Normally I blog about the nitty-gritty of Alaskan Leadership Training. And believe me, I love talking about it… But today will be a little different…
And I think you’re going to love it.
The other day I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Anchorage. It’s called Gwennie’s, and it’s famous nationwide as “The Alaskan Restaurant.”
It’s close to the airport and wildly popular with tourists and vacationers.
It’s a plain two-story building of pale yellow cinder block with a funny blue raven painted on a totem pole. The interior is pleasant, warm and rustic. Not fancy or anything… It’s almost like walking into a cabin.
Their motto is, “Making bellies full…” Which is perfect because their food is fantastic. It explodes with rich, Alaskan flavor.
But that’s not the most important thing, and I promise, there’s a reason I’m telling you this…
The most important aspect of Gwennie’s isn’t the food (or even the bar)… it’s the experience.
Unique experience makes a lasting impact
This little restaurant is a great example of how experience changes you.
You step into an environment that’s completely different from your everyday life. Everywhere you look there are mounted animal skins… from the cutest of the cute to the fiercest of the fierce.
You eat off cool blue metal plates with rugged silverware.
You’re surrounded by artifacts of Alaskan history… airplane propellers, massive Kodiak-sized bear traps and wildly long two-man “misery” saws…
The whole place oozes with history, mystery and rustic energy that’s completely foreign to our modern life.
But why is this worth talking about… and will I ever talk about Alaskan leadership training?
Let’s find out.
When you go to Gwennie’s, you have a choice… experience it like it’s a museum piece with “oohs” and “ahhs” snapping pictures… scarf down some fried fish and move on… or you could delve deeper into the experience.
Consider all the places that airplane propeller has been… how difficult it must be to try to set a Kodiak bear trap… how much work it would take for you and your best friend to fell a massive oak using a two-handled “misery” saw.
Or imagine encountering the 10-foot stuffed bear before it was stuffed.
Absorb everything with your senses. Imagine the experience. Relive them in your mind.
When you internalize these experiences they become part of you… you’re changed by it.
It’s almost like you’ve lived it.
Gwennie’s = Alaskan Leadership Training?
Maybe you’re hot on my trail with where I’m going with this… but if you’ll humor me, please keep reading.
Gwennie’s creates an experience that ignites curiosity and awe. They capture and stoke their patrons’ imagination… Alaskan leadership training uses a similar method. And like Gwennie’s, it’s gloriously simple.
In fact, if you haven’t already, you should read my last post. It’s all about breaking down the simple Alaska leadership training success formula.
Regardless, Alaskan leadership training goes the extra mile… you don’t just imagine the experience, you get out and you live it.
You’ll swing an ax. You’ll haul water and firewood. You’ll climb mountains. You’ll hack your way through brush and prickly overgrowth. You’ll pick berries for food. Kayak in frigid waters or fly fish in streams brimming with wildlife.
You’ll experience reality in a way you maybe never thought you would… and you’ll carry that with you for the rest of your life.
Those experiences will be an anchor for the REAL reason you chose Alaskan leadership training… your leadership journey.
Ask yourself…
What’s the BIG thing you need to work on? Where do you need to grow as a leader? What’s your two-handled “misery saw” you need to come to terms with?
All of that, you’ll find in Wild Alaska and Alaskan leadership training.
Would you or your leadership team like to reconnect with your deepest leadership truths and realign you mission?
If so, let’s talk.
One Response
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