I think about a world where people love the work they do and have a positive impact on their teams, organisations and communities. A world where leaders are invested in creating thriving workplaces, where individuals and teams flourish.
First, though, lets go out to the Savannah.
For those of you who are acquainted with the work I do, you know I am going to talk about zebras. There is a reason why they don't get ulcers, says the very wise Robert Saplosky. On the Savannah, if a zebra is getting chased down by a lion, he will either get eaten or run to safety. Once safe, he would hang out with his fellow zebras, enjoying grazing and being with friends.
We on the other hand, are a bit different! We have active imaginations and a really primal emotional system. We respond to what we think or feel is happening :)
It can get a tad complicated!
We live in a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. We are interdependent and what we do could have unintended consequences. Challenges emerge as though out of nowhere!
If that were not enough, we are wired to detect threats in a microsecond, we hear bad news the loudest, AND, we have the same biological and physiological response to an imagined threat as we would to a real lion standing in front of us!
Our brains are designed to protect us and will shift into gear, narrowing down to make a decision to fly or fight. Our perceptions of our relative status, sense of certainty, autonomy or fairness or how we perceive our relationships with other people can very easily trigger a threat in our minds!
And this initial thought impacts our response.
We also have the freedom to hold our thoughts lightly. Perhaps there is another perspective. That freedom is our magic wand.
I am a leadership development consultant and executive coach, who uses an appreciative, strengths based approach to help leaders and their teams thrive.
If you would like to talk about creating ways for enhancing emotional agility, creating constructive cultures and boosting well being, get in touch.