Month: June 2011

Present future

Are you here? Or will you be gone by the first paragraph? It’s a long weekend coming up and by the look of the offices around here, I’m the only one not in it yet. One of our participants told me in no uncertain terms today that I was to sort out my work-life balance and not work in this long weekend, so I’m going to blog now. At this moment.

I had a nice dinner with Dad last night in Mt Eden. As we talked I realised we were very much in the moment. Respectful, interesting (well he was anyway), listening, allowing time for our thoughts to properly process, and gaining great insights. The biggest insight for me was to realise how seldom we are truly in the moment.

With the long weekend upon us now’s a great time to practice being present with loved ones. You might be rushing down the motorway, off to a favourite destination, a big hurry to pack, all sorted and off. When you get there, don’t rush the three days.  And if you’re coming back early to “beat the traffic” I’d be asking who you’re trying to “beat” on a holiday. Or even worse, “beat” someone to finish the holiday! Congratulations (excuse my sarcasm) you “won”  the race to finish the holiday!

The present is, well, curiously, right now, not in the future.

Dad and I had that much waited for future moment in the present last night.

Enjoy!

Stephen

Coming home

Someone said at the end of the Authentic Leadership Course that they were looking forward to going back to work to try out the new insights from the programme. Others said that they were sad that a good thing had come to an end, well sort of, as the commitment was to stay connected. The journey of leadership development can include a programme when new insights are discovered, experienced in action and plans made for the future. For many, deep changes are promised and implemented. I know this from the many communications that I receive from participants after the programme.

Coming home for me after 4 days away, emersed in the work on the course, I was tired. I made a commitment to myself to get more sleep, possibly to enable the boundary between work and home to be clearer. Hence, doing a blog at home early evening! Is this work, or is this home? I mean pleasure. It must be pleasure, in fact it is because I often blog in the evening. The feeling I get from it is one of peace, fulfillment and plain good old-fashioned satisfaction.

So what promises are you making on your leadership journey? Whether you were on the Authentic Leadership Course or not, how will you implement those changes? Who will notice? Just the team at work, or will you bring it home for the better?

Never has there been an opportunity to bring work home that isn’t bringing the work home, and gives to home and those we care about.

If you implement what you planned at this juncture of your leadership journey, you’ll be happier for it. More authentic I reckon and that will not just make your team at work more productive and satisfied. You will be too. And you’ll bring that home. For much good for those that mean everything to you.

It’s nice to come home.

Stephen

ps here’s Richard Kerr-Bell, one of the Centre’s Leadership Coaches out on our Leadership Walk on Wednesday