Sometimes, we have to dig deep to find the inner reserves that keep us going when the going gets tough.

One of the most inspiring books I have ever read is a book called Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It follows the story of Greg Mortenson who tried and failed to climb K2 in the Himalayas.

After getting lost on the way down, he spends the night alone on the mountainside and makes peace with his failure. “It was his body that had failed, he decided, not his spirit, and every body had its limits. He, for the first time in his life had found the absolute limit of his.”

What an inspiration that is.

To recognise that sometimes our bodies fail us, sometimes our minds too. We can choose to allow our spirit to be crushed by failure or we can choose to bounce back and accept it as being a step beyond our capacity in that moment. Move on and learn. So easy to say and so much more difficult to do.

The following day, Greg continues to make his way down the mountain, gets lost and ends up in a remote village in Pakistan. He is warmly received and looked after by the villagers and vows to return to build a school for the local children who he finds drawing in the dirt because they have no school and no teacher.

The rest of the book follows his journey through the trials and tribulations of building this school and how he then went on to build a total of 55 schools in Pakistan. He has one hurdle after another to contend with. What struck me in this book was his ability to pick himself up, dust himself down and keep going, knowing that what he is working towards is worth the heartache, the challenge and more importantly, worth continuing to go after.

Ultimately, he realised that in building schools, he was making a difference to peace in the area as educated children were less likely to go off and join the Taliban. Instead, they found jobs and made a difference in their own community. Greg has now set up a charity called Pennies for Peace where children donate a penny each towards educating children all over the world.

Three Cups of Tea is a truly inspirational story of how one man can create a humanitarian movement that has a major impact in the world.

It’s also a story that shows how one man can overcome failure and adversity and through his resilience can achieve far more than he ever dreamed was possible.

How do you deal with failure?

How resilient are you?

Some of the world’s most inspirational leaders have failed and overcome it. They are  resilient. Think Nelson Mandela. Think Richard Branson. Think Mother Teresa. These are leaders who have all made mistakes, who have all encountered incredible adversity and obstacles in their way and who all kept going because they knew that what they were fighting for was worth the effort.

When do you give up and walk away?

When do you keep going because you know you are following something worth fighting for?

Putting it into practice

1. Next time you have a setback or a nagging self-doubt, consider what it is that you are aiming for.
2. Consider what needs to happen.
3. Reach out and ask for help.
4. Who inspires you as a leader for coping with failure and being resilient? How do they deal with failure?
5. What other tips do you have for coping with failure and being resilient?

With love,
Jude. x

Post from: Leaders By Nature

The importance of resilience and failure

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We are a tribe of leaders who met on a year long leadership programme run by the Coaches Training Institute. Many of the  blog posts I’ve written in the last year have tracked my learning from that programme… a truly inspirational journey.

The Earth Dragons are 22 leaders from 13 countries spanning 4 continents. We cross multiple timezones from Toronto, through Europe, Dubai and Japan. We speak different languages. We’ve worked via skype, email, conference calls. We’ve co-designed and co-created a website that is an expression of us and an expression of the work we want to do in the world, the difference we want to make. We’ve done it effortlessly, with ease, with a sense of joy.

Since graduating in March, we’ve been brainstorming ideas and collectively produced this website. What I am proud of is our commitment to each other to work collaboratively together, our desire to make a difference in the world in a variety of ways and most importantly the way we work together with lightness, ease and playfulness. Work has never been so much fun.

The website is just the first step to express ourselves. The real work we are planning together is a Leadership Festival. This is 2 days of evolutionary leadership development with a difference. It will inspire leaders who attend to lead with renewed energy, aliveness, confidence, self-awareness and greater creativity.

Now that is an impact.

It’s a big promise. And we will deliver that and more.

When we dream big, it’s important to believe in those dreams in order to execute them. One thing is clear, the Earth Dragon tribe are here to execute. We are here to live out our dreams, to do work together that is aligned with our life purposes, that is an expression of the unique gifts we have to share with the world.

Bold statements. We are a bold tribe.

Our passions range from making corporations more human to working in Africa, with children, with parents, women, raising consciousness of food, teaching people to express their love, making the world we live in more sustainable, sharing the wisdom of the world.

I’m proud to belong to a tribe of leaders who I know are making a difference in the world. If you like what you see, please contact me here or any of the Earth Dragons via our website. We’d be delighted to collaborate with you.

What’s the difference you want to make in the world?

Putting it into practice

1. What’s your dream?
2. Name it. Share it. Inspire others with it. Ask for help.
3. Collaborate with others.
4. Take a first small step today.

The world needs us to express our unique gifts in the world. Shine your light.

With love,
Jude. x

Post from: Leaders By Nature

Launching the Earth Dragon Leadership Festival and website

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In reality, the small things we do actually are the big things… in terms of having an impact.

For example, I visit  a local residential home for the elderly with my dog Gracie as part of the Pets as Therapy charity. We’ve only been a few times and already the residents recognise us when we arrive and everyone’s faces light up. It’s really heart-warming and I realise that an hour and a half of my time every two weeks is making a huge difference to people’s lives. People are opening up, smiling, feeling loved, having physical contact.

This is a big deal. A tiny thing to do and a big impact.

And it got me thinking about all the other seemingly minor things I could be doing or already am doing that have a bigger impact than I realise.

What minor things are you putting off that could have an impact?

What minor things are you already doing that have a major impact?

We can sometimes get caught up in the next big thing. We think that to make a difference, we have to do something huge. The fact is that all over the world, people are making a difference, in many ways, some big, some small.

So it’s time to reach out, to connect with others, to start making a difference in any way you know how. You have talents and skills that are desperately needed. How will you use them?

Putting it into practice

1. Consider what you stand for. What 3 words sum up what you want for you and for the world?
2. Find small ways to bring more of those things into your life.
3. Notice the impact those things have and celebrate your magnificence.

With love,
Jude. x

Post from: Leaders By Nature

How minor things can make a big difference

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It has helped me navigate important decisions and know whether I am really living the life I want to live or the one that I think I should be living because everyone else thinks it’s right.

Which life are you living?

The life that fulfils you or the life you think you should be living?

As part of the year long Co-active Leadership programme I am doing, I’ve refined my life purpose statement. More than that, I am now creating actions that align with it. It’s one thing to have a life purpose. It’s another to actually live it every day of my life.

I am passionate about people understanding their inner selves and finding their true nature. I am passionate about building harmonious relationships and we do that when we connect with the nature of others and really understand them. And I’m passionate about the glory of the planet we live on, the diversity of the landscape, animals and nature, mountains and valleys, rough seas and calm pools, rushing rivers and gentle streams.

Nature represents the diversity in life. I love to travel and experience the amazing planet we live on. I love meeting people and discovering that although we have varied and interesting cultures, languages and behaviours, we are fundamentally the same. We are all human. We are all breathing in and out, all exchanging energy. We are all one.

So my life purpose is to connect people with nature – their own true nature, the nature of others (i.e. relationships) and the  glory of the natural world that we live in.

And for the first time in my life, I now have a business plan that involves doing just this. I plan to get people in business out in the fresh air,connecting with nature, their own true nature and connecting with the nature of others. Enhancing their wellbeing, their productivity, building community and being in harmony with our environment. I know this is just the beginning and I’m excited about the ride ahead. I hope you’ll join me along the way as I navigate the ups and downs of living my life purpose.

What’s your life purpose?

What is the essence of you?

When you know the essence of you, you can step into being more authentic, bringing more of you into the world, including your work life as well as your personal life. That’s compelling. And when you find your passion and really live it, you’re compelling.

Putting it into practice

1. If you have a life purpose statement already, consider how you are living your life in alignment with it. Make one small change today that will start to move you closer towards it.
2. If you don’t already have a life purpose, consider working with a coach to define one. Or try googling “life purpose”. There are plenty of free resources out there to get you started.

If you want help defining your life purpose, contact me for a special 45 mins Life Purpose coaching session.

With love,
Jude. x

Post from: Leaders By Nature

Living according to my life’s purpose

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The coaching training I have had and the leadership development that I continue to engage in is important. It provides a new way of being in the world. A new way that is desperately needed.

What is the Coaching Cafe?

The idea of the Coaching Cafe is to bring together small groups of people in an informal supportive environment where they can meet new people, learn something about themselves and support each other. An environment where people can share ideas and experiences and take something back into their lives that enables them to be different and have a different impact.

It’s about leading from the heart and soul, connecting with others, loving them, wanting the best for them, collaborating together, nurturing and supporting one another. For the benefit of the individual, the community and the world we live in. 

Being vulnerable

Coaching can be a vulnerable profession. It requires me as the coach to stick my neck on the line for the sake of the client becoming who they can be at their best.

The Coaching Cafe took my vulnerability to a new level. I had no idea if my concept would work. I engaged four trial clients and I stepped into being vulnerable. No protection. They did the same. They opened up with honesty and learned something about themselves.

In an hour and a half, they gained insights into who they are and how they operate. They learned things about themselves that make them better equipped to make decisions from the heart. Decisions that honour their values. Decisions that will make their heart sing.

A new world

That’s what I want for the world. I want you to have joy in your heart. Deep joy. From a deep place within you. I want you to connect with your true nature; I want you to connect with our beautiful planet and recognise how glorious our natural world is. I want you to cherish it and nurture it for future generations to come.

It’s a new way of being. Less doing. More being. More about how we show up in the world. And I realise that this is a vulnerable place for me because it’s so important. I’m opening myself up completely saying: “Here I am, this is what I stand for. Come with me.”

I was good at my corporate job. Highly respected. Rewarded well. Now I’m being me, it’s personal. I’ve let go of the job title and the role I was playing.. I can no longer hide behind the armour of the job.  Now it’s my heart and soul that are being put on the line. Failure seems not to be an option and yet it is inevitable. More than that. It’s essential. So that I can learn from it and move forward.

I realise that the more vulnerable I am, the more I give to the world and the people in it. The more I can be who I really am and have the impact I want to have. Leaders need to be vulnerable. To not know the path and dare to create a new one. To ask for help along the way. To collaborate with others to get there. To want to succeed and be willing to fail.

One step at a time

The Coaching Cafe was a major milestone. I’m so grateful to the four women who came along to the pilot session, who shared the moment of my major milestone with me, who supported my vulnerability and opened up their own vulnerability. For the sake of my learning and theirs.

What’s the impact you want to have on the world?

Who do you need to be to have that impact?

What do you need to let go of?

I look forward to more major milestones and putting my heart on the line for the sake of the world we live in. One step at a time. I hope you will join me.

With love,
Jude. x

Thanks also to 7 Square in Warwick who looked after us beautifully and provided a great space for the Coaching Cafe.

Post from: Leaders By Nature

Vulnerable leaders and a major milestone

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Yes I know there is still a lot to be done. Yes I know we can always do more. And yet we have made a difference.  We have achieved what I would have thought 20 years ago was impossible. Thankfully people like Bob Geldof took the lead and believed we would make a difference to poverty. Thank goodness for his leadership, his personal dedication, his ability to do something radical and creative and his personal belief that it was worth doing.

What are you doing to make a difference?

What’s the first step you can take?

The best leader I worked for was the one who saw the enormity of the challenge and said: “Let’s do one thing to make it better”. By breaking things down into tiny manageable chunks of activity, he transformed the seemingly impossible, where many others had failed before him.

The challenges we face in the world are enormous. Our personal challenges both at work and in our personal lives can sometimes be great. It’s important to focus on what we can do.

Putting it into practice:

• 1. What challenge do you see either at work, in your personal life or in the world today?
• 2. What one small thing will you do today to start to relieve it?
• 3. Add your comments below… perhaps other readers will join in and help you make the difference.

Who are you inspiring by your leadership today?

Together we will make a difference.

With love,

Jude. x

Post from: Leaders By Nature

Making a difference

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Scroll to the bottom of this post for the videos. Once I had decided to share this music, here’s what I realised.

The music is too good to be hidden away so I decided to spread the gift! I hope you will find something in the music to awaken your senses and emotions.

What is your unique gift to the world?

Each of us has knowledge, talents and passions. Many of us keep them hidden, sometimes even from ourselves. So I encourage you to acknowledge to yourself your talents, knowledge and passions and share them with the world.

What is your passion or unique talent that you are hiding from the world?

What will you do today to release it to the world?

I am passionate about my husband, my dog and my cat. I adore animals and nature. I love to spend time outdoors, experiencing the glory of this beautiful planet with all its diversity.

I am also passionate about coaching and personal development. Through coaching, I witness the amazing and unique journeys that each of my clients make and I get to experience it personally too. It’s so empowering! This year, I am increasing the time I spend coaching people and expanding my business because that’s where my heart really lies. In doing so, my clients get to step into their magnificent lives and be really fulfilled and I get the privilege of being with them every step of the way. What a gift for everyone!

I know that coaching and personal development is my gift, both to myself and to the world. It’s aligned with my values, my heart’s desires and my dreams. For too long, I held myself back, conforming to what I thought was expected of me. Most of us have all done this at some point in our lives. In reality, we can be and do anything we want to be and when we are aligned with our true selves and making an impact on the world, that’s when it all feels right.

What is your gift to yourself in 2009?

What is your gift to the world in 2009?

It’s time to release your gift to yourself and the world. Take the first step today by naming it in the comments below.

With love,
Jude.

Here are the videos. Enjoy! I’m sharing two videos because they are both so good! The first is Days like these. The music starts at 34 seconds.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vonv8oO6ak

The second video isThe Chariot.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-VOB8ajbzY

Hope you enjoyed them.

Post from: Leaders By Nature

Share your gifts and talents

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A few days later, I was sitting waiting to co-lead my first workshop on values-based leadership when I heard this song playing.

Something inside so strong by Labi Siffre

My ear immediately tuned into “the higher you build your barriers” because that’s what I’d been exploring earlier in the week. Hiding behind barriers is easy to do and yet there I was waiting to run a workshop which required me to open up and be vulnerable.

“Something inside so strong, I know that I can make it”

Somehow these words reminded me to be myself, to be bold, courageous and vulnerable all at the same time. I co-led the workshop from a place of full authenticity. I bared my soul to the room; I dared to fail spectacularly, to look like an idiot, to be rejected and instead I gained only love and understanding from the group.

When you have the courage to be vulnerable, what is available to you?

What do you gain when you let your barriers down?

When we keep personal barriers up to protect ourselves, we keep other people out and risk being misunderstood by those around us. That can lead to conflict and disharmony.

“Something inside so strong” was written by Labi Siffre as an anti-Apartheid anthem. I feel strongly about world peace. I want to do something to resolve conflict in the world and I feel compelled to change things for the better. Perhaps that change starts with me. When I let down my barriers and become better understood, I’m at peace with myself as well as those around me. Perhaps that’s the start of world peace?

What is it like to be at peace with yourself?

What’s available to you from this place of peace?

I coach people who are looking for peace – with themselves, in their relationships, in the workplace and in the world at large. My clients all share one thing in common. Although many of them do not know it when they first come to me, they are all bold, courageous and vulnerable. That’s where we connect on a deep level and I believe that’s where the peace begins – for us as individuals and for the world as a whole.

With love,
Jude. x

Post from: Leaders By Nature

No barriers to peace

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