Why You Need An Outdoor Leadership Experience On Your MBA

For anyone who’s seen a cut-throat corporate drama like the hit series, Succession, you’ll have quickly learned that most real business negotiations happen in the down and dirty outside of the boardroom. 

There’s research to back this up beyond the screen, too. According to the Harvard Business Review, outdoor activities such as wilderness adventure expeditions can be a far more effective way to develop leadership skills as they force you into new patterns of action that often aren’t tapped into indoors.  

Decision-making expert and management professor Daniel Newark has overseen countless Outdoor Leadership Seminars (pictured below) while teaching on the HEC Paris MBA, and he firmly believes it’s the best way to put textbook theory to the test.

“If you only learn about a topic in the classroom, then the application of it will only make sense in theory. There’s nothing like actually standing in a real-life situation with seven or eight people looking to you for direction and having to implement the things you've learned,” he explains.

As part of the school’s intensive two-day seminar, teams of eight to 10 MBA students are put together to complete a series of increasingly difficult challenges encompassing everything from boat-building to ravine-crossing—all under the supervision of former French military officers. 

If that doesn’t sound rigorous enough, each round requires every student to take the mantle of team leader, placing their managerial skills under the spotlight. Once completed, they’re given detailed, personalized feedback covering their strengths and where they can improve. 

“The idea is to create a very memorable, intense experience that will stay with them after the degree,” Daniel adds. 

But what do students really get out of this? BusinessBecause spoke to two current HEC MBA students who underwent the outdoor leadership training to find out:  

Lia Ballard

A California native, Lia (pictured right) spent nine years working as a project manager for a FinTech company in the San Francisco Bay Area, before deciding to pursue an MBA abroad. 

HEC Paris was her top choice for several reasons: first, its 16-month long program, which would allow her to learn about and explore more of Europe. Second, its reputation as a top-ranked business school, not only in Europe, but also globally. And third, what Lia describes as the school’s fun factor—which includes out-of-the-box activities such as the two-day Outdoor Leadership Seminar. 

What did you learn about your own leadership style? 

LB: I like to observe a situation before diving in, whereas there were other folks on my team who were much more ready to jump in and immediately take action. It challenged me to be more quick on the draw instead of being reserved.

How did you adapt your leadership?

LB: We had a section where we had to cross over a “ravine” several feet above the ground using a suspension harness system. I noticed that a lot of the women on our team were nervous and even though I actually don't like heights, I volunteered to be the first woman to go across. It was my hope that in facing my own fears, I’d be able to give encouragement to my team from across the way—saying, "Look, I've got it!"

What do you think is the most important skill a leader can have?

LB: Being able to communicate your plan effectively. 

What impact has the Outdoor Leadership Seminar had on your career outlook?

LB: We definitely need more women in leadership roles. I do not believe that there is a gender imbalance in terms of one's conviction and ability to say, “You know what? Today, I'm going to tackle this obstacle. I'm going to conquer my fears.” Believing that you can go toe-to-toe with the best of them was a valuable takeaway. 

So, after the MBA, I absolutely see myself in a senior leadership role. The Outdoor Leadership Seminar definitely helped me reflect more on how I can do that: be it from making decisions faster, to having more effective communication, to understanding my own strengths and weaknesses, as well as seeing how my team members work.

Jean-Luc Thebert

Having served as a French military air force pilot for over 10 years, Jean-Luc (pictured right) was already familiar with high-stakes team-building long before the army sponsored him to join the HEC Paris MBA. 

This put him in an unusual position for the Outdoor Leadership Seminar. Since he had completed formal army training, he had the option to join as one of the supervising officers. But Jean-Luc was more interested in putting his own leadership skills to the test with “civilians”.

What did you learn about your own leadership style? 

JT: It was really interesting to observe all of the reflexes I had in wanting to manage and solve the issues that [my team-mates] were in. I knew the solution for each obstacle, so I had to say nothing. It was really difficult to let them try to be themselves even if they had never done it before. 

What do you think is the most important skill a leader can have?

JT: Listening. 

How will you use the Outdoor Leadership Seminar skills you learned in your army career?

JT: You can’t use your team as robots instead of as humans. As a leader you may want to tell people how to do the task you are giving to them, but it’s better to say, “I can give you some guidance, but I will not tell you how to do it because it’s your work.” 

It’s clear that pushing the bounds of your abilities in a wilderness situation can forge you into a better leader. How do you think you would fare?