Leadership Expeditions are a chance to practice, rather than just talk about, real leadership.
Expeditions are designed to give students the opportunity to go through the Johnson leadership learning cycle of instruction, experience, and review multiple times in an intensive, condensed time frame.
On expeditions students can expect to:
experience ambiguity and adversity;
be forced to make decisions with incomplete, inconclusive, and/or conflicting information;
take turns assuming full responsibility for the entire group; and,
receive real-time feedback and coaching on their leadership efforts.
Expeditions We Offer
Patagonia -Test your leadership skills and break through your boundaries in the unpredictable, challenging, and dynamic wilderness environment of Chilean Patagonia. Johnson partners with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) for this 10-day intensive expedition. NOLS is a renowned leadership training institute that has worked with the military, NASA astronauts, Google executives, and other groups around the world.
USMC Quantico -Enhance your skills to successfully navigate and perform in ambiguous, chaotic, and extremely time-sensitive situations during a rigorous leadership training at the United States Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Adirondacks -Spend three days taking turns leading, and being led by, your peers while you canoe and camp through the Saranac Lakes. In addition to experiencing the natural beauty of the Adirondacks region, students receive real-time feedback on their leadership and followership efforts.
Navigating the team from one island to another with a compass and map in hand forced me to lean on others and make decisions under uncertainty.
Venus Yam, MBA ’16
It comes back to the focus. When you're really uncomfortable, can you get the job done? Can you listen to your leader, can you pay attention to your teammates, can you focus on the goal? In extreme situations, how do you perform?
Bryson Saez, MBA ’14
The removal of distractions and the simplification of being immersed in the wilderness made it easier to identify aspects of my leadership that need further development, as well as to find the salient strengths I already possess.
Nora Hansanugrum, MBA ’13
Because I was successful in dealing with several unexpected challenges, I feel like I'm more prepared for future unknowns. I have confidence now that I can achieve more than I might initially think.
Stephen Markgraf, CQEMBA ‘13
A NOLS expedition provides a unique opportunity to fail, to give and receive face-to-face feedback, and to reflect.
