Emergence: A Land-Based Leadership Retreat
Reconnect. Reflect. Lead with Clarity.
Leadership on the Land
A transformative, nature-based leadership retreat that helps participants reconnect, reflect, and strengthen their capacity to lead with clarity and confidence.
We live in an era of extraordinary volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). Climatic instability, technological acceleration, social transformation, and economic and political turbulence demand a fundamentally different kind of leadership - one grounded in ecological awareness, adaptive capacity, and deep personal clarity.
The question isn't whether the world is changing. It's whether we're developing the capacities to lead through it skillfully.
The Emergence Retreat Offers More Than Knowledge - It Offers Orientation
While most leadership development focuses on frameworks and techniques, this immersive retreat addresses something more fundamental: how we sense complexity, how we orient ourselves amid uncertainty, and how we lead with both courage and wisdom when the path forward is unclear.
Through a combination of land-based learning, Indigenous perspectives, and reflective practice, you will develop more sophisticated capacities for presence, discernment, and adaptive action. During this retreat, the land itself will be the primary teacher. Living systems offer profound lessons in adaptation, resilience, and working with complexity - lessons that translate directly to organizational leadership.
Faculty
Led by Julian Norris, PhD, Associate Professor, Haskayne School of Business
Julian has spent three decades training and developing leaders at the intersection of inner work, complexity, and the natural world. As the founder of the acclaimed Ghost River Rediscovery program and past director of Outward Bound’s Rocky Mountain school, he knows this land well. Originally trained as an anthropologist, he is a wilderness guide, a long-time practitioner of somatic and contemplative traditions, and a coach-advisor for senior leaders and organizations in the government, corporate and social sectors who are grappling with complex challenges and opportunities.
To learn more about his work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-norris-a7b053369/
What You'll Develop:
Through powerful encounters with the land, Indigenous knowledge keepers, thought leaders, and contemplative practice, you'll develop:
- Enhanced capacity to navigate ambiguity with centeredness and clarity
- Ecological fluency that transforms how you understand systems, organizations, and change
- Deeper connection to your core values, purpose, and leadership calling
- Practical tools for staying grounded and effective under pressure
- Fresh perspectives on what sustainable, regenerative leadership actually requires
Who It's For:
Designed for High-Impact, Curious Leaders
This retreat is for leaders who:
- Recognize that conventional approaches are insufficient for today’s challenges
- Seek genuine transformation, not just incremental improvement
- Value experiential learning and personal reflection alongside rigorous thinking
- Are curious about Indigenous perspectives and ecological wisdom
- Lead or aspire to lead – organizations toward truly sustainable futures
If you are willing to slow down, reflect honestly, and engage fully with yourself, your environment, and a trusted peer group, this retreat is designed for you.
Who It’s Not For:
Leaders Unwilling to Question, Explore, or Evolve
This retreat is immersive and intentionally unconventional. It may not be the right fit if you:
- Prefer certainty, structure, and control at all times
- Are uncomfortable with experiential or land-based learning
- Seek certainty, speed, or prescriptive solutions only
- Find reflection, challenge, or introspection unnerving
- Are focused solely on execution without pause or perspective
- Expect a passive, observer-style experience
If your priority is efficiency, optimization, or execution-only outcomes, this may not be the right moment.
Program Highlights
Stacey Ashton
Vice president, Programs & Impact, YWCA Calgary
"The Emergence Leadership Retreat gave me a rare opportunity to step away from the pace and demands of my day-to-day work and create space to listen, reflect, and learn in a different way. I left feeling grounded, renewed, and carrying new perspectives that I will bring back into my work."
Deborah Yedlin
President & CEO, Calgary Chamber of Commerce
"My experience participating in the Emergence Retreat provided much needed insight into the evolution of organizations, how that changes management approaches and structures, as well as the importance of creating time and space to think through complex issues."
When you lead from emergence rather than control, from presence rather than performance, something fundamentally different becomes possible. The Emergence Retreat is an invitation into that possibility
Julian Norris
Associate Professor, Haskayne School of Business
Q1: Activity Level & Accessibility
This retreat is designed for professionals of varying fitness levels. Daily outdoor experiences include guided walks, light hikes, and reflective activities in nature. No advanced hiking experience is required.
Participants should be comfortable walking on uneven terrain for moderate periods. Activities can be adapted where possible. If you have questions about suitability, our team would be happy to discuss your needs.
Difficulty Level: Moderate (2.5/5)
Q2: Safety & Support Reassurance
All outdoor activities are professionally facilitated with participant safety as a top priority. Orientation is provided at the start of the retreat, including daily expectations, terrain considerations, and preparedness guidance. Facilitators monitor pacing and group needs throughout the program.