Case Study: Lessons from Laramie – Leadership from the Inside Out
Introduction: Building Arete’ – Leadership at One’s Highest Potential
The Laramie City Council retreat was a two-day journey designed to redefine leadership by starting from within. Rooted in the philosophy of Arete’—one’s highest potential in service—cultivated through a whole human approach, the retreat addressed both internal resilience and external governance to foster trust, collaboration, and effective leadership.
Unlike traditional goal-setting retreats, this experience wasn’t just about policy. It was about connecting as humans, strengthening teamwork, and fostering conscious leadership so the policy discussed was enacted more effectively, efficiently, and permanently while each team member enjoyed clarity, self-awareness and shared purpose.
The Problem We Addressed: From Division to Unified Leadership
Like many governing bodies today, Laramie’s leaders faced concerns about the broader political climate impacting their ability to serve. The recent election season had been the most contentious in the city's history, bringing new faces to the council and raising fears that partisanship, distrust, and division could seep into local governance.
Key Concerns:
Fear of national political toxicity affecting local governance.
Worries about partisanship overriding shared goals.
Concerns about personal leadership challenges like imposter syndrome, over-responsibility, and the fear of being unheard.
Rather than letting these concerns dictate their future, Laramie’s leadership chose a different path—one of self-inquiry, connection, and resilience.
To structure this journey, we applied the "Progress = Time x (Motivation x Ownership) ÷ Teamwork" equation—emphasizing that even the best individual efforts mean little without trust, alignment, and strong teamwork.
Our Approach: Leadership from the Inside Out
“Most of us exist in the myth that the problem in politics is policy. The truth? It’s almost never policy. It’s almost always personalities and process.” — Skippy Mesirow
Instead of jumping straight into policy discussions, this retreat started with the human experience—giving leaders the tools to navigate their roles with emotional intelligence, resilience, and collaboration.
Retreat Highlights: What We Did
Day 1: Connecting as Humans
🧘♂️ Meditation & Breathwork: A guided body scan meditation introduced the 4F’s of the nervous system (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn), helping leaders regulate stress and enhance clarity in decision-making.
🔍 Vision & Fears Exercise: Leaders shared their visions for Laramie and addressed their deepest fears—realizing that despite political labels, they shared common aspirations for their city.
⚡ Personal Leadership Blocks: Participants identified limiting patterns (e.g., over-responsibility, avoidance, fear of messing up) and explored strategies to shift these habits into strengths.
🌱 Values in Leadership: The group co-created a leadership ethos, emphasizing values such as listening, communication, teamwork, and inclusivity.
🏋️ Resilience Practices: Leaders learned boundaries, digital detox strategies, self-care techniques and Byron Katie work to maintain peak performance without burnout.
Day 2: Strengthening Teamwork & Conflict Resolution
🌀 Enneagram & Personality Work: Leaders explored how personality types shape communication and how differences can be strengths when leveraged effectively.
🗣️ Conflict Resolution & Reflective Listening: Through guided exercises, leaders learned to listen with the heart, not just the ears, and practiced structured “carefrontation” techniques to turn difficult conversations into constructive collaborations.
📍 Goal-Setting with Purpose: The council came together on seven clear, shared goals—with near-total alignment despite varied political backgrounds.
🎭 Closing Reflection Ceremony: Participants released limiting beliefs, solidified commitments to their team, and made conscious agreements to support one another.
Retreat Impact: Transforming Governance Through Self-Leadership
The retreat’s human-first approach led to tangible, lasting results:
✅ A Unified Leadership Team – Leaders overcame division and built trust, shifting from skepticism to collaboration.
✅ Stronger Emotional Resilience – Attendees gained tools to handle criticism, navigate conflict, and regulate stress effectively.
✅ Clear, Actionable Goals – The council aligned on priorities, balancing ambition with staff capacity to ensure realistic execution.
✅ Culture of Trust & Support – Collaboration replaced fear, leaving participants energized and hopeful for the future.
"I was worried that others might scoff or feel uncomfortable with this kind of leadership development. That assumption was outright challenged and proved false. Everyone fully participated and left feeling invigorated. I’m very impressed by what you were able to accomplish. I hope we can bring you back next year."
— Will, Laramie City Council Member
Why Would You Want to Do a Leadership Retreat Like This?
Most retreats focus on policy. This one focuses on the people behind it.
Lawmaking bodies struggle not because of bad policy but because of strained relationships, poor communication, and burnout. This retreat provides the tools to change that.
💡 Why invest in a leadership retreat?
✅ Turn conflict into collaboration – Equip leaders with tools to discuss, not divide.
✅ Develop personal resilience – Give leaders the capacity to withstand criticism and high-pressure decisions.
✅ Strengthen teamwork – Build trust and psychological safety to ensure stronger governance.
✅ Improve decision-making – Teach leaders how to self-regulate and communicate effectively under pressure.
✅ Level up mental and organizational health – Reduce anxiety, overwhelm, feer, and internal struggle to get more done!
✅ Create lasting change – This retreat doesn’t just affect one meeting—it transforms how leaders work together for years to come.
Want to bring this retreat to your city?
📩 Contact Skippy & The ELC Team
Final Thoughts: Change Begins Within
The Laramie Leadership Retreat wasn’t about “fixing politics”—it was about healing the people who lead.
By starting from within, leaders gained tools, built trust, and set a foundation for effective governance that will serve Laramie’s citizens for years to come.