Tag: authentic leadership

Aida Fa’aeteete is a remarkable leader

On 30 June last year Duncan Meek made a terrible error on the Southern Motorway in Auckland and collided with the Fa’aeteete family van.  Mr Fa’aeteete was killed leaving Mrs Fa’aeteete instantly widowed with a son, a daughter, granddaughter and another on the way.

I admit to reading the news and being somewhat immune to it all.   It’s not often I feel particularly moved but the story in the NZ Herald about Duncan Meek’s sentencing and Mrs Fa’aeteete moved me.

“To err is human, to forgive is divine,” Mrs Fa’aeteete told the court. “If Petelo was here he would say that it’s done. Learn from it and don’t do it again.”  She continued: “We met with Duncan Meek. His monumental loss of concentration had dark consequences – it caused the death of our beloved Petelo. His remorseful demeanour left me no option than to live by Petelo’s legacy to be forgiving.”

Mrs Fa’aeteete hugged Mr Meek in court, cried and told him to not do it again.

Where did Aida Fa’aeteete get such strength to forgive?  I don’t really know, but probably in part from her late beloved Petelo.  I’m sure Mr Meek’s remorse had something to do with it too.

Mrs Fa’aeteete is a remarkable woman who shows extraordinary leadership.  The courts are full of revenge dressed up as justice while we have the people, the will and the resources to truly move on with justice that restores peace through forgiveness and being heard.

We can all learn from Mr Fa’aeteete, more so than she thinks possible I reckon.  Such powerful actions, unplanned and genuine. She get’s the last word today: “My husband was a forgiving person. I will forgive Duncan once, I just hope he learns from it. If we achieve that, and he doesn’t do it again and if someone else learns from this, then that’s more than enough for me.”

Stephen

Blistering Barnacles! It’s a new year

Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have done a fine job with The Adventures of Tintin. Every Tintinophile including me will recognise the mixing and mingling of original stories to create this first of three movies. Some missing bits and some bits merged. The important sentiment and sense that has been Tintin for me for almost 5 decades is brought to life with fine humour and non-stop action. I’m pretty sure Herge would have been proud.

It’s day four of 2012 and there are rumblings of people back to work – you can feel it – actually you can see it in the emails being replied to after a respectable pause over the break.

That Holiday Sense for me

What is a holiday? Driving in the country today a herd of dairy cows walking in a line sharply brought back a memory of a boy-time holiday on dairy-farmer Uncle George’s farm. That was a real holiday! The surf, a barbeque, reading a new and interesting book on a new and as yet unexplored topic all mean holidays for me too. I struggle to get that sense to start with and I don’t mind admitting it hasn’t quite arrived yet, but I feel it might tomorrow. Really!

I’m back to work – or should I say off to my new work – on Monday week so that holiday sense better get here pretty bloody soon, or else. Christmas has been and gone – I enjoy the anticipation and the 26th even more! I visited my parents in Christchurch, somehow missing the worst of the recent quakes and connected with family as best as I could on a brief visit. I’ve done some work and although there will be a little more to do, the sense of the holiday is upon me.

That invisible feeling of being on holiday that means reflection, true perspective on what matters and a genuine recharge of the energy. That’s right a run tomorrow! Second of the year.

Like making the Tintin movie, you just know when you’ve got it. I hope you’ve had or are having it. Otherwise, blistering barnacles, go and see Tintin with Captain Haddock. That’s a holiday feeling definitely here, thinking about that!

Stephen

These are the good old days!

The Polish clockmaker finally declared Grandma’s Clock restored after two months and $400. The Chimes are fully wound so there shouldn’t be too much sleep for the next week or so for anyone in my house! I headed to my farewell lunch at Vivace after collecting the clock. As well as being called a traitor and a prick some lovely messages were given directly to me by people who’s opinions I greatly value and respect. I’ve made one last visit to my office at Manukau but got distracted by  what turned out to be the Manukau City Brass Band playing Carols in the Chancery.

Stephen Drain, John Raine, Kevin Pryor, Philip Sallis & Derek McCormack

Pacific men, women and boys in black trousers, white shirts, ties pumping out one soothing carol after another. I sat and listened for a while. Reminded me of the Sallies in Christchurch when I was a boy. On the way out to my office, Grandma’s Clock declared it 12 noon and chimed as I drove. More memories.

At lunch we talked about the Wisdom Retreat I recently ran. Mindfulness was mentioned and Derek reminded us that these are indeed the good old days. Can you enjoy this moment whether it be the brass band you come across, the coffee with a friend, or at a stretch, even Christmas Lunch, for what it is? That special moment.

Working at AUT has been a special moment in my life. I’ve built something quite special, been free to be creative, had a lot of fun and made many life-long friends. I’m very grateful. I’ve tried to feel it on the way, to embrace the special moments on the way – the first Authentic Leadership Course, the Queenstown marketing module on the Innovative Leaders GM Programme and my personal favourite, the Wisdom Retreat. These were definitely good old days for me.

I’m also grateful to the many clients who put their trust in me to help them on their journey. I hope I helped. I hope there are more good old days starting in 2012. New job, still doing what I love, and more!

Thank you.

Stephen

ps and here’s the two people who came in behind me and made most of the stuff actually happen!

Lyn and Tamara - Thanks!

Six archive boxes and some certificates

I loaded them into the car tonight. Almost the end of an era for me. Three years at AUT setting up the Centre for Innovative Leadership, creating programmes with a focus on authenticity and innovation. So many workshops, coaching sessions, client meetings I couldn’t begin to count. Quiet satisfaction of building something. Grief on making the decision to leave what I’d started. That passed.

Now it’s excitement. They’ll be more leadership and other stuff too. Building a business in another context. More growth. More blogs. Can’t wait!

I put up my Christmas Tree tonight, complete with evil guy in the box reading “Christmas for Athiests”. Where he got that from I can’t imagine.

One more workshop in the morning. A great team wanting to finish the year getting their stuff on the table. We’ll do that, kick it around a bit, understand each other better and commit to watering our relationships in 2012. Connect and Commit is what we’ve talked about. Along with Clarity and Direction.

I’m connecting with all sorts of people at the moment. I ran into Barbara Horne yesterday who seemed very concerned that I would continue to blog! Nice to know someone is reading! Thanks. Too many “catch up for a coffees” to do them all but I’ll try. I’m commiting to more blogs – truth is they do lots for me – so why wouldn’t I? Great processing. I’ve got pretty good clarity and direction about what I’m doing in 2012, but it will be ambiguous – new stuff always is and it makes it all the better. Does for me anyhow.

Those certificates will find a new home but the six archive boxes will probably go untouched for a while. You never need most of the stuff. Why is that? No idea. Maybe a security blanket I might need to blog about one day.

Almost time to archive 2011 but before you do, connect and commit to take the great people with you from 2011 forward.

Stephen