No not me! I was at a TransTasman lunch yesterday at Vodafone where Russell Stanners, local CEO and Juan-Jose Juan, Global Head of Innovation Enterprise both spoke. We heard of an integrated world where our various devices knew where to connect to and what we needed at that moment,  because they knew where we were going. In fact, they were telling us how to get there too. I wondered as we heard from Juan-Jose (who said best to call him JJ) what it was like to have a global role. Not that I haven’t encountered such a title before. But talking to him prior to the talk I got the sense of a truly global ambassador for the company who lived, worked and engaged where he happened to be.

We heard about a world where work happens where ever you happen to be, in a manner that suits your needs. No such thing as a desk, desktop or the other symbols of a traditional work environment. Hearing this was like hearing confirmation for how I often work and the tension between this and what some people feel is the real work environment. If I’m honest I think there’s a tension within myself between the flexibility of working wherever I am (like right now at a specialists rooms having some tests!) and only doing work in the allocated place.

There’s a richness for me in working in different and stimulating environments and the delineation between work and home is often blurred. I don’t really mind that and find my creativity enhanced by new places, new people and new contexts. On the Centre for Innovative Leadership’s Innovative Leaders GM Programme we’re off to Whakatane this week. We’ll learn some strategic accounting and finance, but our context will be the case-study. I am sure it will be easier to be present while present!

JJ spoke without notes or looking at the few powerpoint slides he displayed. It’s a given that a leader can talk to his or her topic from the heart. You don’t get heart sitting in your office with the pictures, certificates and files. It’s about being in amongst it. Whatever “it” might be. Makes you rich. Yes I decided I am rich. But there’ll be no capital gains tax on this wealth!

Stephen