Sep 20, 2021
How are you feeling? For many of us, we’re feeling tired – deeply tired. This pandemic and all the related changes have taken a huge toll on our collective psyche.
We can’t seem to “click back” into new season productivity – and maybe, we shouldn’t be trying. Maybe this next season is one to regroup, to deeply listen to ourselves, to bounce ideas off others and to create support structures for when we are ready to move forward again?
“Finding your way doesn’t always mean you know where you’re
going. It’s knowing how to find your way home that’s important. ”
– Clare Vanderpool
Our upcoming programme: Leading From Within launches in a few weeks. We’d love to invite you to join us as we gather with an international cohort of women to consider, reflect, recharge and reconnect ahead of this next season.
Leading From Within is a leadership programme with a difference. With co-creation at its heart, Leading From Within is for any woman – at any point in her journey – looking to live into her fullest potential. Join us as we learn together. Click here to find out more.
Aug 11, 2021
Lamese Waterfield Digital Marketing Manager & Social Entrepreneur
“I was attracted to Leading From Within because it spoke about leading change in myself, about giving me the tools, skills and courage I need to create change in the world. Change, which at times can be completely overwhelming and paralysing.
Women know the stats and realities of how hard it is to break the glass ceiling – even harder if you are a woman of colour. We’ve been told to step up and speak out, yet not to be too emotional. We have played down our feminine qualities to adopt the widely accepted more masculine style.
At the same time, we’ve heard the importance of soft skills in the impending AI era, the importance of being authentic and that we need to have the type of purpose that can drive change in the world. We’ve been told that vulnerability can give birth to greatness … but how?
I knew I had to get out of my own way. I knew I had blocks. I knew there was so much noise around me.
While there’ll always be predictors for leadership success and traits we can aspire to, She Leads Change has made me realise nothing sticks without the personal journey. It is only possible to produce our best work when we work with who we are in our entirety.The course provided me with sisterhood and a space for vulnerability … for growth.
I have learnt:
- Leadership is not for the selected golden circle of senior management and above
- Leadership training is at its most powerful when we all step up to lead change
- Being a change-maker is about courage and a self-belief deeply rooted in vulnerability , knowing tha t the only way you can go is up
- My presence and gravitas underpinned by awareness of the self, others, the systems I work and operate in on a daily basis and the resilience I allow myself to develop
- Peer-to-peer learning and storytelling in a safe space provides a powerful level of learning and understanding for women
- Who I am, what I’m capable of, what my authentic leadership style is and that I am indeed leading change in this world
She Leads Change helped me tap into the courage needed to get my projects off the ground. I want others to experience the magic and transformation that I have. I am passionate about distilling information to those who would otherwise not get it and I would love She Leads Change to go into communities where women are struggling the most.”
* If you’re inspired by Lamese’s experience of Leading From Within, applications are now open for Leading From Within cohorts launching in October apply here
* If you’d like to find out more about the programme, drop us a line on hello@sheleadschange.org – we’d love to tell you more – or sign up to one of our FREE TASTER SESSIONS here.
Aug 9, 2021
Pearson was one of the first organisations to spot the potential of She Leads Change to transform their employees and have been participants on the programme since it started in 2018. Almost 50 women from Pearson have participated in She Leads Change Programmes over the past 3 years and together, we have grown the organisation’s leaders and extended the impact of She Leads Change within Pearson and beyond.
As Co-Head of Mentoring for WILL UK in Pearson, Hannah Cheek has regularly sent participants to our She Leads Change programmes. We asked Hannah to share her experience.
“She Leads Change has created a real buzz in Pearson. Participants are talking about huge boosts to their self-belief and rediscovering their strengths and personal attributes. The impact of this is a more confident approach to work, where women recognise the value that they bring to discussions and are brave enough to expand their networks.”
This is no ordinary leadership skills course. This is about self-awareness and reflection, opening up, leaning into the uncomfortable, exploring, sharing and learning with others. There are no passive moments, this is a wholehearted, full bodied learning experience, driven from within. The reflective nature of the programme has allowed participants to focus on principles that really resonate with their beliefs and allowed this to guide future plans with greater focus and purpose. A large number of participants are still in touch with their coaches and are recognising the benefit of this support having completed the programme.
“What She Leads Change offers, and I have not experienced before, is a safe place to practice breaking all those habits and self doubts that hold us back. This was about finding your voice, knowing your values and seeking connection. I have better habits. I no longer worry about speaking up in meetings, what should I say and I have faith in the value of that contribution. It has led to more authentic exchanges and moved my focus from doing to connecting.”
Another amazing aspect of She Leads Change is the access to highly skilled coaches. We talked about things that I felt were holding me back as well as my area of enquiry. With introductions from my coach
and my new-found voice, and confidence on the power of connection, I set about reaching out to some truly inspiring individuals who also share my passion for Science and diversity.
“I’m more confident, more comfortable with being myself, more comfortable with being challenged.”
Katy is a Customer Experience Demand Manager at Pearson and participated on our Leading from Within Programme. Katy has continued to be involved with She Leads Change, including helping to develop a global programme called Brave New World. She Leads Change for her, is far better than conventional mentoring programmes – in her own words:
“It’s also giving me the ability to gain more confidence in leading and facilitating, because there are so many other things to get involved in. And the community of people to learn from is huge. It’s one of the more difficult things to pull together, a community or network for ongoing continued learning after the programmes ends, but they have it already. And genuinely everyone that gets involved wants to be there, shows up fully. If you’re there, you’re present. It’s a real contrast to a lot of my day to day working environment and has really made me lead better” – Katy Reid
Leading From Within is our three-month leadership programme designed for women wanting to bring themselves more fully into their work and life – it allows women to better hear their own voice, inform their choices, navigate relationships and intervene gracefully for systemic change.
Our next cohort launches in October. If, like Hannah and Katy, you’re looking to find your voice, increase your confidence and explore the power of connection and community, apply to join our next cohort now. Applications available for our Changemaker Awards. Any questions – email us on hello@sheleadschange.org
Jul 16, 2021
Do you find it hard to rest? If so, you aren’t alone! A few years ago, the University of Durham conducted the world’s largest survey around rest and wellbeing. They polled over 18 000 people from 134 countries around the world, discovering over ⅔ of those surveyed all acknowledged they need to rest more.
Why is resting so hard?
Society, for a long time, applauded busy – it was a badge of honour…a default answer to sum up our state of being. Why do you think that is?
Perhaps it defines our importance – our sense of worth? Perhaps it’s a reflection of our lack of boundaries, or inability to say no? Maybe the busyness is because we are trying to keep up with everyone else? We don’t want anyone to see us as inefficient, or wasteful. Perhaps we worry about what we might miss out on – maybe we are just trying to prove to ourselves – and others, we are enough. Maybe we view resting as lazy – a sign of weakness?
Perhaps we choose to be busy because it is offers us an opportunity to not think about what is going on in our lives – a habit of survival? Brene Brown suggests busyness may be a form of armour:
“‘Crazy-busy’ is a great armor, it’s a great way for numbing. What a lot of us do is that we stay so busy, and so out in front of our life, that the truth of how we’re feeling and what we really need can’t catch up with us.”
Ultimately being busy is a decision. It’s a decision we make: choosing one thing, over another.
If you had permission to choose rest over doing, would you?
We’re exploring this very topic in our upcoming Masterclass and we invite you to join us on Monday 26th July (4-6pm BST) Sign up here to join our Permission to Rest masterclass with expert Gib Bulloch AND receive a collection of provocations, poetry and ponderings around rest and our relationship to this elusive beast…everyone is welcome.
Gib is a speaker, writer and facilitator with a unique perspective on the relationship between business, society and the self.
Jun 17, 2021
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stopped playing. We packed away play when we picked up the responsibilities of adulthood. Yet, as adults, we need the benefits of play, more than ever…
What is play?
Clinical psychologist and chief of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, Dr. Rudy Nydegger describes two ways to view play: firstly as “something that we do for recreation that is purely for enjoyment and/or entertainment” – in other words, just something we do for fun. Secondly, play is something we do that is “intrinsically motivating” – something we do just because we want to…
This month in LeadMore, we are joined by Pauline McNulty and Tzuki Stewart, co-founders of Playfilled. They believe incorporating play into our adult lives vitally important to building our mental strength and emotional stores, helping us deal with tough times.
What are the benefits of play?
The benefits of play are far-reaching. Play can help reduce our stress levels by triggering endorphins – our bodies’ feel good chemicals. It can stimulate our creativity, our imagination and our problem-solving abilities. Play can also improve brain function, boost our energy levels and build our resilience. It can even improve our relationships and connections to others.
Companies who recognise the importance of play in the workplace report higher productivity, improved job satisfaction, an increase in morale and employee retention. Increasingly, studies are showing the correlation between play and intellectual achievement and emotional well-being.
How do we make the most of play and its benefits?
Because play means different things to different people (and can prove elusive when we are busy or stressed) we need to take the time to discover what play looks like for us and how we can incorporate it into our lives.
Join us as we explore how we can use play – even a playful mindset – to build our emotional resilience, increase our creativity, unleash our imagination and release feel-good feelings to boost our productivity in our professional and personal lives.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
– George Bernard Shaw
Register here to join our masterclass on Building Resilience with Tzuki and Pauline – all are welcome!
