Discover the transformative experience of the Leadership Development Intensive (LDI), a unique three-and-a-half-day program designed to help individuals and teams unlock their full potential. Since its inception in 1987, LDI has evolved from a solo program for executives to an inclusive experience for groups, fostering deep connections, self-awareness, and effective conflict resolution. Through introspection, expert coaching, and practical exercises, participants navigate five pivotal questions that guide them toward personal and professional growth. Join us to unleash your true potential and strengthen your team dynamics.
Transcript
What happens in an LDI? I thought I’d take a few minutes to give you a verbal and visual picture of what happens in this amazing three-and-a-half-day experience. It started in 1987 as a solo program designed for executives who didn’t want to be in a group. In fact, there’s a video in the Weisbrot work series called “The Origins of the LDI.” Sometimes people came with their spouses, and after a while, it expanded from the solo program to a group of people. Quite often, it’s an intact group from the same organization. For example, here’s a group from Warsaw, Poland, an entire senior leadership team. That’s one way it works. Another way is that sometimes people come to open days where men and women from various places join a group of strangers. Both versions are available.
What happens is either myself or one of the other facilitators presents some material. I’ll talk in a minute about some of that. You have a chance to think about it, reflect on it by yourself, and then discuss it with one of the people in the group. Quite often, a small group will get together and discuss it, gradually deepening the concept by trying it on for size.
There’s actually a notebook with material or content that is part of the program. This content gets presented. For instance, I’m presenting something outdoors in Seattle. Usually, the newsprint is put up on the wall as an ongoing record so that when you walk in the room, you have a visual memory of all the things that have been discussed. The course is based on my book, “The Five Questions,” which are five questions that change everything except the one thing that never needs to change. We say you don’t need to change yourself; you need to come home to yourself, and that changes everything.
Of course, people then want to know, “How do I come home to myself?” These five questions are a great way to do it. The first question is, “What confronts me?” What’s coming at me? What decisions or challenges are difficult for me? We use the metaphor of confronting tigers. The second question is, “What am I bringing?” If I were to confront this tiger or have that difficult conversation, what am I bringing? My hopes, fears, and internal conversations make that a tiger.
The third question is, “What runs me?” How am I on automatic without realizing it? Why do I always do the same things and encounter the same situations? This question lets you look at your operating system, open the black box, and consider making changes if you want. Question four is, “What calls me?” This is about what’s really important to me. Why am I on the planet? We invite people to hold up their thumb and recognize their unique contribution. What is the need in the world that they are uniquely qualified to address?
Finally, question five is, “What will unleash me?” What will put me into action with all these wonderful insights? The LDI is really about working through these five questions, one after the other. There’s a chance to read in the book, reflect privately, and talk with a colleague.
It’s very intense. Sometimes the facilitator, like Amy Barnes, provides expert coaching. We start every morning with gentle stretching to limber up the body. Many people think the body just carries the brain to work in the morning. We also use aikido as a metaphor for resolving conflict with oneself or others. The principles of blending rather than fighting help utilize differences and redirect energy in a way that’s not harmful to oneself or others.
In the end, the group helps you develop what we call a GPS, a Greater Purpose Statement. It gets written on a wallet card and laminated. If you run across an LDI grad, you might ask to see their GPS card, and they’ll probably pull it out of their wallet. I run into people 15-20 years after the course, and the first thing they do is show me their GPS card.
The back of the card lists stretches, things that need conscious practice because they don’t come easy but help unleash oneself in difficult situations. For most people, the LDI is a delightful, affirming, life-affirming experience. There’s a warm, close feeling of connection with the people there. If you’re an intact work team, this is a fabulous thing to do for team building. You can go out in the woods, climb trees, do zip lines, and simulations. But when I discovered this, the depth of trust, connectivity, communication, conflict resolution, and utilization that comes as a result is unmatched. My recommendation is to get your team together and do the LDI.
Thanks for watching this. That’s what happens at an LDI. I hope you’ll find yourself there sooner or later.
