Can you solve your leadership challenge by looking through a different lens?

It's that time of year when talk of summer jobs pops up, long days and bored teenagers! I was reminded of our summer jobs as young teenagers. Those of you from certain parts of Ireland will knowingly nod, when I mention the word BOG!?

Being from the West of Ireland, the default summer job?was the?BOG! “City folk” or “townies” won’t know what this is! (my readers from far-off places will be forgiven!)?

If for some reason you’re not sure what Bog means, let me explain as best I can. Fuel in the form of peat was cut from a certain type of land aka Bog, dried and used for the winter months for heat (turf). The landscape is brown, barren and desolate. It’s currently controversial?to cut peat in the Bog now, but it was the norm at a time.?

My father had a turf cutting machine – hence lots of cutting and lots of “saving” of turf and having six children – lots of staff!?

As many children as possible were packed into a car, taken to the bog for the day where turf was “saved” by “turning/lifting/footing/reckling” clumps of (often wet) peat.?

This will help understand more, give you a laugh and take some of you down memory lane! Thank you, Morgan Freeman?for explaining everything!

I don’t recall being paid for this “back breaking” work.?

I do recall getting amazing tans, if only we knew a tan was actually sought after back then.?

Of course, through a teenager’s memory it felt like we lived there for the summer months (which looking back, of course we didn’t!) and we hated it – God we hated it, maybe we hated everything!?

My son, only this morning, asked if he could go to the bog, not quite knowing what it actually means – be careful what you wish for!?

Many years later, I now go running in the Bog.?

It is a place of solitude, a place of silence (it was never a glamorous spot, let’s face it).?

I’ve solved many a challenge pounding around the brown marshy landscape.

I’ve had great ideas come to me, and plans made.?

I’ve shed my tears, vented my anger, laughed at myself and clocked up a fair few slow miles.?

I now see it as a gift of sorts to me.?

The bog hasn’t changed over millennia – I often think it makes no apologies for what it represents.?

WHAT HAS CHANGED IS MY PERSPECTIVE.?

There is great power in seeing challenges from different perspectives.?

Here’s a task:?

Think of a current challenge you face – a person/task/situation.

Name the perspective you are in: sad, pissed off, frustrated, angry.?

Then ask yourself:?

• What has this perspective cost me??
• What have I missed out on because of this perspective??
• Does this perspective prevent me from happiness and peace??
• What am I grateful for in this moment??
• What would my mentor or hero do??
• What can I learn from this??

Maybe?it's time for a new perspective on that challenge?

Thank you for reading.

Olivia MacDonnell

Founder, Confident Speak

My work with clients is often to help them with challenging topics through the use of perspective taking. To see and experience challenges, obstacles, frustrations from different perspectives whether that’s a challenging work/home situation, or a colleague/task they struggle with. It’s my role to challenge their thinking and viewpoint of a situation. In essence, to widen their lens so that they see a way forward, and it’s powerful work.?

It’s hard to figure this type of thing out alone.?

If you're curious to understand more about working together, you know where to find me!

Listening to Lankum, I was at a live gig recently, and loved it, so they are back on the desk! Have a listen.?

Reading Twelve Sheep, by local author John Connell where he learns “valuable life lessons from a lambing season. The writer finds much food for thought and reflection during his time on a sheep farm” (Irish Independent) I’ve enjoyed his books so far, not sure how this one will go!