Our Story
Pinnacle has a long history. It goes back to 1984 when Alan met Bob Weiler, who was directing an Outward Bound program Alan was attending in the Florida Keys. Alan and Bob bonded under conditions some people might find intimidating. Despite the cold weather, the two men jumped into the ocean. Instead of getting right back out, like most people, they started a dual of challenges. Alan said he would donate $10,000 to Outward Bound if they swam 150 yards in the cold water. Done. Another 150 yards, another $10,000. Done again.
In those moments, Bob matched Alan’s twin impulses of generosity and speed. That swim forged a lasting friendship and started a professional collaboration between Alan, Harriet, and Bob to create the Pinnacle Leadership Center. They began to transform 500 acres of Alan and Harriet’s property in Kensington into a state-of-the-art challenge course, now one of the largest in New England. They also began to craft leadership, organizational and business models that continue to serve as cornerstones of Pinnacle methods and teachings.
Alan, Harriet, and Bob all believe that if you can release folks from the confines of the office, get them outdoors, use proven methods to challenge them to take one more step then they think they can— both physically and with work—then you will get results. That is exactly what Pinnacle does. It gets teams to come together to create an environment of trust and challenge and, in a short time (one to two days) really tackle hot issues, develop recommendations that can move their enterprise forward.
For more than 25 years, the Pinnacle Leadership Center has served Grand Circle Corporation and the Kensington Investment Company well with hundreds of offsite trainings in New Hampshire, Boston and unique sites around the world. These are both very successful worldwide companies who lead in their industry. What makes them different and the key to that success is that they always had a true north – their values and Pinnacle.
Building a culture of leaders based on values is not an easy road. It takes a lot of hard work, heavy lifting and courage to tackle the hottest issues first, drive performance, align teams and exemplify the values. When you bring a team offsite with an organizational advisor and use the Pinnacle model big things happen. More decisions and innovations to move these businesses have been made at Pinnacle than any other place.
Seeing the results Pinnacle gained for the companies, it was natural for Alan and Harriet to envision the benefits Pinnacle could provide to our community partners. They began to extend the program and campus to them.
“In our experience, most non profits don’t take the time to get away to take a hard look at their operations, put the hot issues on the table, and make needed changes or decisions. Most community leaders are so dedicated and passionate that they nearly exhaust themselves in their work and their cause. Unfortunately, the result is that they don’t take a needed timeout to assess, reassess and plan forward.” – Harriet Lewis
Beginning in 2003 Pinnacle began offering its leadership model to non-profits, primarily in the Boston area, focused on youth organizations that the Lewis Family had worked with and supported. Initially there was a lot of resistance, as folks begged off saying they didn’t have the time or didn’t need the intervention. Tough love was needed and beginning in 2006 the Lewis’s required the use Pinnacle as a condition of continued funding or to vet a potential new organization to support. We believe strongly—that leadership requires constant support and challenge. Leaders must take the time for it, and they must offer it as a gift to their teams. The training also helps us assess whether a leader has what it takes to be a true change agent for the community, and they help our partners navigate through the rocky terrain of change.
Today, Pinnacle continues to work with Grand Circle Corporation and Kensington Investment Company, as well as serving hundreds of nonprofit teams.