Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog tips is doing a group writing project where bloggers write a review of 2009. Now is an ideal time for me to look back over the last year before moving on to 2010.

It’s surprising how much change there has been and how much I have learned along the way. I hope my regular readers have enjoyed learning alongside me.

Here’s my summary of my key leadership lessons in 2009:

January – Creating the change we want to see in the world

Obama was inaugurated and set the tone for the year. He opened people up to possibilities, to dreaming what is possible rather than fighting the things we don’t like. He inspired me to realise that if we want to create the change we want to see in the world, our own small world or the larger global world, then we need to start acting. We need to do our bit. I realised that I was not making the best use of my talents and I started to change course.

What is the change you want to see in the world and what step can you take towards it?

February – Using nature as an inspiration for leadership

I joined a blogging course run by Daniel Scocco and Leaders by Nature was born. I became aware of how much I am inspired by nature and how it can teach us as leaders. I’m passionate about leaders connecting with nature. By that, I mean I want to see leaders connecting with their own true nature, their inner selves.

I want leaders to develop skills to connect better with each other, to learn to understand each other so that we can build harmonious relationships and work together for common goals. I realise how much nature can show us the way to be in rhythm with our natural world. Of course, this requires us to slow down and notice what is happening in nature.

What leadership lesson can nature teach you?

March – being bold creates opportunities

I wrote a blog about being bold and was inspired to take a year out of my corporate life and devote myself to building my coaching and leadership development business. In hindsight, I realise this was not so much a bold step as a natural step and yet at the time, it felt enormous… to let go of my career, to let go of the definition of who I thought I was. In letting go of being defined by the role and career I had, I opened myself up to greater opportunities and personal transformation.

What can you let go of to enable you to open up to opportunities?

April – leading with love

I started my year’s sabbatical and turned my attention to coaching and leadership and developed my blog. In doing so, I started to realise how little love there is in the workplace and how much more enjoyable our daily work is when it is built around love. I feel fortunate enough to be running a business that has love at its core. I love my clients and champion them along the way as they evolve naturally. When we see each other as human beings and learn to love each other, the workplace becomes a better place to be.

What happens when you allow yourself to love your colleagues?

May – being authentic

I started a year long Leadership course run by the Coaches Training Institute, a truly transformational journey which I am still on. After the first week, I started to understand the essence of me at a deeper level and learned to connect to the core of who I am and what I stand for in the world.

I realised how much I had been domesticated throughout my life and had lost my authenticity. In May, I regained it and built the foundations for my continuing growth throughout 2009.

Who are you when you show up fully in your authenticity?

June – the power of asking for help

I started to reach out and  ask for help with new projects. In doing so, I learned far more than just asking for help. I learned how to build deeper rapport with others and create greater intimacy. By asking people for help, I was giving them the chance to give me something. I opened up to being vulnerable, not needing to have all the answers and that was a gift to those who were able to help me.

Where can you ask for help? What is the gift you give someone else by asking for help?

July – mending broken relationships

I learned how to connect with someone who I did not originally have rapport with. I had made all sorts of assumptions up about her and had withdrawn. I learned how to lean into building rapport with someone with whom I felt I had little in common and in doing so, I learned my greatest gift of the year… the power of connections. I learned how easy it is to connect when we let go of needing to be right.

What broken relationship can you mend by leaning in and connecting?

August – the courage to speak the truth

I started to stretch into speaking my truth much more. I’ve always considered myself to be honest and direct. At this point in the year, I started to speak the hard truth, the things I knew people didn’t want to hear. I dared to be rejected and found that in most cases, I built deeper connections with people because I was courageous enough to be honest.

What truth  do you want to speak?

September – daring to fail

I learned that I can push past the “I can’t”. I realised that I say “I can’t” when what I really mean is “I don’t know how”. In daring to fail, spectacularly, I started to do things I’d never dared do before.

I let go of my self-limiting beliefs, the stories that I had previously told myself that hold me back. I learned to be open to every situation, to let go of needing to know how things look before embarking on trying something new.

What story do you have that holds you back and keeps you playing safe?

October – finding our natural rhythm of life

By taking some time out and spending time in nature, I saw the inspiration that nature offers us in everyday life. I realised how much my new life this year is in rhythm with the seasons and in time with my own natural rhythm of life. I’ve moved from rushing around frantically to being comfortable with my own pace and saying no to things that I have no space or time for.

What’s the natural rhythm of your life?

November – being liberated from the fear of rejection

In speaking my truth, people sometimes withdraw. It can be too powerful, too much. I learned how to be ok with that. To see each “rejection” as a temporary withdrawing. To trust that I come from a place of love and compassion and that those who want to engage with me, will stay, even when I call them forth. I no longer need to run in fear of rejection. I can embrace it, welcome it, learn from it. It’s more empowering to look at rejection in this way and more liberating.

What can you learn from rejection? How can you embrace it?

December – 2009 in review

So here I am looking back at 2009. What a ride. I feel as though I’ve transformed and evolved more this year than ever before. I started the year unhappy with my corporate life, running my coaching business in parallel and feeling drained of energy.

I end 2009 feeling solid and grounded and centred. I have a deep inner knowing about who I am and what I stand for. I have clarity around the impact I want to have on the world. That’s a huge achievement in one year. And I can say that with such confidence.

Gratitude for 2009

I am grateful for so many things in my life, in particular my amazing husband who stands so strong beside me on our journey together.  With him by my side, I trust that there is wisdom in every experience, that my vibrancy and aliveness is infectious and that I can have the impact on the world that I want to have.

To my clients, family and friends, I love you all deeply.

To my regular readers, I love and welcome your comments. When we engage in dialogue, my blog and life is enriched. I hope for more and deeper connections in 2010.

To those who are dropping by for the first time, you are most welcome and I greet you with open arms and would love to hear your stories.

I wish you all  health and happiness and look forward to sharing our evolution together in 2010.

With love,
Jude. x

Related posts:

1. 11 Leadership lessons from an unusual mentor
2. Authentic leadership is easy
3. Finding your natural rhythm of life
4. Speaking your truth
5. Is the fear of rejection running your life?