Business Smarts - Leading in the Mountains (and other places)

Not all of us lead our clients in hazardous environments, but as leaders, we all have to help individuals come together as a team. We address objective reality vs. wishful thinking, flexibility and adaptability vs. rigidity, and other challenges in becoming a constantly learning organization. This presentation will draw on the experiences of outdoor leaders that apply in business. Topics will include the 4 facing directions of leadership, developing a shared purpose, and some of the human attitudes that lead to suffering in the back country (and other places). Participants will be invited to think through and discuss how these concepts can apply in their own business situations.

Speaker(s): Presenter Lester Zook is the 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, team-building, 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.

Co-Sponsor(s): Co-Sponsor (s): Business Smarts Breakfast sessions are held on the 2nd Friday of every month with networking opportunities and guest presentations on a variety of topics. The series is sponsored by your Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. Coffee provided by Broad Porch Coffee LLC.

Special Instruction: Parking for Business Smarts: Permits are required for the JMU Ice House Lot. Parking Options: 1) You may park in the Water Street Parking Deck, one block from the Ice House, or the City Municipal Lot on Liberty Street. 2) Two-hour street parking is available on Bruce Street, across from the Ice House. 3) In order to park in the JMU Ice House Lot on Bruce Street, you must display a JMU Parking Permit or an Ice House Temporary Parking Permit. The permit will be date specific and should be displayed on your vehicle dashboard. To pick up your permit, pull up in the circle at front of the building and go into the lobby, where Parker Mercer or SBDC staff will hand you the permit. You can then proceed to the lot and park anywhere (note the handicapped spaces!) in the LOWER lot. Do not park above the signs.

Fee: No Cost