I was privileged to be invited by our CEO to attend the leadership conference, “Rocky Mountain High: A Renewal and Rejuvenation Conference”, last May 28 to June 3, 2022. It was held in Colorado Springs, which is an hour and a half drive from Denver.
The theme of the conference was Sustainability and Deep Purpose, where we were given six cases to read and discuss during our sessions. The cases we studied opened my eyes to authentic leadership, and the companies we covered helped me learn about the importance of taking care of our planet. Some of my key takeaways are:
- Corporate purpose and sustainability must be balanced with financial performance.
- Sustainability requires the right execution. We need to design KPIs to monitor progress and install visible governance of key objectives.
- We need to build strong fundamentals. We can’t use purpose/sustainability as a reason to defend poor financial performance.
- Being sustainable is not cheap. It requires the right execution and a long-term plan. Financial goals should not be compromised.
For the duration of the conference, we were given some recreational activities to choose from. Among these were hiking, golf, shopping, and spa treatments.
One major highlight of our trip would be our tour of the Garden of the Gods, a public park located in Colorado Springs. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971, where you will see a lot of rock formations formed over millions of years.
Another highlight of our trip was our visit to Flying W Ranch, where we watched a country music show and we had so much fun! I was smiling the whole time and didn’t realize that I was already crying because of happiness. The food was scrumptious too!
We also visited some museums, one of which was the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. There you can find the building with a domed clock tower, which used to be the El Paso County Courthouse from 1903 to 1973. We were able to ride an elevator, which was more than a century old!
We were also treated to fancy restaurants such as Marigold, TILL, and AI Sushi, which featured flavorful, chef-inspired plates, exquisite cocktails, and an extensive wine list.
The whole experience was something that I will never forget and will truly cherish. Colorado Springs is, indeed, a special destination if you want to get away from stress and be rejuvenated.
To learn more about our leadership programs and services, come visit the JC Leadership Institute!
