FL coach Vince Lombardi is famous for saying, “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” While some may be born with innate leadership skills, those who plan to lead must intentionally work to hone a specific set of skills that are necessary for effective, quality leadership.

Work, though, might look like play. One way of developing leadership skills is through outdoor and adventure activities. According to a 2012 psychology study from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, spending time outdoors can help improve creative reasoning as well as other skills. Engaging in adventurous activities cultivates decision-making, problem-solving, resilience, and more.

The ability to face one’s fears is an essential leadership skill, says Duane Stutzman, Mountain General Manager for Alyeska Resort’s Veilbreaker Skybridges experience, where participants can cross bridges suspended between peaks more than 2,000 feet in the air.

Courage is a foundational skill for professionals, as it enables effective decision-making, leadership, conflict resolution, and personal growth. It supports integrity, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to build strong, trusting relationships—qualities that are essential for success in any professional setting.

“Activities like rope bridges are powerful tools for building confidence and courage because they challenge participants both mentally and physically by pushing participants to confront fears, trust in themselves and others, focus on the task, and experience the empowerment that comes with overcoming challenges,” Stutzman says.

Stutzman notes that the height and instability of rope bridges triggers fears of heights and falling, so successfully crossing these bridges requires participants to learn how to confront and manage fears as well as overcome anxiety. Courage continues to build with each step they take across a bridge as they realize they are up to the challenge.

Elliott Jackson, owner of Seward Hospitality Group—which has an aerial park, ropes course, and mud run—agrees that courage is an important leadership skill for individuals to develop. “As a leader you need courage in life in order to assess certain situations and walk yourself through your fears,” he says. “Courage is a big part of that.”

Outdoor aerial courses also help to build essential problem-solving skills, says Jackson. “The aerial park is definitely a challenge because it’s intimidating and hard work. The course consists of sixteen different types of obstacles, and they’re both physically and mentally demanding because you have to make your way through each, thinking ahead and preparing yourself for the next challenge to see how you’re going to maneuver through it,” Jackson explains. “It’s very similar to the way we work through problems in our regular lives.” The footwork involved also resembles how a leader works through issues within an organization.

Resilience is a crucial leadership characteristic because it allows leaders to navigate challenging situations, maintain their well-being, and inspire their teams, particularly during times of adversity and change. Resilient leaders are adept at remaining effective under pressure and bounce back from setbacks.

Alyeska’s rope bridges adventure can supply that pressure under controlled conditions. “If a participant stumbles or hesitates, they learn resilience by regaining composure and continuing,” says Stutzman. “This experience teaches that setbacks are part of growth and that perseverance leads to success.”

According to executive leadership coach Lolly Daskal’s website, “The best leaders understand that every improvement comes with stepping out of comfort zone, because for most things to change they have to be challenged.”

Good leaders must maintain equilibrium (figuratively) and balance their time and energy among a variety of situations, and they frequently must work outside of their comfort zone. More literally, “Crossing a rope bridge requires concentration, balance, and coordination. The focus needed to keep steady fosters mental discipline and self-control,” Stutzman says. “Each successful crossing also expands the participant’s comfort zone, making them more likely to tackle other challenges with increased confidence and courage.”

Innovation is a crucial leadership skill because it allows individuals to remain relevant, adapt to change, and achieve strategic goals in a dynamic environment. It also allows a good leader to be open-minded and willing to challenge both themselves and subordinates. By fostering creativity and new ideas, innovative leaders drive organizational growth and progress, pushing boundaries to achieve success.

“Preparing yourself for the next challenge to see how you’re going to maneuver through it requires creative thinking, which fosters innovation,” says Jackson. “Participants need to consider what body parts they’re actually going to use the most of and plan for that.”

Furthermore, leaders who foster an innovative culture create an environment that encourages creativity, experimentation, and engagement among employees.

“Each organization has its own processes and best practices,” says Daskal’s website. “Innovative leaders are constantly challenging the ‘this is how we do it’ mindset and keep aiming higher.”

Engaging in adventurous pursuits enhances decision-making abilities because one must think quickly and clearly in high-pressure situations. “The experience of making critical choices in high-pressure situations strengthens our judgment, risk assessment, and adaptability, skills that are transferable to our professional lives,” says Stutzman.

Any good leader must possess self-awareness of self and emotional intelligence to manage their own emotions and expectations as well as those of their team. This helps to foster stronger relationships, which in turn drives positive outcomes within an organization. Some key benefits of self-awareness and emotional intelligence include the recognition of one’s strengths, weaknesses, and emotional triggers, which allows leaders to manage reactions and maintain composure under pressure. Additionally, this same awareness can help fuel empathy and connection with subordinates, enabling leaders to understand and respond to the feelings and emotions of workers, which helps to foster empathy and build stronger relationships.

The ability to communicate thoughts clearly and effectively is a vital tool in the workplace. Good leaders need communication skills to establish the tone of a workplace and make their expectations understood. Communication skills are also necessary to promote collaboration and ensure any communication is open and effective as well as to provide clear, actionable feedback to subordinates on performance and goals. Finally, good communication skills help leaders to resolve conflict, boost morale, increase productivity, and build trust within an organization.

In the Alyeska ropes bridge experience, participants learn to trust the safety gear, the structure of the rope bridge, and the instructions given by the facilitators. Stutzman says, “This trust-building process is essential in overcoming the fear of the unknown.”

Determination is a vital leadership skill because it helps fuel the commitment and persistence needed to achieve goals in the face of setbacks and obstacles. A determined leader must stay committed to their vision, pushing through any obstacles or setbacks they encounter.

“Determination is essential for professionals because it underpins their ability to achieve goals, overcome challenges, maintain consistency, and inspire others,” says Stutzman. “It plays a key role in personal growth, career advancement, and handling the pressures and complexities of the professional world.”

The ropes course is very challenging, so participants must be very determined to make it through to the end. Jackson says, “This is the same determination needed to work through any issues you face in a leadership role.”

Outdoor adventure activities like ropes bridges, aerial ropes courses, mud runs, and others help individuals develop the focus and control needed to be good leaders. Individuals work on maintaining balance, which provides valuable lessons. “Crossing a rope bridge requires concentration, balance, and coordination,” says Stutzman. “The focus needed to keep steady fosters mental discipline and self-control. And in taking small steps, participants learn to break down a daunting task (crossing the entire bridge) into manageable steps, reinforcing the idea that big challenges can be conquered by focusing on small, achievable actions.”

Additionally, outdoor adventure courses and activities can provide participants with a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, both of which teach valuable lessons about boosting confidence and learning to work outside of a comfort zone, which are important leadership qualities.

“Completing the challenge provides a strong sense of accomplishment, which is a confidence booster because it shows participants they can overcome difficult obstacles,” says Stutzman. “Each successful crossing expands the participant’s comfort zone, making them more likely to tackle other challenges with increased confidence and courage.”