The Leader’s Odyssey

“A??ν ?ριστε?ειν” (Ever to Excel) - Homer

At the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus left Troy and travelled for 10 long years. He experienced the most extraordinary adventures, fought monsters, lost his men and treasures, challenged the gods, before finally arriving home - the island of Ithaca.

But even then, and after he killed the men who were trying to take his kingdom and his wife Penelope, he would leave once again to get to a place that no man had ever arrived before. The place beyond The Pillars of Hercules, the unknown world….

We love the story of Odysseus, because he lives inside us.

What’s your leader’s journey?

You have led teams, build businesses, launched new ideas, navigated unfamiliar waters. You accumulated skills. The future is bright open.?

Now imagine yourself in your leader’s journey – two, three, ten years from now. How are you changing? What shifts are happening inside you? ???

You see beyond the “war you fight today”. You see “possibilities”, that most don’t. As an explorer, you seek opportunity, value and beauty, in unexpected places. You raise your antennas; you see amazing potential around you.

You re-frame reality, you realise people “don’t believe what they see, but they see what they believe”. You create new beliefs, new meanings. “You cannot overtake 15 cars in sunny weather, but you can when it’s raining.”,?as Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna said.

You understand that real leaders speak to our soul. That’s their genius. They inspire?something that already exists in us. They pay attention to feelings, to thoughts that we also have. As American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, said “In every work of genius we recognize our own neglected thoughts.”

You learn to bravely smile to life. ?This is not being na?ve – this is deep appreciation of life – its ups, downs, its absurdity, dramas – and its impermanence. An optimistic spirit, who can also find the humour in dark times…

You realise everything in life, - challenge, struggles, dilemmas - is a “test”, an opportunity. To show up for others, and to live your potential – you welcome it. ???

You show confidence to work through adverse and uncertain situations. Faith to confront any reality. Kindness, because you have seen how much pain people silently experience. You care deeply, by daring to speak the hard truths. Your pride is rooted on accomplishments and persisting through setbacks - not hubris, or inflated self-importance.

You raise the energy of any room you enter. You connect personally, you enter with enthusiasm, freshness. You make people feel special.

You stay curious. A great observer of people, you try to understand them more, judge less. You read their acts and behaviours,?not just their words.? You ask:?What brought them to this belief? You reassess yourself: why did I do this? What are my triggers? What would I do differently next time?

You connect with your soul - your core essence. You look inward, who you really are. Your purpose leads over the raw ambition. You say to yourself?"I choose to be good, for the honour of it, not for getting something in return. This is my reward”.?

You learn that you can’t be truly free, unless you commit to your purpose. “Freedom from…” multiplies your options, but “freedom to…” multiplies your power.

You listen from your heart, you engage, you understand you can’t do things alone. But at the same time, you trust your own instincts, your gut, to do what is right. Your whole intention is to serve. To lead, not to please.? ?

You learn that the biggest risk is taking no risks. You experiment, you try new ways, you bring out new parts of you. ?You have the courage to?put your ideas out into the world. You seize the moment, you don’t hesitate.

You learn that status, prestige, money and fame feel great at the moment, and will drive your motivation for a while, but for sustained success and fulfilment you must lean deeper. To build something beautiful and real, from your soul. To find your own “map to meaning”: A worthy cause… living your most authentic values… What makes it thrilling to get up in the morning…

You realise that true authenticity is “becoming?the best you can be”. Growing, not betraying your potential. You are authentic when you are present to the needs of the moment.

You focus to win for the world, not just for your tribe, to repair broken systems of trust in the fragile society we live.

You have passed through fire… and now it all makes perfect sense. Your challenges, adventures, your failures and victories – your tears and laughs. You come to terms with yourself…

And you bring the “gold” back home….

You don’t slow down as you get older; there is always a new beginning, a new challenge. Yet, you feel “beautifully small” in a vast, magnificent universe.

You realise that no matter?what happens outside, the real battle is won INSIDE you.

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Odysseus was a formidable warrior, but also a wise man.

Throughout his journey he learned a great deal about himself and the world. He proved his courage time and time again.

Like him, we never “arrive” as leaders, what matters is to take the journey – and live it with all our heart.? ?

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Thanks very much for reading.