LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Spirit of the Game (SotG) Leadership Development programs draw from a wide range of expertise and methods carefully curated to meet the specific needs of each individual or group we are working with. We are continually refining our offerings by bringing in different experts from all over the world, personally testing their methods and techniques, and developing an ever more robust menu of options. At the core of all our work is Accountability.
Our workshops include provocative discussions which ideally lead to new solutions within your organization, as well as helping the individual participants who want to make more of an impact in their life and work. If an individual is not genuinely seeking to become the best version of themselves, or an organization is not actively and continually striving to improve their positive impact on the world, the worst thing they can do is hire us. Our core philosophies don't allow room for greenwashing or tokenism, and emphasis on Personal Accountability means that gaps between values and actions become glaringly obvious.
Individuals who undergo our Leadership Development programs can't live in denial afterwards, nor can companies hide fundamental flaws in their culture. So if you are ready to embark on the (sometimes) painful journey of becoming the best version of yourself and maximizing your positive impact on society, our global network of experts is ready to help. If you just want someone to tell you what you want to hear or address surface issues, there are plenty of other coaching options for you.

Workshops

In the Leadership Development workshops, we create a space for participants to challenge themselves and each other. We lead a group through a competition to see who can come up with the most innovative solutions to tough problems. Note: We are able to tailor this workshop to specific topics at your request, but have a number of general scenarios ready.
By starting with exercises to help them view familiar subjects through the lens of Personal Accountability, we provide the foundation for them to explore these topics through vigorous yet respectful debates. These workshops are designed to be followed up by specific action steps and a commitment to TryStorm (Cultivating a mindset that accepts failure as part of the process) Appropriate Audiences: Managers, Executives, Potential managers.

Courses

Our longer term courses typically involve peer advisory groups, our online Introspection Course, and discussions about how each individual team member can align their personal and professional lives toward greater purpose in each.
Again, if your company is not acting in line with its values, or its values don't reflect current societal and environmental priorities, then our courses will make this apparent. This is bad news if you want employees who don't actively contribute to the shaping of your companies values, but good news if you value team members who will take ownership of company values and purpose.
Appropriate Audiences: All members of an organization which is actively striving to improve it's company culture and/or reduce disconnect between values and actions.

Peer Advisory Groups

We facilitate Peer Advisory Groups which bring together people from different companies but with similar roles. Each group meets weekly for 6 or 8 sessions, with various expert facilitators customized to the typical role each group member fills in their company. For example, our CEO, CFO, or COO groups would be led by an expert both in that field and in the relevant Impact/Sustainability areas. Peer Groups for non-executive team members or Executive Assistants are led by experts who typically work with those groups.
Appropriate Audiences: Companies who are hesitant about the financial commitment of a company wide program, or refreshers for individuals from companies which have gone through our company wide process.

Peer Discussion Groups

Similar to Peer Advisory Groups, these also bring together people from different companies to address specific topics such as:
Work-Life-Purpose Balance & juggling multiple commitments
Gender Respect & dialogue cultivation
Introspection but not obsession
Trying on new habits
Most of these topics are also covered in our intra-company workshops offerings.

Format

A workshop typically starts with a SotG Quiz which will be used to guide the later discussions. A typical quiz will consist of several questions based around the theme of Personal Responsibility and the mission of the organization and/or specific reasons why the workshops is happening:

– Addressing ongoing obstacles and exploring for hidden issues
– Creative problem solving
– Workplace culture and change introduction
– Employee buy-in of Impact responsibility

After the Quiz, we explain the foundational principles of the Spirit of the Game Foundation as well as our origins. It is an option to include an Ultimate frisbee workshop at this point in the seminar, which can include actually playing the game or just learning new throwing tips.

Next, we do a general brainstorming session about the SotG principles and their potential impact or applicability to various sectors of society such as business, politics, interpersonal relationships, and interactions between NGOs and the private sector.

By the end of the brainstorming session we have compiled the results of the Quiz and we will lead an in depth conversation centered around each question where there was significant divergence of opinions. By offering participants with a minority opinion the opportunity to calmly explain their answer without interruption, we are able to get people to open up and create real dialogue even around controversial subjects.

As a final step, we encourage each participant to write down some concrete action steps they can take to increase their Personal Accountability, both within the organization and in the wider world at large, as well as a plan or timeline for those actions.

YOUR COACHES

Urs Bernhard

Coach | Mentor | Field Expert

Urs Bernhard is an international management consultant and executive coach with over 30 years of international experience across the US, Europe and SE Asia.

Urs has worked with companies such as Siemens, Philip Morris, NCR and AT&T and TATA India. He splits his time between Switzerland and Silicon Valley, as well as working as an Executive Coach in Paris, Singapore and Abu Dhabi for INSEAD.
He is fluent in English, German and French and is a pilot and skipper.

Besides that, he has climbed the Seven Summits, and is in the process of writing a book on how the lessons learned on the mountain translate into the executive coaching world.

Trent Simmons

Coach | Mentor | Field Expert

Management

Board of Trustees

Trent Simmons is the founder and President of 10 Million Discs, an international NGO which uses the unique sport of Ultimate frisbee to advance a wide array of social and humanitarian causes around the world.

His background includes a wide variety of start-ups, both operating and consulting, and he has utilized that experience to help 10 Million Discs develop a diverse global network with very low overhead. His vision is to put that network to use, taking Spirit of the Game pilot programs developed and tested in Switzerland and spreading them globally.

Trent is a US citizen, Swiss resident and lives in Zurich with his wife and 2 year old son.

Can you imagine a world where 'How much can I get away with' was replaced with 'How much good can I eventually do?
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Can you imagine a network who exists solely in order to help its members do more good?
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Can you imagine a world where Personal Accountability was the true measure for success?