The Heart of Leadership retreats hosted by Réseau Compassion Network aren’t a standard corporate getaway. Twice a year, a group of leaders from across the network gather in Hecla for four days of rest, presence and reconnection with themselves and nature. The goal is not to gain better leadership through work, analysis and brainstorming, but through space to breathe, time to reflect and a soft place to land.
“We’re not trying to create better leaders in four days,” shares Andrew Terhoch, Spiritual Health Practitioner, who leads the retreats. “But in that time, we can touch into the parts of us that pulled us to work in human service. If we can connect with the part of ourselves that was called to love and support others, then we will be better leaders. We’re tending to the hearts of people, so that they’re in a better seat to face the suffering in their communities, to innovate, to see what’s important and continue to do what they need to do.”
The retreats, which welcome about 20 employees from across the network, have an intentionally flexible structure. “When you create a circle together, that generates a sense of love and courage, and people start to share their own ways of being with the group,” explains Terhoch. “Each time we gather, there are new gifts arising. Last spring, we had two participants in circle who happened to bring traditional Indigenous teachings with them. We didn’t invite them to retreat to share these with us, but with great kindness, love and willingness to share, they did. And now those teachings are growing in our circles.”
Terhoch is glad to see the retreats evolving to include many ways of being, and to truly meet the needs of the leaders in attendance. “We set aside time for morning rituals, and a few other options that are available to everyone, but we mostly go with what the group feels,” he continues. “In circle, we talk about the tradition of the Sisters who have guided us to gather in these ways, but we also acknowledge that people have been gathering on this land long before any Europeans arrived. We’re on Treaty 2 territory in Hecla, surrounded by the beauty of the land, and there are many ways for Indigenous teachings to arise naturally.”
As the ideas, teachings and cultures of Catholic and Indigenous come together to help participants reconnect with themselves and the land. Terhoch is heartened by the experience but acknowledges something deeper, too. “It brings me happiness to know that we’re doing this together,” he reflects. “It’s nurturing something within leaders and it’s loving, to be in retreat. But it’s a bit heartbreaking, too, because people are yearning for these experiences because there’s an absence. There are so many barriers, for so many reasons in our lives, to slowing down, being intentional, spending time with nature. So this time together is joyful, and it also shines a light on a deep need to recharge within our leaders.”
True to the design of the retreat experience itself, Terhoch reflects on a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh: “do not run anymore, you look silly.” “The time we have together is all about non-striving,” he shares. “That the gift to the leaders: a chance to witness the sunrise, say a prayer, participate in ceremony, savour a meal, sip some tea, walk in nature. We can allow ourselves to stop and listen to the birds, to feel a feeling. We’re creating the space for those things to happen without the pressure to know what’s next.”
The realities of leadership in the health and social services sphere are challenging. The needs of communities and staff members are complex, and the resources to meet those needs don’t always match up. “We can’t always change the systems, but we can support ourselves and each other,” Terhoch concludes. “When we breathe into the idea that sometimes this work is hard and life is hard, but that we are not alone and that we can come back to ourselves… that’s the heart of leadership.”