Are you resisting the hero’s journey?

Our life is one huge journey, made up of a series of smaller journeys.  The choice for all of us is whether we see ourselves as the hero or the observer.  The role we choose to take determines our success in life, and by success I mean our ability to handle life and come out on top.

The hero’s journey is a map that can guide us as we negotiate our way through life and all it’s challenges and opportunities for growth.  It is the universal story of human development and if it didn’t work so well, we wouldn’t have a film industry, tv or best selling books.  What’s more for many of us that’s the only medium through which we learn about the hero’s journey, as a passive construct, rather than understanding it in a practical and personal context.

I’ve been working with and teaching the hero’s journey for many years now and I’ve been persuaded (ok it didn’t take much), by Chris Cooper of Be More Achieve More to share more of what I know with his clients on a teleseminar on the 27th July.  So you’re also invited too.  

During the call I’ll be answering questions like:-

- What is the Heroes Journey?

- How can it help us in a personal and a business context?

- What are the signs we’re resisting taking the journey and what are the implications?

 - What resources do we have access to that can help us through our journey?

 Plus there will be time for you to ask me your questions.

I’m currently teaching several coaches to use this in their work, here’s what one of them recently sent to me after her last coaching session “Just wanted to say a huge thank you , you are simply amazing and I can’t thank you enough for the insight you have given me.” 

 I do know what a difference understanding the hero’s journey has on life and so I hope you’ll join Chris and I on the 27th July at 8pm.  To register fill in the form below

Authentic Leadership Development – Using archetypes to improve your emotional intelligence

Ruler seeks Magician to help restore the kingdom

Jester seeks Creator to get right outside the box

Damsel in distress seeks knight, must have own horse.

The examples at the beginning may seem like strange lonely heart ads, but they’re universal patterns that we function around.

Take great movies like ET, Harry Potter, Pretty Woman, Cinderella, and those up for Oscars this year like Avatar.  Each is so powerful and successful because the characters embody a clear archetype and the story line is one we’re familiar with.  King Arthur needs his Merlin for Camelot to be healthy

An Archetype then is a root word that encodes a complete pattern.  If I said his leadership style is little Hitler you know exactly what I mean.

A picture may paint a thousand words, but archetypes convey everything in the word.  Archetypes carry the seed and energy in a universal language.  What’s so powerful is that you respond at a deep unconscious level and either the archetype draws you in or you pull away quickly.

Within business we’re also running our personal archetypal patterns.

The thing about archetypes is that over time we develop our favourites, and we have those that we out and out reject.  Yet all have their place and purpose.  I remember when I first worked with my archetypes.  My destroyer had in the past done just that, destroyed, so when I really needed to let go of things that no longer served a purpose I didn’t, I hung on, and hung on, and then experienced situations where ‘the baby went out with the bath water’.  My experiences with that archetype hadn’t been pleasant, so when it was required, it ran me rather than me using it.  Not good, and even less so as a leader.  We can do all the Emotional Intelligence stuff in the world, but trust me when I say that Archetypes run much deeper, so if you haven’t got a handle on them then you can only go so far.  Now of course things are different, I can sense when the destroyer is required, so I pay attention, what do I need to let go of  – it could be something physical, like a good office tidy up, it could be mental, like a belief, it could be emotional, maybe I’m not being true to how I feel and I’ve been ignoring myself.  When I know what it is I can work with it, and the destroyer is an Allie.  I also appear way more Emotionally Intelligent – and I am, because I’m paying attention to signals from the core of who am I.

Archetypes then are free powerful resources with a specific purpose, if you’re not aware of them, then they run you, when you are aware of them then you can use them.

As a leader your success – and ability to run a productive business with a  highly engaged workforce – is determined by your level of self awareness.  If you’re ready to take huge leaps forward then join me in April where I’ll be helping 12 leaders understand their archetypal patterns, access these phenomenally powerful resources and use them productively.  You can find more information here on our Archetypal leadership development course or contact us to secure your place.

Routes to Business Growth – Emerging From A Recession

The creation of a values-led corporate culture within one of Britain’s most successful healthcare companies had engaged its workforce, driven growth and resulted in turnover rocketing from £60 million to £100 million in a handful of years, according to Chris Harrison of North West pharma company Fresenius Kabi.

Addressing business leaders from across the North West at this week’s ‘Emerging from the Recession’ conference at Manchester’s MacDonald Hotel, the Runcorn based Group Managing Director said the adoption of values-led leadership could assist organisations in weathering the economic storm.

“At Fresenius Kabi, values have provided an important underpinning of what we do as a business and they have enabled everybody within that business to be engaged,” he added.” I am convinced that our progress would not have been as sustainable without values.”

Ruth Sanderson,one of the conference organisers and MD of blue pea POD, the Chester based leadership consultancy told the delegates that all the speakers would outline their experiences of corporate culture and its impact on performance.

“The uncertain times have seen many companies lose their way,” she said:” But forward-thinking CEOs are working with their corporate culture and leadership values because they know these hold the key to business growth.

“The level of interest in this conference in Manchester is, in my view, a clear indication of the growing acknowledgement of the role of values in corporate life. We have senior players in attendance today who have all experienced the positive impact of company values. We want them to share their experiences with all our delegates.”

Her co-organiser Sue Coyne, Executive Coach and Culture Change Consultant of Stockport-based Connectiveness Ltd added that research had shown that the adoption of a values based corporate culture within an organisation had a measurable effect on performance from sales figures to the bottom line.

Mike Stevens, the Manchester based Group and UK Human Resources Director for the £300 million turnover Odeon and UCI Cinema Group told the conference that he became involved in building a values based corporate company when the Odeon and UCI operations were being integrated.

“We conducted a company wide survey of our employees and as a company we were shaken to the core when the results showed a worrying level of disengagement and negativity.”

“We made a conscious decision to apply values to the culture using engagement, communication and development. We have already seen some very positive results from our work and now values are integral in every aspect of our business.”

After the conference Ruth Sanderson said: “Many companies are now looking forward to emerging from this long and difficult recession and this conference was the start of a series of events to give our delegates the benefit of the experiences of our speakers, all of whom spoke very positively about values-led leadership and corporate culture.

“We believe in the effectiveness of values-led leadership and the end of the recession will give many companies the opportunity to examine the many positives from this approach to business. Putting in those values now will pay huge dividends as time goes on.”

Self Image = Results

Your self image is determining your results.  Now maybe you’ve never seen your identity as directly linked to the results you’ve achieved or will go on to achieve.  In essence we can’t outperform our sense of self.  Well you can but only for a short while and then, like an elastic band, it snaps back to where it knows.

You’ve no doubt heard people say “act as if”, or ” you have to be it before you can receive it”.  We see this commonly in the workplace when people are doing a role before they get the promotion.

Self esteem, self confidence, results, success, resilience, adaptability are all tied up to self image / identity.

Any time you say “i am…” you’re making a statement about your identity.

Now most of us talk a lot but don’t really pay 100% attention to what we’re saying.   Your identity is unconsciously running you.

This autumn you can change all that.  You could decide you’re going to understand the power of self image and identity, and work on making sure yours is working for you, not against you.  Join me on my 8 week study group, we’re doing this by phone so it’s really easy to join in.  You can get the full details here.

What you pay attention to determines your business results

Every year, season and day is an opportunity full of new beginnings, potential and promise; or doom and gloom depending on what you choose to pay attention to.

Right now it is sad that companies are going into receivership, even sadder for the people who are facing uncertainty or job loss.  Yet for the leadership of each and every one of these companies, the state of their business can’t have been a complete surprise.  I think it is fair to say we’re in times of extremes, for every company that goes under there’s one that’s having its best year yet.  I truly hope you’re going to be in the latter category.

Now each year as I decide my goals, yes decision is an important factor in making them happen, I also make notes which will provide support or inspiration as I undertake the growth required to hit the goal.  Let me share with you a few notes I’ve re-written in my journal.  No they’re not new to me, in fact I share them frequently with my clients, but they’re so powerful and fundamental to success that on those days when everything seems to be going pear shaped, this is a very fast way of me getting back on track.

1) Your thoughts will determine your actions.

2) Your actions repeated become your habits.

3) Your habits determine your results.

4) If you don’t want to get the same results you’re going to have to change your habits.

Now the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.  So if I keep all the same habits I’m going to get the same results, if I don’t like these results then it’s logical to suppose insanity is the next step.

So when I want to get back on track quickly I pay attention to my thoughts.

What are you paying attention to, who’s voice are you listening to, who’s opinions are you mulling over?

All of this gives rise to thoughts, although in some cases we’re so busy we forget to think and just blindly accept, especially if the source is one of authority.

As a leader you set the tone.  Are the conversations the same you’ve been having for a while, has a habit of moaning, complaining, or expecting the worst set in amongst staff?

If things are really bad, if cash flow is poor, if customer retention is down, it’s a statement of the current position, which has arisen through previous thoughts, actions and habits.  It isn’t a guaranteed statement of the future, unless of course you keep everything the same.

Lastly may I wish you a dose of Good Luck

Here’s the recipe:-

1) Create and notice opportunities

2) Make decisions based on your intuition

3) Create self fulfilling prophesies through positive expectation

4) Have a resilient attitude

There is still time to have a phenomenal year.

The Crucibles of Leadership

What is it about great leaders which make them great?   Well one aspect is that they’ve been through the mill more than once.  Going through these difficult experiences and coming out of the other side wiser, stronger and more resilient is what Robert Thomas calls Crucible Experiences.

Many of us experience these crucible moments, but how many of us really extract the value from them and learn what we need to learn?  Very often because of the pain we can be tempted to put the event in a black bag, seal it up and get back on with life.  As a short term approach it can keep us sane, as a long term approach it means we’re missing the gift in what we went through.  It’s as if we had the pain but couldn’t be bothered to hang around for the pleasure.  This may sound odd, but one of the universal laws is the law of polarity.  You can’t have hot without cold, up with out down.  If there is only a small risk, then there is only a small reward.

In this book Crucibles of Leadership Robert describes 3 kinds of crucible moments:-

New Territory – Dealing with a totally unexpected event.

Reversal – Something not going according to plan.

Suspension – The in-between state, rather like transition.

He then goes on to help you discover your Personal Learning Strategy.  This includes what kind of leader you’d like to be, why you want to be a leader and your learning style and approach.

The past is the past and as they say in financial circles, it’s no indicator of the future as investments can go down as well as up.  However mining your past to uncover hidden resources and become more self aware is invaluable.  Being an authentic leader is a warts and all affair.  Right now given the current economic climate many people will be embarking on another crucible experience, what better way to equip yourself and extract as much juice from it than to read this book.

Fancy instant success in a bottle?

Out there in the garden called life we see success and greatness all the time.  What we don’t often see is what it takes to get there.  With programs like X Factor we could be seduced in to thinking that you show case your natural talent, get a lucky break, appear on TV and Bob’s suddenly your uncle – or in this case Simon.  There is less emphasis on the trials, errors, commitment and sacrifice the person has gone through to develop their passion.  

We meet someone who has achieved what we want, and they offer to help us.  They’ve distilled their knowledge, learnings and mistakes in to something we can participate in and get the benefits in a fraction of the time.  Yet still there are those who want it even quicker.  All of those I know who have achieved success did it from the inside out.  They worked on their character as well as their competence. 

So I wonder, are we building a culture / workplace that eludes to, or expects instant fame, fortune and success in a bottle and if so how do we help people cope with the disappointment and disillusionment?  And will all of this help to build a more resilient generation or bitter cynicism?

What do you think?