Old, New and Unknown

I have spent a lot of time over the last month away from friends as have been spending time with my family after a sad loss. While it has been necessary to be with my family, and is amazing to see everyone pull together, I have been away from London and friends for a while. Now I don’t mean to be insensitive, seem self absorbed, or “all about me”, the nature of a blog can be that that’s the case. It just struck me how much you miss that stimulation, good times, jokes, messing around and talking inane rubbish.

This may seem a no-brainer, and I guess it is, but I was surprised how just over a few weeks I have really noticed this.

So where to from here I hear you shout (although is the internet like space, where nobody can hear you scream/shout?), well it got me thinking about the old, new and unknown.

I have missed the old (friends) while spending time with the really old (family), and have many new and unknown to get to know on the course. While the old (friends and family) are like a pair of old slippers, although having never worn slippers I wouldn’t know, but I get the sentiment, I am really excited about the new and unknown, and the process of the unknown becoming the new, and then wherever it takes us.

The nature of my role is one of unknown becoming new, becoming known, becoming old, I add that I am not being ageist, but rather the process of meeting, getting to know, knowing, understanding, and then seeing what next. This is one of the best parts of the role for me, walking into a room of 50 emerging leaders, who you will spend the next 5 months with, who you know to those that are unknown is so exciting and interesting, and is a real honour, you don’t find yourself in that situation everyday.

For all of the people on the course, the unknown will become the known, and the people the unknown then the closely known, I look forward to it.

A

I had the pleasure and honour to spend the final day facilitating the final core day of the emerging leaders course a week ago and have wanted to share my thoughts on it, reflect on the good times, and share my experience of the day.

Where to start? Well I guess first and foremost I was amazed by people's ability to go 12 hours plus straight with a smile on their face, inquistiveness on their tongue, and self reflection and challenge etched on their brow, while all I felt was exhaustion etched all over me. I don't think I need to go into details of the day, this is rather a random collection of thoughts from the day as they have sunk in.

The 'tribe', thanks Houston, really shared their learning, and hopes for their leadership future in such an open and trusting way, as they shuffled, hopped and skipped into the circle as and when what was shared resonated with them. Even the close proximity of the exercise, as people hopped ever closer into a ball, really struck me as indicative of the group and the way they bonded and respected each other. I'm not one for huge sentimental gushings, well sometimes, but it really brought home to me what 5 months of challenging, supporting and working together can do for 40 strangers.

So what is the leader they want to become, as we asked them at the end of the day? That I look forward to finding out as they go out and take London, the UK and the world by storm, and I hope they continue to do it with a smile on their face, inquisitiveness on their tongues, and reflection and challenge etched on their brow.