Lambing Leadership Retreat

WHERE LEADERS TRADE OVERWHELM FOR CLARITY

April 9–12, 2026 | Shepherd's Retreat, Arlington, Washington | Thursday Evening to Sunday Afternoon, All-Inclusive

The Hidden Cost of Leading Under Persistent Pressure

You're responsible for outcomes, people, and culture. But when was the last time you had space to reset and reconsider how the results you are responsible for are directly related to how you lead?

Chronic Overwhelm

You're operating at capacity. Every decision feels weighted. You're moving fast and wondering whether you're leading with clarity or just managing with persistent  urgency.

Mixed Signals

Your team isn't responding the way they should. Communication feels muddy. You sense a gap between the leader you want to be and the one showing up under stress.

Reactive Patterns

You're solving the same problems repeatedly. Old leadership paradigms no longer serve your growth or your organization's complexity.

Isolated Decision-Making

Leadership feels lonely. You're holding vision and pressure with few spaces to process, recalibrate, or be challenged in ways that actually sharpen you.


The gap between confidence and truly effective leadership isn't about working harder. It's about leading from a different place.

A Leadership Development Experience Like Nothing You’ve Experienced

This isn't a workshop. It's not theoretical. It's three days of grounded, experiential learning that transforms how you show up, make decisions, and lead through complexity.

You'll work directly with horses, newborn lambs, and the land—natural systems that are unpredictable and respond instantly to your presence, pressure, and clarity. What emerges is immediate, honest feedback that no conference room or learning environment can replicate.

You'll learn to apply Natural Leadership principles—pressure, boundaries, pace, awareness, and scope—that translate directly to how you lead teams, navigate dynamics, and drive outcomes.


Equine Leadership Labs

Horses don't respond to titles or credentials. Nature doesn’t always cooperate according to plans made. They both respond to something humans do too — congruence, calm communication, and clean signals. You'll learn to lead without force, clarify your boundaries, and recognise when you're operating from reactivity versus grounded presence.

Through working with horses and facing nature on a farm, you'll practice key Natural Leadership principles: managing pressure without overwhelming yourself or others, establishing clear ways of communicating needs, reading feedback in real time, and adjusting your pace to match what the moment requires.

Lambing Season Immersion

Witness new life emerging. In real time. Care for vulnerable natural systems. Leadership in lambing season demands vigilance, instinct, attunement and the capacity to hold pressure without collapsing or over-functioning—exactly the skills required in modern organizational leadership.

Working with newborn lambs teaches you to refine your awareness, match your pace to what the system most needs, and understand scope— what's yours to hold, where to ask for support and what requires a different approach entirely.

Natural Leadership Framework

You'll integrate proven principles grounded in nervous system regulation, relational clarity, and adaptive pacing. This isn't soft skills training—it's hard skills practice. It’s strengthening the instrument (you) through which every strategic decision flows.

The Natural Leadership framework you'll learn includes understanding pressure (when to apply it, when to release it), boundaries (yours and others'), pace (matching speed to capacity), awareness (reading what's actually happening), and feel (tuning into the relational field). These aren't abstract concepts—they're practical tools you'll use immediately with your teams. We’ll give you some material to support you in bringing this back into your work immediately after this experience.

Why Natural Leadership Matters Now More Than Ever

We're living in the age of artificial everything—artificial intelligence, artificial content, artificial connection. AI is giving leaders and organizations the gift of speed and efficiency. AI can analyze data, generate reports, and predict trends faster than any human ever could.

But AI cannot read a room. It cannot feel the subtle shift in energy when a team member shuts down. It cannot sense when to push and when to release pressure. It cannot establish authentic boundaries or build trust through presence alone.

The skills that matter most in leadership now are the ones that can't be automated: reading relational dynamics, regulating your nervous system under pressure, establishing and adjusting boundaries, matching your pace to human capacity, feeling into what's actually possible (vision), and then seeing what’s actually happening (execution) beneath the surface.

Natural Leadership principles—pressure, boundaries, pace, awareness, feel, scope—are the competitive advantage AI will never replicate. These are inherently human capacities that become sharper through feedback and practice, not programming.

This retreat isn't about adding another framework to your toolkit. It's about strengthening the irreplaceable human capabilities that make you effective when the AI-generated strategy hits the reality of actual people, culture, and complexity.

In a world increasingly mediated by screens and algorithms, leaders who can operate from grounded presence, clear instinct, and build trust and connection and repair when it breaks down - don't just survive—they become indispensable.


This retreat produces tangible shifts in how you lead, decide, and influence—

measurable improvements your team and organization will notice immediately.


Regulated Leadership Presence

The ability to stay grounded under pressure, make clearer decisions, and stop leading from urgency or overwhelm. And what to do when the stakes are high, and you find yourself back in unhealthy patterns. 

Clean Communication Signal

Eliminate mixed messages. Your team will know what you mean, what you expect, and where the boundaries are—without you having to over-explain or micromanage.

Strengthened Decision-Making

Trust your instincts again. Identify when you're over-thinking, over-functioning, or carrying responsibilities that aren't yours to hold.

Sustainable Pacing

Learn to lead without depletion. Recognize the difference between healthy intensity and chronic flooding—and adjust before burnout sets in. Not afterwards, when trust has eroded.

Pattern Recognition

See the outdated leadership behaviors you've been repeating. Identify what to release, what to strengthen, and what new capacity is ready to emerge.

Organizational Application

Return to your team with practical tools, language, and frameworks you can apply immediately to team dynamics, culture challenges, and strategic execution. Share these with your direct reports or cross-functional partners. 


Leaders who attend our retreats like this consistently report stronger team trust, improved culture health, and a renewed capacity to hold complexity without personal cost.

This Retreat Is Built For:

  • Organizational Leaders responsible for departments, multi-site operations, or cross-functional teams

  • Founders & Entrepreneurs holding vision, culture strategy, and long-term growth

  • Executives & Senior Leaders navigating complexity, board dynamics, and high-stakes decisions

  • Business Owners leading teams, driving performance, and scaling operations sustainably

  • If you're responsible for people, teams, outcomes, and organizational health—and you're ready to lead from a place of grounded authority instead of chronic pressure—this retreat is for you.

THURSDAY, APRIL 9

Arrival & Reset

Afternoon & Evening

4:00–5:00 PM: Arrival and settling into A Shepherds Retreat

6:00 PM: Wine and cheese welcome at the Farmhouse

7:30 PM: A farm to table Dinner by renowned chef in the barn

Introduction to Natural Leadership principles and the experiential structure of the retreat

FRIDAY, APRIL 10

Letting Go of What Dilutes Your Leadership

Morning: Clarity & Capacity Reset

• Lambing walkabout with A Shepherds Retreat Owner & Steward Lynne in small groups

• Breakfast 

Leadership reflection session using guided prompts


Late Morning

• Circle Up—group alignment and intention-setting

Nature based guided experience + equine leadership work focused on presence, pressure, boundaries, and internal state regulation


Afternoon: Applied Leadership Practice

• Continued group sessions with increasing complexity

• Lamb care and real-time farm-based leadership challenges

• Focus on identifying mixed signals, over-responsibility, and leadership pacing

Practice applying Natural Leadership principles: pressure management, boundaries, awareness, and feedback


Late Afternoon & Evening

• Grounding breathwork session

• Leadership integration and group reflection

• Dinner by renowned Chef

Optional fireside conversations and peer connection

SATURDAY, APRIL 11

Leading from True Power & Clean Signal

Morning: Emerging Leadership Capacity

• Lambing walkabout with Lynne

• Breakfast 

Leadership reflection using Day 2 prompts


Late Morning

• Circle Up Group settling in practice and how to apply in work or organizational context

• Nature & equine sessions focused on clarity, congruence, and clean leadership signals


Afternoon: Organizational & Relational Leadership

• Advanced equine sessions

• Lamb care and land-based leadership labs

• Focus on accountability structures, relational clarity, adaptive pacing, and team impact

 Integrate Natural Leadership principles into real organizational scenarios: scope, herd dynamics, feel, and power


Evening

• Dinner by renowned Chef

Optional fireside conversations and peer connection


SUNDAY, APRIL 12

Integration & Application

Morning

• Breakfast

• Optional lambing walkabout or quiet land time

• Light equine or land-based leadership integration

Application of Natural Leadership principles to real organizational scenarios


Late Morning — Closing by Noon

• Leadership integration circle

• Synthesis of personal and professional insights

• Clarifying commitments to self, team, and organization

Practical strategies for sustaining capacity after returning to work


Afternoon

Departures anytime after noon

Optional quiet reflection on the land

  • Brad Lande-Shannon

    Owner, Head Leadership Coach

    A long-time C-suite executive himself, Brad Lande-Shannon has a first-hand understanding of the pressures and stresses that face company founders, leaders, and high performance teams. This is partly why he first turned to Natural Leadership as he faced his own professional challenges.

    Brad's passion for horses has been a life-long pursuit. Having competed with the National Cutting Horse Association as a youth and now as an adult amateur dressage competitor, he’s combined his deep horse expertise with his executive leadership coaching. Over the course of his career, Brad has guided thousands of leaders on values, purpose, emotional intelligence, and well-being.


    Certified in the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership and following training from The Center for Equus Coaching (formerly The Koelle Institute), Brad enrolled in the Natural Leadership program. Compared to other programs, Brad says Natural Leadership is, “deceptively simple and multi-dimensional in its use cases to apply and teach.”


    Brad has an equestrian facility that offers Natural Leadership facilitation, coaching and programming at Awake Ranch, near Portland, Oregon, which he acquired with his husband in late 2022.


    Send Brad an email.

  • Rune Christensen

    Natural Leadership Facilitator

    Rune is a certified conscious and natural leadership coach with a knack for empowering organizations and individuals to lead with purpose, authenticity, and maybe just a little bit of horse sense. Growing up in Denmark, Rune spent his teenage years surrounded by horses, forging a lifelong bond that would eventually lead him to the world of equine-assisted coaching. With certifications in conscious leadership, natural leadership, and training as a Co-Active Professional Coach by CTI, Rune is also on the path to becoming an Internal Family Systems Coach by the IFS Institute. He blends these approaches to create transformative experiences that inspire self-awareness, intentional action, and a strong link to one’s intuitive knowing.


    When he’s not connecting people with their inner wisdom, Rune is likely out on the open sea, indulging his passion for offshore sailing. There, he finds a similar sense of connection and flow with the deep blue ocean, the wind, and the creatures of the sea—proving that whether on land or water, Rune is all about guiding others on their journey to becoming mindful, impactful leaders.


    Send Rune an email.

  • Jeanette Christensen

    Medical Director

    Dr. Jeanette Christensen (Jay) is a licensed psychiatrist, executive coach, and healthcare consultant with over 20 years of experience in mental health and leadership development. She holds a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and an MBA from Texas A&M University. Jay is board-certified in adult, adolescent, and child psychiatry and is trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Integrative Enneagram, and conscious leadership coaching. She also holds certifications in sex therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy.

    Jay is licensed in multiple states, including Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and Oregon. She is the Medical Director and oversees CUE’s Mental Health Professional components. Jay’s approach integrates mental, physical, and emotional aspects of health, using horses to foster personal transformation.

    When not designing programs, Jay enjoys world travel and spending time with her horse, Titan, always seeking personal growth and ready for her next adventure.

    Send Jay an email.

Lynne & The Circle Up Experience

The Circle Up Experience has guided hundreds of transformative leadership experiences over the past twelve years. This work is grounded in Natural Leadership principles, equine-assisted learning, and deep practical experience working with founders, executives, and organizational leaders.

Lynne brings a rare combination of business acumen and embodied facilitation. She understands what's required to lead teams, hold culture, and navigate organizational complexity—and she knows how to create the conditions for leaders to sharpen their presence and capacity in ways that produce measurable, lasting change.

You are in experienced, steady hands. This is not experimental facilitation. This is proven methodology delivered by someone who has walked the leadership path herself and guided others through it successfully for over a decade.

TESTIMONIALS

What Leaders Say

“I came in thinking I needed better time management strategies. What I discovered was that my entire leadership operating system needed a reset. The work with the horses revealed patterns I'd been carrying for years—patterns that were costing me clarity, energy, and trust with my team. Three months later, our quarterly engagement scores jumped 42%, and I'm leading from a completely different place. This retreat gave me back my team's edge”

R.A. Senior Director, Technology Company

“As a co-founder, I was holding everything—vision, culture, operations, product, investor relations. I didn't realize how much that weight was creating a bottleneck and diluting my decision-making ability until I spent three days at this retreat. The lambing immersion taught me what it actually means to lead without over-functioning and gripping control. I came back with boundaries I'd never set before with my executive team and a team that commented on the impact of my renewed clarity. Worth every dollar.”

S.S Founder & CEO, Healthcare Startup

What's Included:

  • 3 nights / 4 days lodging at Shepherd's Retreat

  • All meals (prepared by extraordinary chef) from Thursday dinner through Sunday lunch

  • Full equine leadership coaching sessions with expert facilitation

  • Lambing season immersion and land-based leadership labs

  • Natural Leadership framework and integration materials

  • Small group coaching and reflection sessions

  • Post-retreat integration resources and follow-up support

  • Many organizations cover this as professional development. A business justification letter is provided below to support your request.

Leadership Isn't About Working Harder.

It's about leading from clarity instead of chaos—and that shift changes everything.

BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION LETTER

Use this template to request organizational support for your attendance at the Lambing Leadership Retreat.

To: [Manager/Director Name]

From: [Your Name]

Date: [Date]

Re: Professional Development Request – Lambing Leadership Retreat

I am requesting organizational support to attend the Lambing Leadership Retreat, a three-day experiential leadership development program taking place April 9–12, 2026 in Arlington, Washington.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This is not a traditional conference or workshop. The Lambing Leadership Retreat is a rigorous, immersive program designed for senior leaders, founders, and executives responsible for organizational performance, culture, and strategic outcomes. It uses equine-assisted learning, Natural Intelligence principles, and experiential exercises to transform how leaders show up, communicate, and make decisions under pressure. It is hosted by The Circle Up Experience. They have worked directly with high performing leaders and teams at companies like Meta, P&G, Google, Young Presidents Organization and Chevron…and more.

Participants learn to apply Natural Leadership principles—including pressure, boundaries, pace, awareness, scope, and feedback—through hands-on work with fellow participants, horses, newborn lambs, and the land. These principles translate directly into organizational leadership competencies.

 WHY THIS INVESTMENT MATTERS

As [your title/role], I am responsible for [brief description: team performance, strategic initiatives, organizational culture, etc.]. The demands of this role require sustained clarity, adaptive decision-making, and the ability to lead effectively under complexity and pressure.

This retreat directly addresses core leadership competencies that impact organizational performance:

✅ Presence Under Pressure: Learning to regulate my nervous system and maintain clarity during high-stakes situations improves decision quality and team trust. Natural Leadership principles of pressure management and pace help leaders know when to intensify, when to release, and when to simply hold steady.

✅ Communication Clarity: Eliminating mixed signals reduces confusion, improves execution speed, and strengthens accountability across the team. Understanding boundaries and feedback as Natural Leadership principles creates cleaner, more effective communication.

✅ Pattern Recognition: Identifying outdated leadership behaviors allows me to release what's no longer effective and strengthen what serves our current organizational needs. The Natural Leadership framework helps leaders increase their awareness and feel for what's actually happening in their teams.

✅ Sustainable Pacing: Learning to lead without chronic overwhelm or burnout protects long-term leadership capacity and models healthy intensity for the team. Understanding scope—what's mine to hold and what isn't—prevents over-functioning and depletion.


EXPECTED RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Leaders who attend this retreat report measurable improvements in:

Team engagement and trust (one participant reported a 42% increase in quarterly engagement scores)

Decision-making speed and clarity

Communication effectiveness and reduced re-work

Personal resilience and sustained leadership capacity

Culture health and organizational alignment

The skills I develop during this retreat will directly benefit [specific team/department/initiative], particularly as we navigate [current organizational challenge or goal].


PROGRAM DETAILS

Dates: April 9–12, 2026 (Thursday arrival through Sunday departure)

Location: Shepherd's Retreat, Arlington, Washington

Investment: $3,400–$3,750 (all-inclusive: lodging, meals, facilitation, materials)

Time Away: 4 days (1 travel day + 3 retreat days / Over a Weekend so 2-days are an investment of my personal time)


✅ POST-RETREAT APPLICATION

Upon return, I commit to:

• Sharing key insights and frameworks with [leadership team/direct reports]

• Applying Natural Leadership principles to [specific organizational challenge]

• Implementing at least two measurable changes in how I lead [team/department/function]


I believe this investment will strengthen my leadership capacity in ways that directly serve our organizational goals. I'm happy to discuss this further and answer any questions you may have to secure a $3,500 investment for my registration to this program.


[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Contact Information]


Additional Resources:

Retreat Details: [Insert retreat website or registration link]

Facilitator Background: The Circle Up Experience has delivered leadership programs for 12+ years

Framework Foundation: Natural Leadership principles were developed by a psychologist (Founder) and are part of a holistic leadership framework taught and implemented inside hundreds of teams over the last decade.