WARRENTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airlie Center and the Leadership Resource Institute (LRI) are pleased to announce an innovative new program called Strategic Optimization, Alignment and Results (SOAR), a two-day, all-inclusive business retreat and strategic planning solution.
SOAR invites leadership teams from nonprofits, businesses and government organizations to Airlie Center, where the Leadership Resource Institute guides key personnel through customized planning sessions built around their specific organizational needs, goals and visions. Participants will leave Airlie with a documented strategy framework, team member commitments and actionable plans for success.
“What’s the point of strategy if you can’t execute it?” asks Leadership Resource Institute CEO, Mark Smith, who explains that, unlike other business retreats, SOAR guides participants through the entire planning process and works with leadership teams to ensure their strategic plans will meet success. “We work directly with leadership teams to develop strategy and strengthen accountability,” says Smith. “That’s what distinguishes SOAR from the other business planning solutions out there. When it is time to execute the strategy, the key players are already committed to success as a team.”
Mark Smith’s extensive experience makes him uniquely qualified to guide SOAR. He has worked at the senior executive and board levels to put in place transformative programs at 20 Fortune 500 companies, eight Global 100 companies, and dozens of other commercial, nonprofit and government organizations. In 1992, Mark co-authored the professional guide, Principles of Business Engineering, which later became the framework for the Business Strategy and Process Improvement methodology deployed by the U.S. Department of Defense.
SOAR unites Airlie Center’s tranquil campus with the Leadership Resource Institute’s world-class strategic consultants. Each two-day retreat is customized to the participating business’ or organization’s needs and begins with private pre-meeting interviews with key executives. Attendees will participate in facilitated planning sessions, guided breakout working groups and focused discussions about goals, visions and strategic roles within the leadership team.
As an all-inclusive, turnkey business retreat and strategic solution, all essential hospitality considerations are part of each SOAR session, including lodging and meals for attendees. Participants also enjoy full access to Airlie Center’s secluded 1,200-acre campus — just one hour’s drive from downtown Washington, D.C. — which offers the security and discretion required for high-level meetings of government and non-government entities.
“Since 1961, some of the world’s most influential politicians, social leaders and thinkers have come to Airlie to exchange ideas, develop policies and define visions that have changed our society,” says Airlie Center General Manager, Kevin Carter. (More information on some of the visionaries who have visited Airlie, from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to President Jimmy Carter, can be found at www.airlie.com/timeline.)
Airlie Center is accepting reservations for SOAR retreats. Interested parties are encouraged to call 1-800-288-9573 or email sales@airlie.com for additional information.
About Airlie: Located one hour from Washington, D.C., in Warrenton, Virginia, Airlie Center is a leading conference destination in the United States. Founded as an “Island of Thought” more than 50 years ago, Airlie combines experienced leadership in conference and event planning with diversified meeting facilities, a secluded 1,200-acre campus and an ongoing commitment to sustainable and green initiatives. Airlie Center provides transformative meeting experiences for professional groups in the nonprofit, private and government sectors. Airlie Center holds Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s E3 (Exemplary Environmental Enterprise) designation and Green Seal ‘Silver’ status. The Center is also an active member of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). For more information, visit www.airlie.com.
About Leadership Resource Institute: With more than 25 years of experience in strategic facilitation and executive coaching for Fortune 500 and Global 100 organizations, the Leadership Resource Institute has evolved a highly effective methodology for enabling groups to collaborate, innovate and envision the future. A customized approach to strategic planning, change management and leadership development creates high levels of engagement around the organization’s most important business imperatives. For more information, visit www.leadingothers.net.