Leading at the Edge

RETREAT | 29 October – 1 November 2026

On the lands of the Dharug people, at Blue Mountains Retreat Centre

We are living in deeply complex and uncertain times.

The challenges we face are unfolding faster than most of us can comprehend, let alone respond to. Widening divides, deepening uncertainty - a world asking more of leaders.

Many of us feel this edge.

It's with us every time we sense that what might have held up in the past is no longer enough. When anxiety or exhaustion arrives in our system, and we wonder whether there is anything more we can offer. 

This immersion is an invitation to expand our capacity at this edge - to open to new ways of knowing, sensing, perceiving and being.

We will work with the dance of inner capacity and outer impact, attuning beyond our habitual ways of seeing and thinking to the broader field of intelligence and mystery that surrounds us.

From deeper ground we can navigate the tension between the reality of what is and the hope of what is possible - for ourselves and for those we lead. 

These times call for leaders who are humble enough to listen - to the land, to what lies beyond our individual knowing - and to stay in relationship with and serve progress on our most complex challenges.

Together we will explore:

What is being asked of us, in this moment?

Where might my current ways of seeing be limiting what is possible?

What do I need to let go of in order to lead more fully?

What resources are available to me that I am not currently drawing on?

How am I being called to serve in the systems I am part of?

The experience

A fully immersive, experiential program — no slide decks, no presentations.

Three days of individual reflection, small group dialogue, time in silence and on the land, weaving together contemporary leadership approaches and ancient wisdom traditions. Extraordinary food and the company of remarkable humans.

The venue

Blue Mountains Retreat Centre (Happy Buddha) - an 18-room boutique retreat nestled in the mountains ninety minutes from Sydney, easy access by car or train.

Boho chalet-style, with breathtaking views, a hidden yoga shala, pool, cosy lounges and private bathrooms in almost every room.

Towering eucalypts, sandstone escarpments, and a quality of stillness that meets you the moment you arrive.

And the food. All meals are vegetarian, cooked with care and full of nourishing, plant-powered goodness - the kind that reminds you what it feels like to be genuinely looked after.

The facilitators

Robert Mulhall and Claire McKendrick — practitioners working at the intersection of what’s most alive in contemporary practice and ancient wisdom, bringing decades of experience developing leaders and creating the conditions for deep, transformative work.

Claire McKendrick

Claire is a leadership development and transformation specialist with decades of experience working with thousands of leaders - from senior public sector executives to social entrepreneurs - across Australia and internationally.

Claire is a leadership development and transformation specialist with decades of experience working with thousands of leaders - from senior public sector executives to social entrepreneurs - across Australia and internationally.
She spent a decade in senior roles with the NSW Government, leading high-profile strategy, policy and governance reforms at a system level. This experience continues to ground her work in the realities of leading within complex systems.
She now designs and facilitates adaptive and immersive leadership programs and works with purpose-led organisations developing systemic and strategic approaches to progress the most complex challenges. 
A thread that runs through all of Claire's work is an inquiry into how we better perceive the nature of the challenges we face – noticing more of what is present, paying closer attention to patterns and interconnectedness, and creating the conditions for people to learn new ways forward together.
Claire is adjunct faculty with the Academy for Adaptive Leadership at UNSW and has been working with the adaptive leadership framework for over a decade. In addition, her practice is informed by ongoing study with leading systems thinkers.
Most recently Claire has been exploring the deeper conditions that enable transformation, deepening capacity to create containers that hold and resource spaces where transformative work can occur.
Claire is increasingly drawn to the arts, ancient wisdom traditions, the mystics and nature-based practices - finding here some of the most profound invitations to shift perception. It is this convergence of what’s most alive in contemporary practice with ancient wisdom that shapes the depth of container she brings to her work.

Robert Mulhall

Robert Mulhall has two decades of experience in diverse industries, including public health, leadership development, and education, finance, organisational consulting, and executive coaching.

Robert Mulhall has two decades of experience in diverse industries, including public health, leadership development, and education, finance, organizational consulting, and executive coaching. He is passionate about service and deeply curious about how people can facilitate sustainable transformation to enable more peace, justice, and freedom in our world. Robert’s career has enabled him to cross the private and public sectors multiple times as a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers; cofounder and CEO of an award-winning social enterprise; a director of programs for Concern Worldwide Innovation’s Unit in India, Africa, and New York;CEO of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, North America's largest retreat center and as a coach and consultant  for businesses and organizations in fields such as human rights, social justice, education, tech startup, well-being, and others.

Originally from Ireland, Robert holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, accounting, and business management from the University College of Dublin. He is a certified public accountant in Ireland, and certified in mediation, executive coaching, the Enneagram, Reiki, and Celtic Irish Shamanism. Additionally, he has trained under Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach as a part of their Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program and is a 200-hr Kripalu certified yoga teacher. 
Robert is an explorer. He enjoys having adventures in new countries and learning about different cultures, being in nature, volunteering, spending time with his son, and watching Ireland win in rugby (hopefully!).

Benefits of attending

Participants leave with a renewed sense of clarity, aliveness and direction in their leadership practice.

See more clearly — moving beneath surface dynamics to the patterns, possibilities and connections that matter most.

Stay grounded under pressure — deepen the capacity to remain present and act from a steady centre, even when the path is not clear.

Resource yourself more deeply — drawing on broader sources of support and intelligence, beyond individual effort and willpower.

Make clearer decisions — slowing down enough to read situations accurately and respond rather than react.

Lead with renewed purpose — returning to your work with energy and direction rather than push and obligation.

Create the conditions for others to thrive — a leader who is grounded, present and attuned to the wider system changes the quality of everything around them.

Register today

What leaders say about our retreats

It strengthened my sense of voice, perspective, values, and inquiry. I am more aware of the aspects of leadership that are essential and ways to address what gets in my way

The way I approach situations is entirely different now than it was before I started this program.

I can see the internal growth in terms of the way I approach challenges and handle myself.

This program should be a requirement for all senior leaders.

It was absolutely awe inspiring, transformational, and soul cleansing. I think my personal leadership approach is one that will be even deeper immersed in compassion, love, and understanding.

Join us in October