Leadership and Poetry

Over this past winter break, I ventured down to Leon, Nicaragua to work with a leadership and community service organization called, Alianza Schweitzer Club. It was the first time they had a formal 3-day retreat-style program focused on leadership development and team building. (as a side note, these types of programs are virtually non-existent in Nicaragua. It is quite humbling to be initiating this type of work). Simply stated, the retreat was incredible! We retreated at a beach house on the pacific coast - a 2 minute walk the ocean. In addition to the physical setting, the students were in it - they were ready to go as soon as we arrived. These young people yearn for opportunities to challenge and grow themselves and their country. This was one such opportunity.

For me, one of the most impactful parts of the retreat was beginning each segment with a poem. As part of the introduction to the retreat, I commented on the importance of connecting ourselves, our whole Selves, to the deepening experience we would individually and collectively go through as of being part of this leadership journey. However, to do so, we would need to challenge ourselves to think differently. We would need to breath new life into our individual and collective work. I used poetry to assist us with our journey. It was amazing to see how this group paused to listen deeply and reflect on the words being shared before diving into the activities and conversations. This, and I would assume most art forms, have the potential to set the stage and create positive potential far greater than without exercising our creative Selves....Below are some pictures from the retreat.