This month, I took 10 incredibly experienced business owners, entrepreneurs, and chief executives to Spain for a two-day retreat as part of our Rivendell programme.
The leaders in the room were exceptional. Some run publicly listed companies. Others have built businesses valued in the hundreds of millions from scratch. Some have won industry awards, being recognised as the best in their fields.
It was an international gathering, with participants flying in from the USA, Africa, and Europe.
The feedback was deeply gratifying—an average satisfaction score of 9.7 out of 10. For leaders operating at such high standards, that’s no small achievement.
In this article, I’d like to share seven key insights from the retreat that made it so powerful.
"I was thinking big, but not big enough"
The theme of this retreat was 25³: Create your 25-year vision and achieve 25% of it in 2025.
Alex, relatively new to his CEO role, initially confided that he wasn’t sure how practical such a topic would be. By the end of the retreat, he told me:
"It’s incredible—you need a 25-year vision. It changes everything."
His perspective had shifted from growing his business tenfold to reshaping an entire continent.
This is a recurring theme at these retreats. The leaders who attend are already thinking bigger than most, yet they discover they aren’t thinking big enough. These breakthroughs create seismic shifts.
"I've completely reframed the next 12 months"
A big vision is one thing, but grounding it in practical action is critical for leaders managing complex businesses.
One participant realised he needed to double down on a single key objective to deliver his vision. He set a target three times his initial ambition for the next year—and left with extraordinary clarity.
Another CEO also reframed his next 12 months. He began seeing himself as a leader who could consolidate and reshape his industry.
"I know how to be strategic—but am I magnetic?"
Some leaders arrived expecting to focus entirely on business strategy, only to discover the real work lay deeper.
One CEO confided, "You can point me at any goal, and I’ll deliver it. But do I know why I’m doing it?"
Over two days, he reconnected with the emotional impact he truly wanted to make. He realised his mission was far bigger than the next quarter’s results.
"I know how to achieve, but do I know how to thrive?"
This memorable phrase came from a CEO who’s led organisations with hundreds of millions in revenue and thousands of employees. He’s built one of the best executive teams I’ve seen and achieved remarkable turnarounds.
Yet, he was bored and unhappy.
By the retreat’s end, he said, "I thought I was here to work on my business—and I did. But the deeper impact came from working on myself and the future I want to create."
"Where else will I get the challenge dialled up to 10?"
This was a room full of leaders rarely challenged to their limits. They rarely hear the unvarnished truth, let alone have someone dial up the intensity.
This retreat delivered that challenge—more palpably than ever.
We worked on tactical questions, big visions, and made bold declarations about the future.
For example, have you ever had to give a business pitch in the style of The Voice, where your stakeholders have their backs turned. Can you win them over? And then hear tough feedback, integrate it, and try again.
The intensity didn’t just come from me as the coach; it came from the group. The mutual support and honest feedback were electrifying.
"Amazing to be in a room where everyone's better than me"
This came from an executive recognised as one of the top 1% in their field globally. Despite a long track record of extraordinary achievement, he found himself inspired—and a little intimidated—by the group.
This is a core principle of Rivendell:
You should feel slightly out of your depth—and know that others are feeling the same too!
"I’m not alone, and these people want me to win"
One of my proudest moments was hearing this comment.
By the end of the retreat, participants had gone deeper with each other than they had with many lifelong friends. The trust in the room was profound.
As one leader put it: "There wasn’t a single jerk here, which is incredibly unusual."
Breakthroughs happened because of this trust—both in business and personal leadership.
Which insight do you need to hear?
We’re now preparing for our next retreat, on the theme of The Leadership Crucible. It promises to be even more fiery and inspiring.
Which of these insights speaks to you right now?
- Are you thinking big enough?
- What would it look like to reframe the next 12 months around one bold idea?
- You know how to be strategic—but are you magnetic?
- Despite your success, are you thriving and happy?
- Who’s challenging you at a 10/10 level?
- Are the rooms are you in lifting you to new greatness?
- Are you surrounded by people who truly want you to win?
