Attending “Warrior School” in these harsh economic times seemed like an opportunity too good to miss. And so it proved for LPG chairman Lee Peck who was one of 24 senior business managers and entrepreneurs who travelled more than 4,500 miles to the foothills of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for a six day leadership course.

Organised by the UK accountancy group Tenon, the delegates lived in a tented village and underwent a series of leadership challenges as well as learning new techniques aimed at ensuring their organisations prospered during the difficult 12 months ahead.

The tasks, however unlikely, focussed on getting the best out of the delegates’ teams and included: herding goats; learning to throw a spear and crossing imaginary crocodile infested rivers with only short wooden planks and a rope for assistance. Of crucial importance was meeting Maasai warrior chiefs and hearing how they survived in often hostile conditions.

Lee Peck said: “It was the most memorable of experiences. Apart from being with a superb bunch of people, there were great lessons to learn and the contrasts with what we know and do in our normal lives were incredible. Where we might have kicked a ball around in a field under a powder blue sky at home, in Africa we tested out a business chaos theory by herding goats across the plain. Just amazing!”