Why We Need to Leave the Office to Move the Mission Forward 

By Dr. Les McCabe, President & CEO, Junior Achievement of Southern California 

Last week, 22 people were given the exact same six LEGO pieces and asked to build a duck. They made 22 completely different ducks. That moment provided an important illustration of how individuals approach problem solving.  

Even when given the same resources, information, and objective, each person approaches a challenge through the lens of their own experiences, strengths, and creativity. Innovation does not emerge from uniformity. It emerges from the collective power of different perspectives. 

And yet, how often do we give our teams permission to think — not just execute?

Earlier this month, the Junior Achievement of Southern California team gathered in Palm Springs for our annual staff retreat. For two days, we traded calendars and conference calls for reflection, creativity, strategic thinking, and team building connections. We celebrated accomplishments, talked honestly about where we’re stretched thin, how our model needs to evolve, and what it will take to reach more students in communities we haven’t yet served. We aligned priorities and explored what it will take to expand our impact in the years ahead. 

The value of that time together cannot be measured solely by the strategies developed or the plans created. Its true value lies in something deeper: creating space to reconnect with one another and with the purpose that unites us. 

One of my early mentor’s, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, once said, “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” While he was speaking about our shared human experience, the sentiment resonates deeply in organizational leadership. None of us accomplishes meaningful work alone. Progress emerges when diverse perspectives come together, challenge assumptions, and build something stronger than any one individual could create on their own.

Too often, organizations unintentionally fall into routines that prioritize efficiency over imagination. The pace of work can narrow our field of vision. We focus on what must be done next rather than what could be possible. 

Changing our environment helps interrupt that pattern. 

When people gather in a new space, away from their daily responsibilities, they begin to see familiar challenges differently. New ideas surface. Unexpected connections form. Conversations deepen. Creativity has room to breathe. 

This year’s retreat reminded me that every member of our team brings unique talents, insights, and experiences that strengthen our organization. Through thoughtful facilitation, Van Lai-DuMone helped us uncover those strengths and appreciate how our differences contribute to a more innovative and resilient team. I am equally grateful to Rhonda Neal from Junior Achievement USA, whose facilitation guided meaningful discussions throughout the retreat. Her leadership encouraged reflection, collaboration, and honest dialogue about how we can continue growing our impact for the young people we serve. 

And that is ultimately why all this matters. 

At Junior Achievement of Southern California, we ask students every day to collaborate across differences, solve problems creatively, and build something together. Those two days in Palm Springs, so did we. To effectively inspire those qualities in the next generation, we must continue cultivating them within ourselves. 

To effectively inspire those qualities in the next generation, we must continue cultivating them within ourselves. 

The future will belong to organizations that create environments where people feel connected, valued, and empowered to contribute their best ideas. Building that kind of culture does not happen by accident. It requires intention, investment, and time together. 

How often does your organization create that space? 

As we left Palm Springs and returned to our communities, schools, and partners, we brought back more than plans for the year ahead. We returned with renewed energy, stronger relationships, and a deeper commitment to the mission we share. 

The work continues. But so does the reminder that our greatest strength has never been any single program, initiative, or strategy. 

It is our people. 

And when people come together with purpose, extraordinary things become possible.