The CEO of city-based Hospitality firm, EP Business in Hospitality, a leading communicator in business thinking and opinion, has walked a phenomenal 143.2km (89 miles) across the Italian countryside of Tuscany with his daughter as part of a pilot phase that sees the company launch of a series of challenging charity walks aimed at removing experienced and emerging leaders from their comfort zones in the name of building stronger team cultures and promoting the spirit of ‘social good’ in the workplace.
CEO, Chris Sheppardson (56), travelled on foot for one week through the open countryside with his 23-year old daughter, stopping only to refuel, to test a theory designed to open and broaden minds with the goal of encouraging better leadership and better teams in business.
Sheppardson spoke of his achievement: “I did make the mistake of assuming the challenge would be the distance but rest assured, the real challenge was far tougher. It was a genuine trek for the experienced walker, it was also excellent bonding time between father and daughter. My daughter had not trained at all, whilst I was walking 30 miles every weekend to build my resilience for the journey. Ironically, when it came to it, my daughter became the alpha and left all for dust as she stormed round the course thrashing all designated times and leaving me in her shadow. The journey started in Bologna and we travelled across country and on the final day descended into Florence.”
EP Business in Hospitality is focused on a concept derived from an old-school notion that people are tribal, they want to belong and they want to make a difference. The Victorians it can be said were forward thinking about many things, one was their ideals and understanding around sports, especially the concept of teams. EP’s charitable walks for culture are designed to encourage people to participate in a physical challenge that is fun, outside of their comfort zones and day to day lives, but one which builds memories, lasting friendships and is also in support of important and socially good causes.
Sheppardson continued: “In truth, the walk was a far better experience than I expected. It really did test both body and soul. It travelled through the most glorious countryside and barely close to any village let alone a town. The people we met along the way were welcoming and generous and of course the hospitality, food and wine was excellent too.”
The company is looking for experienced leaders and emerging leaders to join these special walks and to become immersed in different culture, environments, conversations, experiences and to learn new skills that they can take back into their lives and businesses.
“The real debate is how are we nurturing talent today? We know that one in four are reportedly suffering from stress or mental illness; we also know that only one in five employees trust their leadership, so it’s not a pretty picture. The psychology of the younger generation has also changed and there is a far greater fear of failure and far more stress, and tension, so there is good reason why new leaders are not emerging”, concluded Sheppardson.
The charitable causes that are being supporting are:
- The Royal Academy of Arts Adopt a School programme, which takes chefs into schools to talk about the importance of great food and nutrition.
- Crista Cullen (GB Gold Olympic medallist) Elephant Conservation charity in Kenya.
Current programme of walks include:
- The Grand Cru Walk – Walking from Dijon to Macon (7 nights – September 18)
- The Salzburg Lakes and Mountains – Walking the landscapes of the Salzburg Salzkammergut Lake District (7 nights – October 18)