An experience in nature that gave us some insights into leadership and teamwork
We started the year with an activity in Parque Serra de Sintra, which we intended to be just a contribution to mother nature, but which turned into a good experience of teamwork and leadership.
We joined forces with several enthusiastic customers and partners to benefit nature and went to plant trees in the Serra de Sintra.
Planting trees for a sustainable future:
Equipped with hoes, gloves and a shared desire to make a difference, we dedicated ourselves to planting natural trees from the Portuguese landscape.
Some good leadership practices soon became evident: Communicate the importance of what we are doing, explain the work to be carried out well to guarantee its quality, protect the other (tree) from the aggressiveness of the context, provide the conditions for the other can flourish, knowing what is essential for that person.
Clearing the Scene: Removing Obstacles to Sustainable Growth
After our planting activity, we went deeper into the mountains, where we learned about the dangers of Serra de Sintra due to invasive species – often brought for ornamental reasons – and how these affect Portuguese biodiversity. One of the most prevalent invasive species in Serra de Sintra is the acacia, from South Australia, which we discovered to be a great danger to the forest. This is because where there are acacias nothing flourishes anymore and there is a reduction in water flows, but also because “they are born to burn” and “the more they burn, the more new plants are born”, as the germination of acacia seeds is stimulated by fire.
As such, the next step in our activity was to uproot the acacia trees.
Some of these acacias were already trees, requiring a joint effort to remove, which promoted teamwork. It was also interesting to realize that without a well-communicated purpose, the motivation to uproot such beautiful trees was very difficult to achieve.
Another relevant aspect of leadership that was very clear here was once again creating a favorable environment for others to develop. Just as plants need space to grow and invasive species to be destroyed, employees need the context to be positive and without extreme internal competition to grow.
Sustainable Leadership and the Celebration of Hard Work:
At the end of the morning, after all the tasks were completed, the participants gathered for a moment of celebration. At this typical lunch, we celebrated not only individual success, but also collective triumph, highlighting the importance of working together, and how these activities can inspire and unite a team towards a common goal.
Our experience at Parque Serra de Sintra was much more than an environmental preservation activity. It was a day when the connections between human development, environmental sustainability, teamwork and leadership became evident. The planting, cleaning and final celebration highlighted how collaboration is essential to creating a more vibrant and balanced future for all.
Find out more about our LEADERSHIP offer and discover more activities with our TEAMBULDINGS.