Compelling Leading

I love that.

Deep listening is the way to hearts.

I can attest to this: little things done often and consistently build to greatness. But not just any little thing. They have to be quality, your best little things.

Reminds me of the 4th agreement (from the 4 agreements of Toltec philosophy)... always do your best. This also is aligned with 10X mindset: what's a 10X expression of myself in this task or endeavour.

May you have greatness today in all you do :-)

I love these words of Deepak Chopra, '𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗢𝗬.'...a pandemic of joy...the only cure for anything that ails.

Too often, I hear people share their concerns about things in the world, or the government, or the environment, or even relationships. And I get that we are not going to be happy when things are 'right'. But it all feels so angry and heavy and accusatory, AND i wonder, how is that helping?...putting more anger and judgement into the world?

I spend my life... most waking moments, thinking about how myself and the team can change the world by supporting leaders or global decision-makers, and, at times, when I hear the joyless anger, I feel like giving up. How is that helping, dragging those that are working towards the greater good, sucking out the joy?

If we can't go about changing the world with JOY and an uplifting spirit, then what's the point?

Someone recently said,'History repeats; the only way we have even got social change is by a band of angry people protesting' (paraphrased).

This is not so!!! Here are some evidence:

1. 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗶: Led India to independence through nonviolent civil disobedience.

2. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗿.: Key figure in the American civil rights movement, advocating for racial equality through peaceful means.

3. 𝗡𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮: Fought against apartheid in South Africa using nonviolent resistance, later becoming the nation's first black president.

4. 𝗖𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘇: Advocate for the rights of farmworkers in the United States, employing nonviolent methods to improve their working conditions.

5. 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗳𝘇𝗮𝗶: Prominent advocate for girls' education, surviving an attack by the Taliban and continuing her activism for education through peaceful means.

6. 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗮𝗺𝘀: Social reformer and pacifist who co-founded Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago, and worked for peace during World War I.

7. 𝗢𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗦𝗮́𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘇: Former President of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize winner for his efforts to bring peace to Central America in the 1980s.

8. 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗳: First female president of Liberia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate for her work promoting peace, reconciliation, and women's rights.

9. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗠𝗮𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗶: Founder of the Green Belt Movement, advocating for environmental conservation, democracy, and women's rights in Kenya.

10. 𝗗𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗮: Spiritual leader of Tibet, advocating for autonomy through nonviolent means despite Chinese occupation.

These individuals have left a lasting impact on society by championing change through peaceful methods.

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𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦: 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Consider, for a moment, the historical echoes of decisions like the once seemingly innocent White Australia Policy. Intended to preserve a particular cultural vibe, it ended up birthing the painful 'stolen generations.' It's a stark reminder that decisions, however well-meant, need a closer look.

Wisdom, it appears, is a dance between intention and consequence, a delicate balance that often hinges on something quite simple—love. Not the mushy, personal kind, but a deep, existential love for humanity and our world.

This kind of love translates into compassion—the magic ingredient that turns decisions from merely logical to ethically resonant. It gently guides us away from the pitfalls of good intentions gone astray.

The Journey Within: Soul-Searching for Leadership Wisdom
Now, the big question: how do we tap into this inner well of love and wisdom? It starts with some serious soul-searching. We need to dig deep into the motives behind our decisions. In the quiet moments of self-awareness, we can separate the nuggets of wisdom from the noise of well-meaning but maybe misguided choices.

This inner journey might get uncomfortable, questioning assumptions and embracing vulnerability. But hey, growth is often found in those uncomfortable spaces. Meditation, mindfulness, and intentional moments of reflection can be your trusty tools on this journey, helping you feel the pulse of existential wisdom guiding your choices.

To you, our global leaders, the weight of decision-making must feel like Atlas carrying the world. But here's the thing: the true measure of wisdom isn't just in how the world reacts to your decisions but in how your own heart softens in the process.

𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞.

💪🌿𝗨𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻: 𝗔 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺

I'm sure you've had moments in life where external challenges seem to overshadow the inner clarity you inherently possess. It was a fascinating encounter from a recent session that unfolded with Eve (pseudonym)—an exploration that opened doors to a profound realm of existential wisdom.

Picture this: Eve, a trailblazer in an innovative leadership program, found herself grappling with a colleague issue. The colleague, let's call her Mary, appeared indifferent to Eve's groundbreaking work, seemingly swayed by institutional cost-cutting agendas. Before diving into the external dynamics, we took a moment to navigate Eve's inner world using the Social Panorama Model—a gem in applied social science gifted to us by Dr. Lucas Derks, a visionary Dutch psychologist.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
We took a moment to become present, settling her mind with even breathing. Inviting her to close her eyes, I gently guided her to turn her awareness inward, encouraging her to explore the contours of her inner space.

As settled deeper within, I prompted her to visualise the mental space she had allocated to each of her two female colleagues, asking her to keenly observe the spatial relationships:

❓Did they feel close or far away in her mind's eye?
❓Were their images situated at similar or distinct locations from each other?
❓What was the height of the imagined figures in relation to her—did they stand higher or lower?

We paid attention to the size of the images, questioning whether they appeared life-sized, smaller, or larger than life. Further, we explored the direction they faced—towards her or away from her.

This mindful exploration allowed her to illuminate the subtle dynamics of her internal landscape, providing clarity on the spatial intricacies that defined her relationships with her colleagues.

And this is what she discovers in her inner world: Eve envisioned two colleagues, let's call them Mary and Martha, towering over her in her mind's eye. Mary was at 10 o'clock, Martha at 2 o'clock, both looking away, leaving Eve feeling dwarfed and powerless.

🎇That's when the light bulb flicked on! Eve tapped into the truth of her identity—an archetype revelation of the guide and magician within.

🎇 This profound remembering of 𝑾𝑯𝑶 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔

Mary and Martha stood on an equal footing, turned toward Eve, and, lo and behold, her understanding of the external interactions began to shift.

She gained immediate and deep insights about her capacity to effect the outcomes and how to work alongside and support her colleagues in their challenges.

Of course that is a much more empowering way to feel in the situation BUT here is what is astounding; without altering her external behavior consciously, Eve witnessed things change radically in the dynamic.

Eve gained unsolicited apologies from Mary and queries from other colleagues on intricate leadership matters.

It's a striking illustration of how knowing ourselves—our values, missions, and archetypal truths—can tap into the wellspring of existential wisdom within.

This illuminating experience raises the question: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝑯𝑶 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒔?

We invite you to take this journey inward to find your wisdom in these difficult times.

Read the full article on our website: https://compellingleading.au/wisdom-through-self-discovery

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Leadership is about growth and embracing the unknown. Eleanor Roosevelt's wisdom rings true – it's through facing our fears that we discover our true strength, courage and confidence.

As leaders, we often find ourselves at the crossroads of uncertainty, challenged by decisions that seem daunting and uncharted.

But it's precisely in those moments when we tackle what we once thought impossible, that we grow and evolve as leaders. What do leaders fear most? It's not the challenges themselves, but the prospect of not stepping up to meet them.

Embrace fear as your ally on the path to growth, and you'll find the courage to accomplish what you once deemed beyond reach.

𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄

Political leaders and global citizens have to grapple with immense challenges and do so under volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) conditions while enduring constant risk of criticism and, at times, outright attacks for their decisions. If you are a leader, this is no news.

Our challenges and conditions are unprecedented. Relying solely on past experience, consultants, and experts is insufficient. This is where embracing and nurturing "𝑬𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑾𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎" becomes imperative.

Existential Wisdom is a deep understanding of human existence. It involves grappling with profound questions and uncertainties, and using this understanding to make meaningful and sound decisions.

It requires self-awareness, personal responsibility, and the pursuit of a purpose and meaning in the face of life's inherent challenges. This can not be found in the advice of others or books. The only place this can be found is within ourselves; it is Inner Wisdom.

How can it be applied to global problems? We have many examples of successful leaders using this approach, one such example is Ian de Cruz, Director of Partnerships, Innovation, and Investment at the World Resources Institute.

He is a wonderful example of using 'Inner Wisdom' to navigate a 'Wicked Problem' under VUCA conditions despite potential criticism.

A specific example: In 2018, when leading an initiative: Partnering for Green Growth And The Global Goals 2030 (P4G), as a board, they made a decision that could be seen as politically contentious and could have huge negative ramifications.

Ian faced significant pressure to change that decision and was aware that he risked losing everything if it seemed unpopular from a public press perspective. All this happened so quickly. He did not have time to digest the full magnitude, even though it was very apparent to him what was at stake.

Yet, he was clear in his response, “No. We have transparent criteria for making decisions on partnerships. We are looking to scale impact. We are looking to bring the best finance and technology on the chance of emerging markets. And this is a partnership we want.”

It was a moment where he took a principled approach, using self-awareness, and personal responsibility, and pursuing what was important at a human existence level. That decision set the culture for what they were prepared to say yes or no to.
Despite the ramifications of a potentially unpopular decision, it turned out to be the decision that ultimately catapulted the initiative towards its current success, setting the tone for the initiative, for the values and integrity… in selecting their partnerships and building the communities they wanted.
Ian explained why he referenced this as a ‘𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣’.

“Wisdom is knowing that what I'm doing in my work is aligned with my personal origin story, which is aligned with my personal experience and aligned with a purpose that transcends self-interests, that transcend the here and now. And this informs the work we are doing in my field: seeking intergenerational equity and intercountry equity.”

“You know, that classic Socrates quote, right...

’𝑻𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎.’

“To lead - to be a leader of others - you need to lead yourself - not just your light side, but your shadow too. And to lead yourself, you have to know what your purpose is and the impact you want to achieve.

“Why are you doing what you do?
And how does this relate to you personally?
A wise leader has answers to all those questions.

“And it is knowing my Origin Story that informs and guides me; my Nana was born at a time, in a certain context, that meant her mother had to give her up. And if she didn't have the institution of the church to protect her, we don't know what my family story would have been.

We must understand ourselves to lead others and make wise decisions when required. With a sense of self, including an origin story and the shadow self, this is one way - a structural approach - to accessing the Inner Wisdom.

This manifests you as an individual, it manifests in your leadership, and it manifests in the institutions and organizations you’re associated with. This is available to all global leaders to help guide them in these unprecedented times.

The Compelling Leading would like to acknowledge those who contributed to this article: Alexis Jane, Deb Maes, Gene Early, PhD, and of course, a huge ‘thank you’ to Ian de Cruz for his generosity.

The Compelling Leading team is not only passionate but highly skilled and experienced at supporting global leaders to access and apply wisdom in their work and lives. Please reach out to us if you would like to know more about our work.

Read the full article on our website: https://compellingleading.au/wisdom-leadership-what-the-world-needs-now

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The twists and turns, and dark moments left behind…. my morning walk with Dunn brought to mind the transformation the participants of the UTAS Masters in Advance Leadership have experienced this year in the Pathway Program. The walk reminds me of Hero's Journey framework, a powerful technique that can help leaders navigate in challenging situations. Great work quinn. I can't wait to hear the stories of their journeys this week.

🌟NEW ARTICLE🌟
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

In the pursuit of success, most executives think key drivers are of qualities like determination, discipline, and strategic thinking. However, there's a fascinating and relatively unexplored aspect of success that has been gaining attention in recent years: executive playfulness.

𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.

𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐒:

𝐂 -𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲: Foster a sense of curiosity about your work and industry. Ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore new ideas.

𝐀 -𝐀𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: Allow for brainstorming sessions, playful exercises, and unorthodox approaches to problem-solving. Even better than allowing it, encourage it.

𝐓 -𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭: Regular breaks rejuvenate the brain and boost productivity. Use breaks to do things you really enjoy, even if they seem unrelated to your work.

𝐒 -𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬: Reframe failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback, or better still, find the silly side. A playful mindset helps bounce back from setbacks.

Read full article on our website
https://compellingleading.au/neuroscience-of-success-how-executive-playfulness-drives-greater-achievement

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“𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕: 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔.” – 𝑴𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒂

A normal day at Compelling Leading office
🔷 Global team meeting in the morning - US, CA, AU 💪
🔷 Mapping & Scoping drawing session ✍️
🔷 Fun coaching session with client 🤩