Dare to say
My CTI* Leadership training taught me that leaders have opinions that they are willing to share, it’s not about necessarily being right but about showing up in service of change, innovation and new pathways. All companies understand the need to innovate and develop their people, products and services, yet creativity as a process is often shut down and the same tried and tested ideas are put into practice.
So what’s the real problem here? It seems to me that in our humanness we fear failure and risk taking, and project this into the workplace. Our longing for belonging can quickly move into shadow as the words that need to be spoken to shake things up are suppressed…
When we listen to our hearts and follow our senses, we discover limitless wisdom…
When you allow your intuition to speak it will sound different to your usually well thought out sentences because you are speaking from a different place… An example of this is during a corporate training I co-delivered in the Mexican mountains: During a team brainstorm, the CEO tuned into his intuition – sometimes known as the field, and said, “be gentle.” He was picking up on a sense of urgency, an energy that can create issues in the workplace when actually all that is needed is a gentle pause, some deeper breaths, a little bit of space to feel into what is needed next… If we can hold the space and tune in, we will find a way through, it is that simple.
Personally speaking in my own corporate career there where many times where I spoke initially uncomfortable words and times when I didn’t, both had an impact. I will never forget the time I had started a new job and believed that the way one of the agency’s clients was being serviced, was damaging the brand. I voiced this in a one-2-one meeting with the company’s CEO and this action was a factor in a promotion that was way above my current station, into the role of head of department.
Straight talking changed the course of my corporate career and opened up many exciting doors for me. My intention was to innovate and improve outputs, and focus. At no point was I thinking about my own development and I wasn’t even sure if my words would in fact be damaging personally, but the truth needed to be spoken for me to truly honour myself, and lead from within. It turns out that when you speak the truth it’s always a win/win situation regardless of the outcome. And often it sets the wheels in motion for change that is beyond your wildest imagination.
So will you dare to say, dare to stay and dare to create today?
My mission in life is to make a difference to the lives of women and girls, in a way that supports us all to evolve. I believe that speaking truthfully is a crucial part of our future story. I’d love to hear your views. Send me an email and we can start a new conversation.
Credits: In 2015, I did an extensive Leaership training programme with CTI* - Co-Active Training Insititute. I became a member of the Bluebird tribe and together, we experiemced true leadership, grew as humans and uncovered our leadership quest. This experience fundamentally changed me and I remain committed to living my quest to support women, girls and our planet in our evolving world.