The wall doesn’t care about your title.
It asks the same thing of everyone:
Under pressure, who are you as a leader?
In partnership with First Ascent Climbing & Fitness, this development experience is designed for leaders and their teams who want to improve how they both work and create impact together.
Lead From The Wall
AT A GLANCE
WHO
Leaders and their teams, up to 12 people
WHERE
Three First Ascent gyms:
Arlington Heights
Chicago - Avondale
Chicago - West Loop
WHEN
Weekdays during work hours, scheduled in advance
FORMAT
Prep conversations, one full day at the gym, a virtual team follow-up session, and two quarterly check-ins
INVESTMENT
One program fee for the group
Why the wall
Learning to climb with a partner shines a light on the most critical and challenging things about being a human in today’s workplace.
Building trust, making decisions, being vulnerable, offering accountability, having empathy – these are just a few things that separate humans from AI agents, and our ability in each of these areas is what sets the stage for success as individuals and within an organization.
The Wall offers a unique way of learning these skills experientially, in our bodies, as human beings. Through thinking, feeling, and acting, participants explore the next level of what it means to lead and partner with humans in the modern AI era.
What happens on the wall
What You’ll Accomplish Together
Surface and work through the tough stuff that’s standing in your way
Make collective progress on a shared priority
Improve partnership and collaboration
How the experience unfolds
before the day
Prep discussions with your leadership coach to focus your team session.
The climbing day
Learn the basics of climbing. And actually climb.
Become familiar with mindsets and best practices to help you on the wall.
Learn the ropes. Literally.
Learn the knots, belay technique, and communication needed for top-rope climbing - preparing you to come back for belay certification (optional).
Reflect. Listen. Share.
Structured time to reflect and discuss what you notice, in a private room at the gym.
After the Day
A virtual follow-on session to help your team apply what you’ve learned.
Two quarterly check-ins with your leadership coach.
What your team will learn
Build AI-era critical skills, such as:
Trust-building
Trust is literal on the wall: one person holds another's body weight. Your team builds it in the belay relationship and by working a route together.Vulnerability
Sweating in front of others, saying out loud that you are scared or stuck, and asking for a break are all part of the day.Discernment
Reading the route before committing, deciding whether a hold or move is worth the risk, and adjusting your read in real time as you get higher.Listening & Communication
You can’t top-rope climb on your own. Listening to what your partner needs and communicating clearly is essential for progress and safety.Accountability
Your choices directly impact your progress and your partner’s experience on the wall.Empathy
Everyone progresses with climbing at their own pace, succeeding and struggling differently. To be a good belay partner, one must appreciate and support these differences.Resilience
Climbing tests your patience and endurance, requiring you to care for yourself and learn when to rest and when to keep going.
Plus:
Learn about yourself and each other
Gain awareness of your own habits and insights into what you and your team members need to be at your best.
Move your body while having fun!
Learn to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell your brain.
This isn’t for you if:
You’re not ready to dig into what matters most to your team’s success
You feel there isn’t a need to work on how you lead or partner with others
You're looking for a day out of the office without a focus for your team's work
This is for you if:
You are a leader or member of a team who wants to maximize what you accomplish together
You’re open to a non-traditional approach to learning
You’re willing to venture out of your comfort zone while having fun
What’s included:
Full-day team development experience at a First Ascent climbing gym
Facilitation by Matt Wexler, your team’s leadership coach, joined by a First Ascent climbing instructor
Prep discussions with your leadership coach
Virtual follow-on session to assist with applying learning
Two quarterly check-ins
Optional: Add-on CliftonStrengths assessments and 1:1 coaching
Questions we hear
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A: Like all sports and physical activities, climbing carries inherent risks. First Ascent makes climbing safety their top priority, meeting or exceeding industry standards for risk mitigation. It’s important to note, however, that not all risks can be eliminated. A Visitor Agreement must be completed by each Lead From The Wall participant agreeing to take responsibility for their actions in the climbing gym.
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A: No climbing experience is necessary to participate in Lead From The Wall. In fact, participating as true beginners makes the program that much more impactful as your team confronts new challenges and learning opportunities together. First Ascent’s instructors are experts in climbing education, so your team is in great hands as you learn climbing and belay technique during the experience.
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A: We encourage all team members to participate in Lead From The Wall at their level of growth. A fear of heights or falling is quite common – it’s a natural biological response to the risk associated with being high off the ground. We all feel it to some degree. The great thing about climbing is that you can opt out at any time, whether that’s at 5 feet off the ground or 50 feet. The important growth opportunity comes when you confront your fears and perceived limitations, and that’s something all participants will have the opportunity to do regardless of the fear they feel about heights.
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A: Climbing is a surprisingly versatile activity that people of many differing abilities can enjoy – in fact, there is a strong adaptive climbing community that enjoys First Ascent gyms. Let’s discuss what differing abilities members on your team have and look at potential accommodations that allow them to fully or partially participate and get the most out of the Lead From The Wall experience.
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A: Comfortable, stretchy athletic clothing. We recommend wearing pants or shorts that cover your knees to protect them against scraping on the wall. Also, be sure to wear socks since you will be wearing rental climbing shoes.