Coming back stronger...

I am tired and ready to recharge but grateful for the lessons of the past 4 months. I have read lots on LinkedIn recently about business strategy, leadership, culture and resilience during the Corona-virus pandemic. Some great leaders giving valuable insights into success and failure, mixed with a cocktail of lesson learned. The past four months have been challenging and I have experienced a range of emotions: anxiety, fear, panic, hope, joy, gratitude to name a few.

I became CEO of Cancer Fund for Children, a charity that supports children and young people impacted by cancer at the beginning of 2019. In 2010, I started that same organisation as a Youth and Community worker never with the intention of leading it years later. My job was to support children and young people face to face. I loved it and I definitely miss it! Its a huge privilege to work alongside these young people and most importantly be present with them through their cancer.

We do a job with clear purpose and personally having spent many hours sitting alongside young people and listening to how cancer has ripped through their lives it is very clear the benefits of such support. Doing a job like this is not something to be taken for granted, we are all extremely fortunate. Alongside each role I have taken on in this charity, I have grown and developed. Always learning! Yes, we have faced crisis, uncertainty, change but in March this year as I prepared for our senior management meeting to discuss our response to Covid 19, I felt unprepared as a leader, unworthy and completely out of my depth. Faced with a financial cliff-edge, like many other we were unsure if we would survive as a charity. Fundraising income collapsed overnight.

March/April was the most intense, stressful, couple of months. Making plans, adjusting strategy, scenario after scenario, receiving advice...

So four months later what did I learn:

1. Control- There are many things that are out of my control and that is OK! I always come back to this. It has the potential to drive you crazy and lead to panic and anxiety. Don't let it!
2. Gratitude- This has been huge. There have been many individuals, businesses, Foundations, Gov. who have helped us through this crisis. I am also grateful for my team. I trust them and feel very blessed to have them alongside as we make decisions as a charity. I am proud of how they put families at the center. They are the Stewards this charity deserves.
3. Compassion- Show yourself some compassion. You wont always get it right. Like me you don't have all the answers.
4. Be Brave-Be Brave- Be Brave- Instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or fear of criticism (Eric Wright). And that takes me to coming back Stronger...

I am taking some holidays mid-August. I know I need to switch off for a couple of weeks, rest with my family and refill. Take care of my mind, body, spirit.

Preparing to take some Annual Leave, I already feel energized, focused and assured that Cancer Fund for Children has a huge role to play in supporting children across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the coming years. The integrity and drive of this team, in their pursuit to improve the depth, reach and impact of our services gives me great confidence and excitement.

No doubt, we are only at the beginning of realizing the impact of Covid economically across society. We are not naive but we will come back stronger.

Focused | Reflective | Learning and Listening to those who use our service | Better communication | Brave | Compassionate to ourselves | Grateful | Better Donor Care | Stronger Relationships | Courageous | Bold |

& most importantly #Together Through Cancer