Layne Gneiting has cycled 38 countries, led bicycle treks through 18 countries, dream-managed for a multi-million dollar company, and taught (and currently teaches) Leadership and Integrative Thinking at Arizona State University. 11 years ago, Layne did a coast-to-coast bicycle trip with his family and opened up horizons for himself. Today he merges principles of leadership with cycling in various places throughout the world, packing life experiences into 11 days to create the conditions of change.

David Fielding is a stake president in Indiana. His brother encouraged him to join one of Layne’s cycling trips and he finally agreed and arranged to go with the group to Spain. What he learned in his preparation and adventure there transformed him and his approach to leadership.

Highlights

5:35 What Layne’s cycling trips do for leaders
8:30 How David got involved in this trip to Spain
12:20 Learning happens in action, in the body

Seven Principles

15:15 Principle 1: Vision

• How vision was part of Layne’s experience biking across America
• It begins with determining what you truly desire
• 20:30 David’s experiences training for the trip and how it created his vision
• 29:20 The difference between vision and goals
• 30:50 People can’t walk in a straight line without vision

33:25 Principle 2: Risk

• Rest/play and the essence of creation: lessons learned off the planned path
• 39:20 David’s elders quorum experience following Hurricane Katrina
• 42:00 Rejection therapy

45:20 Principle 3: Simplification leading to flow

• Getting ego, plans, and control out of the way
• 48:20 David’s trek experience with pondering and journaling alone

53:20 Principle 4: Flow

• Creating flow through journaling; writing by the Spirit

56:20 Principle 5: Endurance

• Partnering with the mountain and harmonizing instead of slogging it out to the end
• 1:00:40 David’s trek experience with resistance and choosing the hills

1:05:20 Principle 6: Fusion

• “Every horizon bears a thread of gold”: all perspectives have value and inform ours; being willing to not be quiet
• 1:08:20 President Eyring’s observations about how the apostles counsel and debate in meetings
• 1:12:45 “If we are united, we all things can do”

1:14:40 Principle 7: Compassion

• Compassion is inclusion: reach out and include people in genuine, validating ways
• 1:16:55 David’s experience learning compassion and openness from a family who took them in

1:22:30 Changes in David’s leadership after his experience on the trek through Spain

• “We are only going to pass this way once”

1:26:20 Creating your own experience: GUIDE (Generative – Unpredictable – Immersive – Daring – Enticing)
1:28:00 How these experiences have made both Layne and David better disciples of Jesus Christ

Links

wayofthehero.com
Zen in the Art of Archery, by Eugen Herrigel
Pres Eyring’s observations about meetings: News Conference | Summary Article