LeadAR Class 21 Out of My Comfort Zone: Reflections on the ExCEL Leadership Program (Day Two)

by Amber Overholser, associate professor/MPA program director, Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia - June 4, 2025

On a beautiful May day, LeadAR Class 21 members participated in the ExCEL Program at the Arkansas 4-H Center to develop their leadership abilities. This full-day session was part of a larger retreat to introduce the goals and demands of the LeadAR program and for participants to meet and learn about each other. ExCEL (not associated with Microsoft) is affiliated with University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Research and Extension and their mission is “to partner with you and create a unique team-building experience that perfectly fits your needs” by providing “leadership and team development training for youth, college students, non-profit organizations, and corporations” (ExCEL Leadership Program | Arkansas Team Building, n.d.).

The day started underneath the shade of a pavilion, with the understanding that we were to challenge ourselves – challenges defined by our own abilities. That “challenge by choice” ethos was a driving factor in our participation throughout the day. Already somewhat familiar with each other, the group connected through "getting to know you" activities where we were tasked with teaching each other a short skill, another activity where we relied on each other’s subtle physical movements to stay upright while holding a rope in a circle, and then, so help me, the “zoom” game where we had to put pictures that were connected to each other in the correct order, but could only verbalize the image. I have yet to make sense of that activity, but we worked through it and discussed different styles of communication and leadership. Before lunch, we had the opportunity to work together as part of the Coconut or Mango team to get across a swampland using stumps strategically placed just far enough that you could not jump from one to the other and instead had to utilize four blocks of wood to cover the area. Then after lunch we moved onto the ropes challenge course, where members had the opportunity to ascend the ladder and face a variety of obstacles before they zipped down the 300-foot zipline ride.

Even though we had “challenge by choice,” many of core exercises of the program were inaccessible to me because of my physical limitations. I felt extremely frustrated with my inability to trust my body to participate – something many of us face as we grow older and we just cannot do those activities we used to. It creates a fundamental shift in your personal identity when you are forced to reckon with your new abilities. Overall, though I was very happy for my team members who seemed to enjoy the different physical activities so while some flew through the sky, I had the opportunity to have a really thoughtful conversation with a new friend and take pictures of those adventurous souls for them to share with their friends and family.

I entered the experience with doubts regarding the effectiveness of conventional team-building models – even though I know full well that research (check Klein, et al., 2009 for an interesting meta-study) consistently shows the value of these exercises. Despite my hesitation, I promised myself beforehand to take the activities seriously and to participate fully. I believe I did that, and the program's overall effect on our group interactions surprised me. Watching my fellow team members commit to the variety of exercises and support each other created a feeling of deep respect and hope for the future of our time together. The experience revealed different leadership methods while enabling more reserved members to gain confidence through natural team building. Being in the supportive/side role for the physical activities provided me with the same educational value as if I had taken part directly in the activities. The program created shared laughs and frustrations which enhanced our team's trust level when we started working together after the program. From a leadership perspective the program showed that our team will succeed when members agree to participate together even if they aren’t all completely invested in an activity. 

The program design received positive feedback from participants and even though the program's core activities did not match my personal strengths and preferred methods of building connections that’s ok as this wasn’t about me. Instead, it was about the team and creating a powerful sense of ownership and camaraderie. Leadership requires individuals to appear even when they doubt the activities, to trust the bigger picture. Additionally, the team requires honesty about personal constraints and a commitment to the group, to supporting all members in their endeavors.  

References:

ExCEL Leadership Program | Arkansas Team Building. (n.d.). https://4h.uada.edu/programs/4h-center/excel-leadership-program/

Klein, C., DiazGranados, D., Salas, E., Le, H., Burke, C. S., Lyons, R., & Goodwin, G. F. (2009). Does team building work? Small Group Research, 40(2), 181–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496408328821