We Live in Strange Times

I sit here at my desk, looking out into the trees in our backyard. The birds’ chirp every now and then reminding me that life surrounds us.

I feel a bit sad today.

In the midst of all my hope for this world to be a better place, every now and then I see something or hear something that makes my heart sink. Yesterday it was a dinner with a young woman who I love dearly. The most brilliant, compassionate mind would crumble under the weight of an experience like hers.

So I write today with a heavy heart, knowing of organisations that turn a blind eye to inexcusable behaviours amongst their leaders.

And I also write with an unflinching belief in the possibility that as leaders in the organisations we lead, we can create the psychological safety needed to foster an abundance of creative thought, spontaneity and innovation. We know that this emotionally expansive space is the catalyst for insanely brilliant work and for people to feel really great.

In my work with leaders, I have come to see and recognise that when we know and share with our teams what is important to us and what unique strengths we enjoy bringing to our work, we create a solid foundation for trust. This trust can fuel curiosity, something that as human beings we have in abundance and can use to become deeply aware of and appreciative of the differences amongst those we work, live and play with. We are also storytellers; we like sharing what we know. We could do that if we were not afraid. We are wired to collaborate and innately love creating with others.

So as leaders, my wish is that we do everything possible to ensure that people know that their voice is valued. That they can speak about their mistakes because they know that talking about it will create learning.

We do not know all the answers. We have created a world that is messy. We know that what we do in one part of the world has unintended consequences in another. This interdependence is also a source of power.

Let’s find ways to harness it.

Originally published on December 18 on CoFolk

#strengths #trust #leadership #collaborate #compassion