“We grow only in the face of challenge”

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The outdoors holds many challenges and experiences for us to learn from. When faced with new situations and challenges, we learn to adapt and evolve to survive. Moreover, mere survival is not sufficient. We learn to survive well, to thrive. This gives a sense of satisfaction and achievement.

Corporates have long acknowledged the importance of outdoor activities and tours to help in team-bonding and to bring out the hidden skills in their employees. Many companies use outdoor games and office Olympics to better evaluate their staff from the executive to the managerial level. This helps in many ways right from taking crucial decisions on promotion, to encouraging new employees in building self-confidence and most importantly finding the time to unwind.

Corporate outdoor activities help build leadership skills. The games and team sports are all built purposefully, each carrying a learning that participants are sure to benefit from. The activities encourage creative thinking, test determination, promote discipline and emphasize the importance of pushing the limits. Here are the top 5 leadership skills that corporate outdoor activities help foster.

1. Positive attitude

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The mark of any leader is his / her ability to stay positive when things are going wrong. Corporate outdoor activities are designed with different levels of difficulty and often the situation does not work out as planned. As the leader of the group, you learn to stay positive and motive your colleagues when the going gets tough.

2. Discipline

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Any successful business depends heavily on the discipline of its contributors right from the executives to the directors. A commitment to the task at hand is the only way to meet deadlines and month-end targets. Corporate outdoor activities are set with time limits to impart the importance of discipline in our personal and professional lives.

3. Lateral thinking

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As a leader, you often need to think outside the box. You are responsible not only for your personal success but also for the joint victory of all who look up to you. Corporate outdoor activities involve not just brawn but also brain. Your team will look up to you for unique and unconventional solutions to tasks at hand.

4. Effective communication

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A leader needs to communicate effectively by getting his / her point across in a short time. The tasks in corporate outdoor activities such as trekking, raft building and crim scene investigation call for crisp communication. Moreover, as a leader, you also learn to keep calm under pressure. You whole team will mirror your behaviour so you must be a role model for them to follow.

5. Task delegation

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As a leader, you need to delegate tasks efficiently. Corporate outdoor activities help you understand the potential of each of your team members and delegate tasks as per each person’s skill. Task delegation is an important activity for it helps you assert your position as the head, while helping each of your team members shine with their unique skills.