from tackling the climate and nature crises, poverty and inequality.

The solution is to engage people’s innate kindness and care, and to raise awareness that most people are actually kind and caring. The culture on our retreats draws on and nourishes the best in human nature, creating the best conditions for you to:

• Explore the limitations and contradictions of our ‘normal’ working environments and ‘professional personas’.
• Imagine projects and ways of working with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders that reinforce and reward innate kindness.
• Reflect on ways your organisation might help build fairer, thriving and resilient communities and societies.
• Build trust and connection with fellow participants that can support you on retreat and long after.

Our retreat’s culture of care and kindness isn’t just an incredibly nurturing experience, it’s a powerful way to create the conditions for transformative change – a unique and powerful experience you can carry back into your own professional environment.

3. We can work together to create a better world

Our culture tells us that unless it’s in your job description, sustainability is pretty much a personal matter of green consumerism and supporting NGO campaigns. The problem is that the skills and experience of people who care deeply are often not applied to the greatest challenge of our times.

Feeling alone, we often take the burdens of the world on our shoulders, we see ourselves as lone ‘sustainability champions’, frequently feeling frustrated, misunderstood and unappreciated – and heading for burnout. It’s also common to feel fearful and powerless, to believe we can’t make a meaningful difference, leading many of us to suffer from eco-anxiety.

The solution is to step into your full potential to be a force for good – to skilfully create real change for a better world. To do this we need to understand how change happens, and how we can work together and support each to be effective change agents for sustainability – whatever your professional role, whatever your organisation. That’s why at the core of our retreats is the rare opportunity to truly slow down, creating a safe and supportive space for you to:

• Be gently challenged and powerfully inspired through deep dialogue with peers as you each explore new ideas and perspectives.
• Clarify what truly matters to you, what you want to achieve and how you will apply your skills and experience to make that a reality.
• Draw on our sustainability expertise, and that of your fellow participants, to determine the next steps on your sustainability leadership journey.

The time and space our retreats offer to reflect, explore and imagine isn’t just a welcome respite from the frantic pace of everyday life, it’s a powerful way to cultivate a deep sense of empowerment, resilience and resolve to sustain your sustainability leadership.

The retreat runs from midday Saturday 13 May to 3pm Friday 19 May 2023

Saturday

One of us will meet you around midday near the railway station at the village of Ardgay, north of Inverness. We’ll travel the final miles into the hills by 4×4.

Gather in the afternoon for a welcome to the venue, introductions and an overview of the retreat. Discover the local area on informal walks with fellow participants. Continue getting to know participants and facilitators over dinner.

Sunday

Begin to break free of our cultural mindset and start learning to engage your intuition and imagination. Gentle walks, nature-based mindfulness and visualisation prepare you to focus fully on the week ahead.

Like most of the coming week, the day will be spent mainly outside. Evenings all include time for private reflection, informal discussions with your peers and one-to-one conversations with facilitators – as well as sharing good food together around the dining table.

Monday

Explore your motivation and future direction as you break free of our cultural mindset and start to engage deeply with the immediacy of the living world in which you are immersed. Become open to powerful new metaphors of change and progress rooted in natural systems to inform your leadership.

These individual, small and whole group reflective practices not only strengthen your ‘nature connectedness’, but also grow mutual understanding and trust with each other.

Tuesday

Building on your experiences so far this week, draw on your imagination and intuition to reflect profoundly on what truly matters to you, how you will make meaningful change for sustainability and what support you may need.

You will spend from dawn until dusk alone in a place you’ve chosen in the surrounding land. Part of many traditions since the dawn of humanity, but lost from our own culture, this ‘solo’ is a rare opportunity to open up to the transformative power of nature.

Wednesday

Start the day with time alone to begin processing the insights and ideas that emerged yesterday. Then come together with your peers to recognise your strengths and opportunities, accept your limitations and constraints, and acknowledge the support you may need.

This is a beautiful and profoundly powerful experience, following a practice inspired by the Lakota Sioux.

Thursday

Reflect on your insights and how they will inspire and motivate you. Identify your next steps and what you need to sustain and support you when you leave the retreat and lead change for a better world in your organisation, sector or wider society.

Working outside in pairs and in the group, today you will again engage deeply with the living world around us, allowing it to stimulate your imagination and creativity.

Friday

Prepare to return to the world beyond these hills and this week together. Take with you:

• your new insights into the living world and your place within it;
• your new-found ability to draw on all your capacities;
• strong connections with others in the group, so you can support each other as you put your intentions into practice.

We’ll take you back to Ardgay village by 3pm for your journey home.

We have a bursary programme

We can sometimes offer places at reduced cost to leaders in small third sector organisations with limited income, and to future leaders aged under 35 in any sector. To get details when we open applications, register your interest: