What drives you and sustains your vision?

There isn't a person I've met or come across, even fleetingly, who has achieved some measure of "success" whose courage doesn't pique my interest. Even those I don't like or who have achieved something I don't personally value. I'm always curious; what drives them, what did it take, what sustained their vision?

Perhaps because I walk with my clients through their highs and lows. The disappointment of setbacks, the joys of progress and the personal risks they've taken with every micro-step that keeps their vision alive. The not giving up, being creative and resilient, doing the right thing in the face of an integrity-challenging 'quick win' - and the time it actually takes to get there. It's always messy in the middle.

And the measure of success or risk? In each case, it's rooted in self-knowledge, often overcoming something deeply personal. Fears, personal beliefs and past defeats, which have a way of hindering progress, are unearthed and steadily replaced with new lenses that support the future they are actively creating. Kalil Gibran's poem "Defeat" comes to mind...

Defeat, my Defeat, my solitude and my aloofness;

You are dearer to me than a thousand triumphs,

And sweeter to my heart than all world-glory.

...

Defeat, my Defeat, my bold companion,

You shall hear my songs and my cries and my silences,

And none but you shall speak to me of the beating of wings,

And urging of seas,

And of mountains that burn in the night,

And you alone shall climb my steep and rocky soul.

Kalil Gibran

This week, climate change is front of mind and when I think of the people who have fought the good fight to raise awareness and provoke action over the last couple of decades, I am in deep awe and wonderment.

Change takes takes courage, commitment and work. Not only the 'get-up, show-up and get the job done' kind of work. The personal work that asks us to dig deep and "keep on keeping on".

I also have a very special offer for you of free personality and emotional intelligence reports in exchange for contributing to some important research. Read on...

3 Things to enrich your thinking for the week ahead

My aim each week?is to bring you three things worth knowing about, thinking more deeply about or taking action on. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this week's trio...

Contribute to a global study that recognises the value in all people...

This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to a global neurodiversity study being run by award-winning Lumina Learning - and yes, it's open to everyone whether you are neurotypical, neurodiverse or living with chronic conditions or disabilities.

It's your chance to help with research that supports more inclusive, diverse, and ultimately fairer workplaces that recognise the value in all people.

This latest piece of research explores our different experiences of workplace assessments. In exchange, you'll have the opportunity to complete the Lumina Spark (personality) and Lumina Emotion (EQ) questionnaires (15-minutes each to complete) and you'll receive your free personalised Portraits shortly after completion of each questionnaire.

You'll also receive free access to the Lumina Splash App , which is aimed at increasing your self-awareness and allows you to compare your results with other people.

Click on this link to take part in this research, which should take you about 15-minutes to complete:?https://lnkd.in/eaXJT-t4

Once you've received your Lumina Spark Portrait, take a tour with the Lumina Spark Explainer , which will introduce you to the key concepts that underpin the model and help you get the most from your Spark Portrait.

If you'd like some help interpreting your reports or want to explore using Lumina in your organisation, please send me a private message or mail.

Using visual storytelling to raise the alarm on climate change

These last weeks have been extra-ordinarily heat-infused and incredibly destructive in numerous places around the world and many of us are experiencing first-hand what some aspects of global warming actually look and feel like.

Has this time provoked you to think more deeply about climate change in relation to your role, in your business, in your sector and the ecosystems you operate within?

Do you believe in the role of business as leading agents of change and the true enablers of sustainability or do you think our governments should take the lead? How will your role and business be impacted in five, ten, fifteen years from now and can business truly be a "force for good"? What can you do to help mitigate the worst effects of climate change today and well into the future?

These are just some of the questions the leadership teams I work with have been asking and what better way to illustrate climate change than through visual storytelling?

I came across a brilliant campaign from Danish broadcasting company?TV 2 Denmark?titled "Our Earth - our responsibility " illustrating what iconic city benches, which have been a fixture across Denmark since 1888, might look like in the face of the climate crisis and?rising sea levels.

10 Benches in Copenhagen were raised by 1 meter (3.28 feet) and set up in prominent areas of the city. A copper plate on each bench reads:

“Flooding will become part of our everyday life unless we start doing something about our climate. According to the latest UN Climate Report sea-levels are expected to rise with up to 1 meter before 2100 if the global warming continues.”

"Inclusion’s Next Wave " - the implications for brands and businesses

We've been working on all things Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) for what seems like aeons. We often focus on the starting point, that of leadership thinking and corporate culture, however, our thinking, culture, products and services need to work together and through all of our stakeholders, including our supply chains, to have the desired impact.

Wunderman Thompson recently published a really insightful report on inclusion, which unpacks emerging consumer trends and shares the impact and implications for brands and businesses. It builds on their previous research in Brazil, China, Japan, the UK and the US and includes exclusive interviews case studies and brand takeaways. There were some notable findings:

And 60% agree that brands that do not deliver on inclusion will become irrelevant.

You can download the full 143-page report here.

If you'd like to explore building the foundations of DEI&B through the lens of leadership thinking and corporate culture, do get in touch.

Thank you for reading #LIFT?- I trust the 3 things explored here enrich your week ahead and beyond. Please comment and share your thoughts with us and if you know of someone else who would also enjoy this edition, why not?share it?

If you'd like to talk to me directly, please send me a private message or email:?[email protected]