The upside of taking the plunge!

During our recent family holiday to Vietnam, my husband, two kids, and I took a cruise to Ha Long Bay. After a day of kayaking and swimming in the warm, green-coloured water, surrounded by beautiful limestone mountain formations, we had the chance to enjoy some more water activities, including the opportunity to jump, dive and in the case of my teenage sons, backflip off our boat.

I love the ocean and swimming is one of my favourite activities. However, I'm not a big fan of heights or jumping from them. So, when my kids and husband asked me to join them in jumping off the boat, I declined, choosing to swim in the water rather than leap into it. But as I floated in the beautiful ocean, with the sun setting behind the granite pillars , I started thinking about the importance of teaching my boys to step out of their comfort zones and to be brave.

My leadership philosophy has always been to model the behaviours I expect to see in others. Knowing this, and wanting to honour it, I realised I didn't really have a choice but to give it a go. So, I climbed up the eight rungs on the ladder to the top deck, looked my kids in the eye, and said, "Okay, I'm going to be brave and jump."

Their faces lit up with excitement, and they both encouraged me to come to the edge. When I reached the edge and looked down, my bravado started to wane quickly. It was higher than I had anticipated, and the girl who had jumped before me had complained about the stinging sensation on her body after diving and landing in the water.

This made me even more cautious, so rather than jump immediately, I stepped back from the edge to gather my thoughts. I was nervous, in my head, and exceptionally vulnerable. My mind, as it often does, started to justify why it would be okay not to jump off the boat, but I had promised my kids I would do it and their persistent encouragement eventually led me to take the plunge (although I would say it was more of a flailing jump than a perfect pin drop).

While my jump wasn’t a flawless Olympic dive, and I consumed way more salty water in my mouth and nose than your average water jumper, it was a proud moment for me and for my kids.

They were pleased because I confronted something I feared, of which I was pleased too. I was also proud because I was walking my talk, being integral to my values and the philosophies I speak of constantly – Courage, Growth, Integrity and Vulnerability.

I have seen time and time again, of which I am sure you have too, leaders, parents, influencers and people in positions of power talk a big game but fail to act on their own principles.

This has a huge flow on affect because it causes:

• Disillusionment: Loss of faith.
• Inconsistency: Uncertainty and mixed messages.
• Distrust: Doubt and scepticism.

Just to name a few!

Many studies in organisational behaviour and leadership as well as the field of psychology endorse these negative consequences including the 2023 Annual Edelman Trust Barometer, revealing a global decline in trust towards leaders and institutions, with only 38% of respondents saying they trust businesses and leaders to do what is right.

With so much complexity, uncertainty, and volatility in our world and workplaces right now, our people, your people need us to be:

• Clear and consistent
• Trustworthy and reliable
• Courageous and confident

They want to hear this in our communication, and they want to see it in our actions. They want us to lead the way and inspire them to do the same.

It’s not always easy, (I certainly don't do these things all of the time) and you will not always get it right, but knowing what you value, what your guiding principles are, and the behaviours you would like to see in others is a great starting point.

That, and of course, being brave enough to take a leap of faith!

I trust this has been helpful in some way shape or form.

#leadership #leadbyexample #leadershiplessons