Participants in the wilderness trail. Photo: Boy van Droffelaar A period in the wild under primitive conditions changes people. The Foundation for Natural Leadership uses a method based on that kind of wilderness experience. PhD student Boy van Droffelaar (71) organizes training courses for the FNL.
Van Droffelaar got to know the work of FNL after he retired from management roles at Akzo and Sara Lee. He took part in a leadership trail and was sold. Authentic leadership is based on four qualities. Authentic leaders know themselves and know how they come across to others; their own norms and values are well-defined, they listen non-judgementally; and they are clear about what they think and feel. ‘All those qualities come into the picture on that kind of trail,’ says Van Droffelaar. For example, during the daily sharing circle about what the participants are experiencing and the effect it has on them.
‘People arrive at deep insights about what makes them tick’
‘People arrive at deep insights into what makes them tick,’ says Van Droffelaar. ‘Everyone has such moments of clarity and understanding sometimes. It can just come over you: “That’s it”, or “That’s what I’m going for.”’ But you can create that kind of experience as well. In this case, by spending a week in the middle of nowhere in unspoiled nature.
Van Droffelaar studied the effects of a taking part in a trail. He read through 120 reports by participants and followed 66 of them for a year to see how they scored on the four aspects of authentic leadership mentioned above. The effect proved significant, sizeable and lasting. ‘I see that something changes in those people. It is enormously reassuring if in times when you are under stress and have to make difficult decisions, you are in the frame of mind to do the right thing.’