Leadership Lessons from Camp Candy Matt
For our 20th wedding anniversary, Matt and I decided to celebrate by creating an outdoor adventure at the place where we got married and still hold very dear—Convict Lake, on the east side of the Sierra near Mammoth. We invited 30 of our dearest friends to join us for a weekend of play, reflection, and connection.
The name Camp Candy Matt came from the kids we’ve taken on outdoor adventures over the years. Many of the adults had said, “We want to go to Camp Candy Matt!”—and this year, they finally got their chance.
It was an adult summer-camp-style gathering complete with cabins, group meals, skits, campfire singing, and creative challenges. Weeks before the event, each person was placed into a virtual cabin (in a pre-planning Zoom meeting) with a designated counselor and a shared assignment: create a memorable entrance, invent a signature cocktail or mocktail, and research a bit of local lore to share with the group.
That simple, playful prompt sparked an explosion of imagination. People collaborated, connected, and created with abandon. Costumes appeared. Songs were written. Skits unfolded. Laughter echoed through the trees. And beneath all the fun, something surprising took root—a living masterclass in leadership.
Here’s what emerged:
1. Psychological Safety Fuels Creativity
When people feel safe to take risks and make mistakes, creativity soars.
At Camp Candy Matt, no one feared being judged or failing. The absence of pressure opened the door to authentic expression. Leaders who cultivate this kind of safety unlock innovation in their teams.
2. Connection Comes Before Contribution
Our virtual cabins met before the event, giving people a chance to connect before they collaborated. Those early bonds changed everything. When people feel known, they’re more willing to contribute, take risks, and create together. Great leaders invest in connection first.
3. Lower the Stakes to Raise Engagement
When the outcome doesn’t feel “mission critical,” people relax—and magic happens.
The camp’s playful tone created space for everyone to join in fully. In organizations, when leaders lower the stakes, engagement rises. Playfulness can be the secret pathway to purpose.
4. Inclusion Is the Ultimate Invitation
Every camper had a role, and every role mattered. Inclusion wasn’t a principle—it was a practice. Leadership today demands the same spirit: make sure everyone feels part of the story. When all voices are welcomed, the collective intelligence of the group expands.
5. Mistakes Are the Mother of Innovation
Some of the funniest and most memorable moments came from things not going as planned. Skits flopped. Songs went sideways. Props failed spectacularly—and we loved it all.
In leadership, creating a culture where mistakes are mined for learning, not punished, builds confidence and breeds innovation.
6. Fun Is Serious Business
Laughter isn’t a luxury; it’s a leadership tool.
Joy bonds teams faster than any strategy session ever could. Fun is the soil where trust grows. Leaders who make space for play invite the best parts of people to the surface.
7. Shared Experience Builds Shared Purpose
By the end of the weekend, something profound had shifted. Thirty individuals had become a community—bonded not by obligation, but by shared experience.
(I recommend reading about the Three-Day Effect, which captures this phenomenon beautifully.)
The same is true for any team: purpose grows in the fertile ground of connection and memory.
The Campfire Truth
What we learned at Camp Candy Matt is something every leader can apply: when people feel safe, included, and free to play, creativity and connection naturally expand.
Whether you’re leading a company, a classroom, or a community, the principles are the same:
Design spaces where the stakes aren’t too high.
Invite everyone in.
Welcome mistakes.
Celebrate joy.
Because leadership, at its best, isn’t about control—it’s about creating the conditions where people can shine.
So here’s to designing moments of wonder, belonging, and brilliance—wherever you lead, and wherever you play.
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