Oxfordshire SME Leadership Retreat: Expand Possibilities for Your Business

A 2-day, 1-night leadership retreat to reconnect with your leadership, think differently and expand what's possible. This is an Enterprise Oxfordshire Business event. Running a growing business can be exhilarating, and exhausting. As your team expands, it becomes harder to find the time and headspace to think clearly about your own leadership. Personal Leadership: The practice of consciously guiding your own thoughts, actions, and decisions toward your personal and professional goals, rather than simply reacting to external circumstances or relying on direct management. Oxfordshire SME Leadership Retreat: Expand Possibilities for Your Business is a 2‑day, 1‑night residential retreat for Oxfordshire SME owners and senior leaders with 3 or more staff, taking place at the Sudbury House Hotel in Faringdon on 29-30 September 2026. There is a fee of £268 charged for this support package to cover accommodation and catering. Designed for a small cohort of 12-15 leaders, the retreat creates the space and structure to step back, think differently and focus on the leadership issues that shape growth. With a strong human leadership focus, it is built around real challenges, honest conversations and creating traction, not just another set of leadership tips. Across the two days you will: • Step out of the day‑to‑day noise and reconnect with what really matters in your leadership • Explore core themes such as decision‑making, pressure, people and priorities • Work with practical tools and experiential exercises to increase your self‑awareness and leadership range • Take part in small‑group “mastermind” conversations focused on your most pressing real‑world challenges • Connect with a trusted group of peers who understand the realities of leading a growing SME What the retreat includes: • A pre‑retreat online gathering to meet the cohort, break the ice and name your current leadership challenges • A two‑day, one‑night residential retreat at Sudbury House Hotel, with structured sessions, experiential activities and time to think • Post‑retreat peer follow‑up to keep the momentum alive and support you in acting on your insights Participants will leave with: • Clear, personalised next steps and designed accountability with a scheduled peer follow up after the retreat • New perspectives on their most pressing leadership issues • A trusted network of peers to call on for support • A shared language around leadership to take back into their business • Renewed energy, more grounded confidence and an expanded sense of what is possible This retreat is designed for: • Owners and senior leaders of Oxfordshire‑based SMEs with at least 3 staff • Leaders navigating growth, complexity or transition who want space to think • People who value honest, human conversations about leadership more than buzzwords or quick fixes If you are an Oxfordshire SME leader looking for renewed energy, grounded confidence and an expanded sense of what’s possible, the Oxfordshire SME Leadership Retreat is designed for you. (If you’re unsure whether it’s the right fit, you are welcome to join the online preview session first, or contact the organisers for an informal conversation.) The Oxfordshire SME Leadership Retreat experience will be delivered by Duncan Skelton, an award winning leadership coach who works with senior leaders and founders committed to stretching what’s possible in their organisations. Drawing on 24 years as a technical leader and engineering manager in UK start‑ups, scale‑ups and global tech firms, he blends real‑world business experience with deep, practical coaching skills. Duncan has built and led high‑performing engineering groups, including six years at Google in London and New York, where he also facilitated the company’s flagship internal leadership programmes. A keen marathon runner and long‑time rock climber, he brings a grounded, non‑macho perspective on endurance and courage, helping leaders navigate uncertainty, expand their range and create sustainable high performance.