Could the Same Leadership Tools That Build Teams Strengthen Your Marriage?
“One insight I’ve had about our marriage is that my strengths are his weaknesses, and my weaknesses are his strengths. We’re a power couple,” my friend chuckled.
To date, the highlight of my career has been a weekend retreat facilitation in a lodge and resort tucked away in the trees of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where 11 couples were in attendance. My friend of over 25 years asked me to facilitate the retreat for their church leadership and spouses. Their small retreat committee listed several desires:
Team bonding
Connect with other leaders
Strengthen marriage
Vision casting
Fresh ideas and conversations
Upbeat time together
There are people in the world––at ESSDACK––who feel very natural in front of a room of people. I’m not one of those people. My comfort zone is facilitating very small teams and coaching one-to-one. So, this request for a room of 22 was challenging for me. I told a colleague, “It took everything out of me.”
I drove home from the retreat center completely exhausted, but it was, without a doubt, the most rewarding work experience of the last decade.
Despite the intense focus it required, what made me think I’d do it all over again? It was the transformation shared by those in attendance. We gained insights. We’ve overcome obstacles. We feel equipped to use these tools over the next decade!
One of those tools we explored over the weekend was Patrick Lencioni’s Six Types of Working Genius. The impact on my marriage was so profound, that I knew I wanted to facilitate it with other couples. We gained new insights into teamwork within marriage, reflecting on our past challenges and arguments and also what we genuinely rely on each other for—while planning vacations, making decisions at home, or simply reconnecting after a long day, week, or month of work.
It’s not the solution, but it’s a solution–if you love the intention of growing together as a couple.
A client of mine, whom I've worked with for seven years, told me last week, “When work is off, I’m usually okay if home is in a good place. But when both work and home are off, I feel totally ungrounded.”
We offer tools that increase efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace, and now we have one that could offer the same thing in the home.
True teamwork isn’t about being perfect together––it’s about understanding how each person’s joys and frustrations complement the other. If we can bring that kind of understanding into both our work and personal lives, we’ll build a foundation that’s not only effective but lasting.
If you're interested in joining other couples for a 2-hour workshop, we’d love to have you! Get in touch to learn more at inspiredleadership@essdack.org.