You Don't Need More Tools.
You Need Room to Hear Yourself Think.
At the top, the decisions that matter most are the ones you make alone. The higher you rise, the fewer people tell you the truth - and the louder the noise grows around the clarity you need most.
Most leadership programs respond by adding - another framework, another toolkit. We do the opposite. For 14 days across the remote South Island of New Zealand, we strip leadership back to its essentials. And no, it can't be compressed into a weekend - depth like this takes distance and time.
Why riding, and why here:
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The road forces presence. A motorcycle permits no divided attention. Exactly like leading through a crisis, there is only the next decision - and it is entirely yours.
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The helmet becomes a thinking space. Hours of focused riding give you what a senior calendar never does: protected, uninterrupted reflection. Terrain that keeps changing loosens the habits you've stopped noticing - the precondition for real change.
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The campfire becomes an honest room. A small, hand-selected group of peers, no hierarchy and nothing to prove, where you can finally think out loud and be challenged straight.
What you bring home - three things you can name:
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Decisive clarity under uncertainty.
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Resourcefulness under constraint - what New Zealand calls the "Number 8 Wire" mindset.
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A circle of peers who carry the same weight you do - and who stay, long after the ride ends.
And for the organization that backs you:
A senior leader who returns sharper in judgment, steadier under pressure, and more present for the people who rely on them.
You'll leave the journey with a concise brief that makes exactly that case - in the organization's own language.
The program isn't limited to the motorcycle
The journey is the purest distillation of the method; its conditions are exactly what an ordinary program can't reproduce. But the same architecture, adaptive spaces, guided sensemaking, narrative identity work and structured systemic integration, can be delivered as a tailored in-house
leadership program. Without the motorcycles: a cohort of your senior leaders, developed inside your own organizational context, toward the leaders you intend them to become.
A PERSONAL NOTE:
FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE HELMET
"True leadership is not about addition,
it’s about distillation."
Photography by Yinnon Dryzin Amit (PhD), NZ
Nice to meet you. If you had met me a decade ago, sitting in the office of a senior executive in a large, complex organization, we probably would have been talking about targets, organizational structures, and systemic resilience.
But deep down, I always knew that my most meaningful insights - as an executive, organizational consultant, and academic researcher - would not emerge around a boardroom table. They came from "inside the helmet".
The Silence of Doubtful Sound
I remember one moment in the heart of Doubtful Sound in New Zealand. The captain shut off the boat’s engines in the middle of nowhere and asked for one thing: “Complete silence.”
At first, it felt uncomfortable. We live in a culture of constant background noise, of relentless urgency. Our minds are wired to equate noise with action. But then the silence became tangible, almost physical.
Within that vacuum, surrounded by the full force of nature, I began to hear things I wasn’t used to hearing. I realized that in our intense, fast-moving lives, we must intentionally create our own “Doubtful Sound”- moments where we shut off the engine not to rest, but to truly listen to what matters.
Beyond Credentials
I bring to this journey years of experience working with senior leadership teams, the tools I’ve developed through PublicWise, and my academic background (PhD). But beyond credentials, I carry a simple insight, captured by photographer Chase Jarvis: “The best camera is the one that’s with you.”
Leadership is not about the most expensive gear, the most advanced technology, or perfect conditions. Leadership is the decision to pause, to observe, and to act precisely when it feels right.
For years, I asked myself one persistent question: What will I regret at the end of my life’s journey? The answer led me to step away from a senior leadership role, return to riding, and head back into the open.
I invite you to join a carefully selected cohort, where we will shed the constraints of conformity, shut off the engines for a moment, and rediscover the leadership voice within you that is ready to be heard.
Don’t wait for the perfect time.
It’s already here -
within your reach.
Yinnon Dryzin Amit
Lead by Dr. Yinnon Dryzin Amit
Executive Facilitator, Organizational Researcher, and Strategist.
This Isn't a Metaphor. Here's How a Day Actually Works.
Leadership development here isn't a lecture delivered against a scenic backdrop. It's built into the structure of each day - the riding is the curriculum.
Morning - the circle opens, and someone owns it. Each day a different participant leads the opening circle: framing the leadership question the group will carry that day. Not command over the route - ownership of the learning. Small stakes, real authority, rotating - so everyone leads and everyone follows.
The day opens and closes as a group; in between, the road is your own. You choose: ride alone or with whoever you choose, hold the line to the destination or take the detour that calls you. There is no right line and no wrong one - only your line, and what it reveals.
That choice is the material we work with. In the evening circle, guided reflection turns the day into insight - not what went wrong on the road, but what your choices reveal about how you lead: your core beliefs, your values, the way you manage and drive change. The dilemma is yours, drawn from the road you actually rode - not a case study from a binder. The group becomes a living laboratory for what happens between people and within you, and the facilitation is what translates raw experience into leadership you can name and carry home.
By the end, you haven't heard about resilience, distributed leadership, or decision-making under uncertainty. You've practiced them - on terrain that gives immediate, honest feedback, with a group that does the same.
Mastering the path begins where the pavement ends.
Keep reading - so does everything that matters.
THE VISION:
RECONNECTING TO YOUR INNER SOURCE OF AUTHORITY
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Most leading leadership programs focus on adding more “tools” to your toolkit.
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We believe true leadership is not about addition - it’s about distillation.
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In a world of constant connection, leaders risk losing their personal voice. We go to New Zealand to help you listen inward - grounded in the understanding that only those who can lead themselves with clarity can lead others with confidence.
Strategic Outcomes:
What You Bring Back
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Decisive Clarity: Mastering the ability to filter noise and act with precision under high-pressure, uncertain conditions.
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Managerial Bricolage: Adopting the "Number 8 Wire" mindset - solving complex problems with resourcefulness and minimal infrastructure.
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Internal Authority: Reconnecting with your authentic leadership voice to lead your organization with renewed confidence and presence.
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Alumni Community: Upon completing the journey, you join a curated peer circle that meets monthly - a long-term professional network of leaders who have shared the same crucible.
The Method
Transformative Learning
Deep learning happens through a “disorienting dilemma.” Individually riding your motorcycle, responsible for gear and navigation, creates exactly that condition. This is a solo journey where you encounter yourself, your fears, and your decision-making, with full ownership.
The Holding Environment &
Peer Community
Leadership is solitary, but growth requires a group. Our cohort is not an “audience,” but a reflective community. Daily circles create a “holding environment” that allows participants to process solo experiences and translate them into leadership insights, refined by peer reflection.
Bricolage & Number 8 Wire
Within a motorcycle journey, you develop self-efficacy: a deep belief in your ability to generate solutions in any situation, even when organizational infrastructure is absent. You operate with only what fits in three cases, practical expressions of this concept.
The Science Behind the Distance
This journey isn't built on intuition. Dr. Dryzin-Amit's peer-reviewed research (Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 2025) identifies three conditions that produce lasting leadership change - and the journey is engineered around all three:
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Adaptive spaces - unfamiliar terrain that loosens fixed patterns and forces new responses.
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Emergent capabilities - judgment, resourcefulness and presence that surface only under real stakes, never in a classroom.
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Systemic integration - a structured process that carries the insight from the mountain back into your organization, so it outlives the trip.
The Methodology:
Beyond the Horizon
This isn't just a ride; it’s a living laboratory. Our approach integrates:
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Experiential Learning: Utilizing the physical challenges of the New Zealand landscape to mirror real-world leadership dilemmas.
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Reflective Practice: Structured "Inside the Helmet" sessions and peer-dialogue around the campfire to distill insights.
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Strategic Integration: A 3-phase process including pre-departure alignment and post-journey organizational application to ensure lasting ROI.
Why a Motorcycle Journey?
A Decision-Making Simulator
Riding a motorcycle demands meditative focus and full presence. Much like leading through a crisis or driving organizational change, there is no room for lapses in attention. Riding combines physical and mental load, requiring rapid response, real-time risk management, and sustained resilience over time.
Why New Zealand?
Nature as the Ultimate Arena
New Zealand’s South Island is one of the most remote and powerful places on earth.
Its vast open landscapes, ever-changing weather, and demanding terrain, from the gravel roads of French Pass to the fjords of Doubtful Sound, create a complete disconnection from background noise.
What is the
“Number 8 Wire Mentality”?
A term that defines New Zealand culture:
The ability to improvise and solve any problem using limited resources (originally, a simple piece of fencing wire used in agriculture).
On this journey, you will learn to adopt this mindset:
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Back-to-Basics Leadership – returning to the fundamentals of decision-making and problem-solving in the field.
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Full Ownership (Self-Sustained) – each participant carries all essential gear on their motorcycle (tent, sleeping bag, and personal equipment). You are your own logistics manager.
When the infrastructure isn't there, you build the solution.
The Architecture of The Development Process
Stage 1:
Building the Cohort
The process begins with a rigorous selection phase. Each candidate goes through a personal interview to ensure a high-caliber group of leaders.
Objective: To create a learning cohort and a strong professional network.
Stage 2:
Guided Pre-Departure
A full-day workshop in Israel. Together, we build the learning cohort, surface the most pressing leadership dilemmas each participant carries, define personal learning goals, and establish the psychological safety and mutual trust that will sustain the group through the journey ahead.
Stage 3:
The Journey
14 Days in New Zealand.
Daily Leadership Development Routine: Individual learning assignments alongside group facilitation.
Experiential Learning:
Riding through breathtaking landscapes combined with on-site workshops, emotional and cognitive processing, and group work around the campfire during backcountry camping stays.
Each day opens with a group circle - a rotating participant frames the leadership question the group carries that day. The riding itself is yours: alone or in company, on the line or off it. Evenings close around the campfire, where guided reflection turns the day's choices into leadership insight. Riding, autonomy, and structured processing -
every day.
Stage 4:
Integration & Closing
A final integration session in Israel or online to process the experience and translate insights from the field into practical actions for your day-to-day leadership
(One Month Later).
The Executive Summary
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & LOGISTICS
Bringing It Home
This is a personal investment first - but the return lands in your organization:
a leader who comes back sharper under pressure, steadier in uncertainty, more present for the people who rely on them.
If you'd like your organization to share the investment, you won't make the case alone.
You'll receive a concise, board-ready brief that translates the journey into organizational language - the capabilities built, the research behind them, and how post-journey integration turns two weeks into lasting change at your desk.
Target Audience & Prerequisites
For the Driven Leader,
This program is designed for executives and managers with a strong drive for learning and personal growth.
Prerequisites:
C-level Leadership experience.
Valid motorcycle license.
Minimum of two years of road riding experience.
Full-spectrum commitment to the end-to-end journey.
Investment
(Pricing)
$22,000
Early Registration
(Valid until August 31, 2026 | Limited to the first 3 participants)
$23,590
Full Price
(Starting September 1, 2026)
What’s Not Included
✗ Flights
✗ Personal riding & camping gear
✗ Travel insurance (Mandatory)
What’s Included
✓ Full journey design & facilitation
✓ Personal Adventure Motorcycle
✓ Pre & Post-journey sessions
✓ Accommodation (Hotels & Camping)
✓ Meals & Fule (up to 1000 NZD)
Registration Policy
Participation is subject to a personal selection interview.
Limited availability: 8–12 participants only.
15% deposit required upon acceptance.
Next Departure: February, 2027
Don’t wait for the path to be laid out.
Create it yourself.
A 20-minute conversation to explore fit - not a sales call.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1
Is this a guided motorcycle tour?
Not at all. This is a leadership development program that uses motorcycle riding as a learning methodology.
2
Do I need to be an experienced off-road rider?
No. The route is designed for experienced road riders. New Zealand offers exceptional paved roads, and our off-road segments will be limited to well-maintained gravel roads suitable for adventure motorcycles.
3
How will this journey benefit me as a leader?
The experience strengthens three critical leadership capabilities: mental resilience under uncertainty, decision-making under pressure, and “bricolage” - creative problem-solving with limited resources. In addition, the network you build with a carefully selected peer group becomes a lasting professional asset.
4
Is this expense tax-deductible?
You should consult with your accountant regarding your specific situation.
You'll receive a board-ready brief framing the journey in organizational terms - capabilities, research basis, and the integration process behind lasting change. Many fund it as a leadership-development or executive-retention investment.
5
What does the “selected cohort” mean?
To preserve the quality of the process and peer learning, the group is limited to 8–12 participants. Each participant goes through a personal interview to ensure alignment with a high-quality learning group.
6
Why do we camp part of the time?
Backcountry camping is an integral part of the methodology.
It creates a complete break from everyday comfort and strengthens the group experience around the campfire - where the most meaningful learning happens, through processing the day’s insights. It is also the best way to fully experience New Zealand and connect with the natural environment.
7
What happens in case of a technical issue or medical problem?
While the program is built on personal responsibility, safety is not overlooked. Each participant is required to have personal travel health insurance. At the same time, part of the learning is exactly this - how to manage risk and handle unexpected situations through teamwork.
8
Can I join the journey with my partner?
The program is personal and professional in nature, and is designed for individual participation only, as part of the growth process and group dynamics.