I still remember my first major international leadership event with ARGO very clearly. I had only been with ARGO for six months when I had the opportunity to support Dieter, Ron and Johannes at a large leadership event for one of our clients at Lake Maggiore in Italy. A total of 160 leaders from around the world came together. The programme included talks, presentations and group work, and I facilitated one of the four groups, consisting of around 40 leaders, including the CEO. I was greatly looking forward to the event, but I also had a healthy respect for the task ahead.

We arrived the day before to familiarise ourselves with the historic hotel, built in 1908, and the local conditions. A building with more than 100 years of history naturally has its own peculiarities and presents certain organisational challenges. At the same time, schedules and requirements continued to change at short notice. I found it fascinating to observe how the three ARGOnauts dealt with these challenges. They remained calm, made jokes and took decisions together. This gave me the confidence that, as a team, we would make it work.

We were very well prepared, improvised whenever necessary and stayed in close communication throughout. For me, this was exactly where the essence of ARGO became apparent. Even when one of the ARGOnauts temporarily lost his voice, we managed to continue the programme successfully.

Over the course of three days, around 160 leaders discussed, reflected and worked on ideas, innovations and strategies for the future. They laughed, improvised and presented their ideas to the wider group. It was impressive to witness how people from different backgrounds, cultures and perspectives came together to create a shared space for learning.

The perfect conclusion was a boat trip to the beautiful island of Isola Bella. A guided tour of the palace, a walk through the Baroque gardens and an aperitivo at sunset provided time for personal conversations with the participants and the ARGOnauts.

Ever since this event, there has been one phrase that I associate particularly strongly with ARGO: Courage earns respect. To me, courage means being open to new experiences, taking responsibility, remaining flexible and creating something together.

When I think back on this event today, I remember the feeling of being part of a team that draws on its strengths, trust and collaboration to create extraordinary experiences and results. It is a feeling that continues to accompany me on every new ARGO adventure.

ARGO creates spaces for learning and shared growth.