Leadership Ventures
“Lead, follow, or get out of town!” That’s not exactly how the famous leadership quote goes, but there is something to be said for taking time out of the daily grind to develop leadership skills in a truly immersive, free-from-distraction environment that allows for focus, freedom, and FUN! When you join Jeannette Stawski and a team of experienced leadership coaches and guides on a Leadership Venture, you do just that. A Leadership Venture is a unique, hands-on, carefully curated travel experience where participants can learn new leadership skills, hone the skills they currently have, and give and receive feedback from both the group and the natural environment.
Leadership Ventures are offered as “open enrollment” programs — meaning anyone can apply - and feature destinations like Italy and Norway. Additionally, Jeannette and her team can design custom group trips, tailored to your specific needs, dates, group dynamics, and desired outcomes.
What to Expect
Leadership Experiences
Find your Present Moment Leadership
What does each moment ask of you as a leader?
…For you? For others?
For your communities and organizations?
Join us for an inspiring few days of leadership skill-building and practice. During this immersive learning experience, you will explore your own leadership presence and abilities through activities that thoughtfully include culture, cuisine, art, movement, and mindfulness. By the end of this program, you will have calm, confidence and clarity in your purpose, values and goals as a leader back home!
Learning in Nature
Nature, as a classroom, offers the opportunity to experience questions and musings and discoveries in a completely new surrounding. Nature allows us to walk our talk, choose a different path, experience getting lost and finding our way again. In nature, we can still ourselves and listen to our bodies, hearts and souls.
With nature as our profound partner, participants can use age-old processes to support setting intention; create deep, personal journeys of self-discovery; and facilitate meaningful re-entry and integration through coaching and reflection. Particularly during major transitions, these rites of passage ~ some call ‘soul searching’ ~ can propel the participant to new awareness, new discovery, and a natural sense of wellbeing.
What to Expect & Outcomes
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Shaping and clarifying intentions for growth as you listen to self and other
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Creating a sacred pause and space to let the extraordinary emerge within self and others
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Exploring undiscovered purpose, values and skills as a leader
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Creating action steps and practices for integration and accountability using the Present Moment
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Leadership framework
Daily Itinerary
Each day will allow for yoga/breathing, shared learning activities, solo and group reflection time.
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Sunday (Day 1)
Establish a sense of Community & Intention, group dinner
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Monday (Day 2)
Morning session - Present Moment Leadership, focused experiential activity, group dinner, group reflection
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Tuesday (Day 3)
Morning session - Vulnerability & Trust, focused experiential activity, group dinner, group reflection
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Wednesday (Day 4)
Morning session - Strategy & Mission, focused experiential activity, group dinner, group reflection
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Thursday (Day 5)
Morning session - Goal Setting & Accountability, peer feedback and one-on-one coaching for integrating your experience as you return home, free time, & group dinner Friday – checkout & travel home… or enjoy Tuscany a bit longer on your own
“Find Yourself in Norway”
Stamps Scholars Reflect on a Transformative Journey
This summer, nine Stamps Scholars from seven partner institutions took part in a one-of-a-kind leadership expedition through the breathtaking landscapes of Norway. One June 30, Graciela Best (Illinois ‘27), Cordelia Ellsworth (Arizona ‘28), Margaret Meehan (Air Force ‘25), Adele Miller (Illinois ‘26), Addy Mitchell (Pittsburgh ‘28), Claire Schleck (West Point ‘27), Jackson Scrimpshire (Tulane ‘27), Safiya Tarazi (Arizona ‘28), and Elodie Wardle (Wake Forest ‘26), set off to “find themselves in Norway”. The immersive, multi-day backpacking experience challenged students physically, intellectually, and emotionally, combining outdoor adventure with deep leadership development and team-building.
Designed in partnership with outdoor educator and leadership expert Jeannette Stawski, the program brought students from across the country together to explore glaciers, fjords, and their own identities and leadership styles. The result was a journey that pushed students outside their comfort zones and into profound connection with nature, themselves, and one another.
“This trip was truly life-changing and unforgettable,” shared Tarazi (Arizona ‘28). “We shared the most meaningful experience together, and you can’t trade that for anything. You can’t find that anywhere else.”
The group trekked 7-15 miles per day in variable terrain and weather. Over five days of hut-to-hut hiking, students traversed glaciers, crossed snowfields and rocky ridges, and followed reindeer tracks through valleys. Each day brought eight to ten hours of physical challenge and personal growth, led by the students themselves. Over the course of the week, the students dealt with fatigue, minor injuries, and communal living environments - which for some students was a new experience.
“The outdoors is truly powerful; it is the perfect place for connection, reflection, and growth,” said Wardle (Wake Forest ‘26).
Students took turns as "Leader of the Day," developing initiative, situational awareness, and group communication under unpredictable conditions. This structure, intentionally embedded in the program’s leadership framework, allowed Scholars to explore their individual strengths, take on responsibility, and learn by doing.
“The challenges of the outdoors pushed me to grow as a leader in new and unexpected ways,” said Margaret Meehan (Air Force Academy ‘25).
“I had to overcome self-doubt and develop the confidence to lead people I felt were potentially more qualified than I was,” Tarazi reflected. “I realized there is no formula for the perfect leader. I have to lead in a way that is authentic to myself.”
Even moments of group tension, like navigating different hiking paces on a long day, became opportunities for collective problem-solving and empathy. Decisions about risk, pacing, and weather conditions became leadership labs in themselves, made richer by nightly team meetings and open peer feedback.
“We held student-led discussions on leadership, the challenges we were facing, our lived experiences, our ‘why’ and values, and much, much more,” Tarazi shared. “I feel like there was a me pre-Norway and a new me post-Norway.”
While the trip was physically demanding, it was also filled with levity, beauty, and reflection. Students journaled over hot cocoa, swapped stories in bunkhouses, took barefoot “nature baths” in the mist, and shared waffle breaks mid-hike. Each day brought a balance of personal challenge and collective joy.
“One of my favorite memories was just standing around at this bus stop at the end of our hike playing hacky sack with everyone,” shared Scrimpshire (Tulane ’27). “It was just pure, unadulterated joy.”
The group stayed in rustic but welcoming DNT mountain cabins, immersed in Norwegian traditions of friluftsliv - an ethos of open-air living and stewardship of nature. As they practiced Leave No Trace ethics and navigated unpredictable weather, students also engaged with the cultural and environmental context of the region, gaining insight into Norway’s approach to sustainability, community, and public land.
At the heart of the experience was Stawski, whose leadership philosophy centers on stepping back to let students step up. Each participant was provided a copy of her book, “The Outdoor Leader,” which served as a shared framework and practical guide for reflective practice. Discussions during team debriefs often focused on how to translate wilderness-based insights into campus-based leadership settings. Structured daily meetings, peer feedback, and mid-trip coaching fostered reflective dialogue, emotional presence, and vulnerability.
“Jeannette did a wonderful job of facilitating the leadership growth of the group,” shared Graciela Best (Illinois ‘27). “The physical challenge of hiking and being outside, combined with the leadership development aspect, was very well balanced.”
More than just a trip, the Norway expedition created a cohort - a tight-knit, inter-institutional community bonded by shared challenge and purpose.
“It was lovely to live and learn with such like-minded individuals who all brought something unique to the table,” said Cadet Mary Claire Schleck (West Point ‘27). “I was sad to say goodbye at the end of the trip!!”
This Norway expedition was designed to be a dynamic outdoor classroom, where students could develop resilience, adaptability, and social competency through real-world challenges. For these nine Scholars, the leadership skills developed on this trip will extend far beyond Norway.
“I can’t imagine a better note to end on,” said Meehan, who graduated in the spring and, funded by her Marshall Scholarship, will pursue a Master of Public Administration at the London School of Economics in the fall. “I walked away with a renewed sense of purpose, deeper friendships, and a greater appreciation for the breadth of the Stamps network. It was more than just a trip; it was a true capstone experience for me.”
