Leadership and Snow Flakes

I’m writing this post from Geneva airport having just delivered 3 days leadership training in the French Alps for the Ski Club of Great Britain. It’s snowed for 3 days straight up in Tignes where the training course is taking place and I’m feeling quite reflective after a stunning bus ride back from the mountain past mountain streams, and snow covered trees and snowy French villages. It reminds me that despite challenging economics times and much turmoil in the world there is still much beauty and wonder to be thankful for.

Over the past few days I’ve been training the Ski Club’s new crop of volunteer ski leaders for 2011. Coming from a wide range of backgrounds from tree surgeon’s, to photographers, to management consultants, to plastic surgeons – they’re all in the French Alps for 12 days embracing their shared passion for the sport of skiing. The ski club leaders are all volunteers who love the sport and give up their time each winter to share their love of the mountains and skiing with others – leading them to the best snow.

On the leaders training course the new candidates are learning the wide range of skills required to lead on snow for the club. My role has been to equip them with the core leadership understanding and skills they need to perform the leadership and communication aspects of the role, and over the next 10 days their training continues with a top team of mountain guides, ski instructors and ski club staff. This year’s trainees are a friendly bunch, willing to jump in and try new skills and hungry to learn. Having taken this course myself 8 years ago, before I became a trainer on it, I know that this next 10 days will stretch them all in a multitude of ways and that they will learn lots and have a great time.

Over the past few days I’ve been impressed by their focus and commitment. I’ve had many, many laughs and thoroughly enjoyed my time training them and getting to know them. So as I travel back to the UK I leave with fond memories and wish them every success for the remainder of the course. I’m looking forward to hearing how they get on the remainder of the course and finding out what else they get up to whilst learning and playing in the white stuff…

Bon ski and good luck for the rest of the course!