The leadership retreat was heated.

“What are we going to do about it?”  Yelled Bo Romere, the head of sales.

“After reviewing stakeholder feedback, our recommendation is a full asset liquidation,” replied El, the COO.

“Before we sunset it, have we modeled the upside scenario?  countered Bo Romere the head of sales.

“If we deploy this tool, we create governance risk at an existential level,” interjected Mr. Dolf, the CEO, stroking his long white beard while smoking his pipe at the head of the table.

“What can we do then, Gan?”  Asked Fro, the newest member of the leadership team as he looked at the had CEO.  He was the only one who called the CEO by his first name, but this young energy was why he was in leadership.

“I agree with Mr. Rand, Mr. Do,” said Mr. Dolf in his grandfatherly voice.

“We have to liquidate it.”

With that, the decision was made, and after some logistical planning, everyone left the retreat at the luxury resort in Rivendell with a clear understanding of the 4 things they needed to move the company – the fellowship, if you will – forward.

They knew their Mission. 

Destroy the Ring.

They knew their constraints.

They were a fellowship of 9 and they could only take the resources they could carry.

They knew most of the risks.

They were up against the root of all evil and his most powerful minions.

They knew their roles.

Every member of the fellowship knew their strengths and weaknesses.  They would support each other where they could, pooling resources, but sometimes they would need to go off on their own and take care of tasks only they could complete.

This is what a great leadership retreat should do.  Create clarity in direction, distribute the resources you have, and give the trust to each member of the company to complete their task.

This makes any challenge overcomable – is that a word – whether it is hitting your sales numbers, or whether it means defeating evil to throw a ring in a volcano.