Leadership retreat themes: ten ideas for leaders facing change
You're choosing a theme for your leadership retreat. A good theme does more than look good on the welcome slide. It gives every session a thread, and gives leaders a phrase they'll still be using months later.
The best themes come from what your leaders are actually facing. For most teams right now, that's change.
How do you choose a leadership retreat theme?
Start with the biggest change your leaders face, then pick a theme that names it in a few memorable words. A good theme comes with one question everyone carries through the retreat.
Five things to think about before you choose a theme
What's really going on? The theme should name the challenge leaders are living, not a slogan from last year.
Is it short enough to repeat? If people can't say it from memory by lunchtime, it's too long.
Does it lead to a question? A theme with a question attached gets people thinking, not just nodding.
Will it still work in six months? Pick a theme that can carry on after the retreat, in team meetings and updates.
Does it fit the room? A theme for senior leaders facing a restructure is different from one for new managers.
Ten leadership retreat themes from the Big Bold Mindset
The Big Bold Mindset® is built on 21 principles, each with a practical tool. These ten make strong retreat themes, each with a question to carry through the retreat.
Redraw the Charts: you can't navigate a new world using an old set of charts. Which of our charts are out of date?
Challenge the Impossible: opinions sound like facts. What have we decided can't be done, and is that a fact?
Bolster Your Belief: belief is a skill, so train it on purpose. Do we believe in where we're heading?
Rewrite the Narrative: build a shared story you both want. What story will we tell together?
Put People First: a happy boat is a fast boat. What do our people need from us now?
Build Your Trust: a team is a group of people who trust each other. What builds trust between us?
Create Through Conflict: struggle well, together. How will we disagree well?
Master Your Emotions: master your emotions, or they master you. How do we stay steady under pressure?
Adventure Beyond the Cognitive: we are feeling creatures who think. What are we feeling about the change ahead?
Inch Yourself Forward: inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is hard. What small steps will we take first?
Where a keynote fits
A keynote at the start of the retreat brings the theme to life with stories and gives leaders a shared language for every session that follows.
Built for your team, not taken off the shelf
Every audience is different, and every leadership team is facing its own set of issues. So no two of Caspar's keynotes are the same.
Before the day, Caspar does a deep dive into your world: what's changing, what matters most to you, and what you need people to think and do differently. Where it helps, he speaks to several of your senior leaders to get a wide view of what's really going on.
Then he crafts a keynote specifically for your retreat, applying the Big Bold Mindset principles that fit your challenges. Not the talk he gave last week, but one built for your team.
About Caspar Craven
Caspar Craven is the creator of The Big Bold Mindset® and a leadership keynote speaker. He has spoken at events in over 38 countries, for over 400 organisations going through change.
Before speaking, he spent five years at KPMG Corporate Finance, was CFO of a fast-growth tech company through its sale to private equity, and co-founded and sold a tech business. He has sailed around the world twice: first in the BT Global Challenge, then as skipper with his wife and three children under ten.
His lesson from both worlds: put people first and the results will follow. See Caspar's keynotes.
“Our leadership said it was 'worth its weight in gold'. Gripped the attention of Burberry colleagues all over the globe.”
Caspar has worked with organisations including BAE Systems, Burberry, GSK, Intuit, INEOS Styrolution, Johnson & Johnson, Nuffield Health, Pearson, Sage, Suntory and Thales.
Leadership retreat theme questions
What is a good theme for a leadership retreat?
One that names the biggest change your leaders face in a few memorable words, and comes with a question everyone carries through the retreat.
What topics should a leadership retreat cover?
Direction and priorities, how the team works together, how leaders are coping with change, and the small steps they'll take next.
How do you choose a leadership retreat theme?
Ask your leaders what they're wrestling with, look for the common thread, then put it in a phrase short enough to remember.
Should a leadership retreat have a theme?
Yes. A theme ties the sessions together and gives leaders something to carry back to their teams.
How do you keep a retreat theme alive afterwards?
Use it in team meetings and updates, and come back to the theme's question a month later.
Can a keynote speaker build a talk around our theme?
Yes. A tailored keynote takes your theme as its starting point and brings it to life with stories and practical ideas.
Can a keynote be tailored to our leadership team?
Yes, and it should be. Caspar starts with a deep dive into your challenges, often speaking to several senior leaders, then builds the keynote around what matters most to your team.
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