After hosting many people in forms of direct conversation together, I love to mix in a little deliberate inner reflection.
Last week, it was placed toward the end of a three day gathering, so as to give participants a little more convergence energy, some clarity of what they were leaving with. And, it was at the end of a five month cohort leadership development program that I created and hosted with my colleague and friend, Glen Brown.
I put on some music. I invited people to write sentences, or to make notes, or to draw images. For each question, three minutes.
- In the spirit of “used to be but now I am”, how do you feel your leadership has changed over these five months? (Change)
- Who are the people that you know you wish to stay in touch with, to keep learning with? Is there a wild card person in that? (People)
- What are three important learnings that you want to carry forward with you? (Learning, Practice)
- What is at the core of the gift that you bring to leadership? What is the growing edge? (Gift, Edge)
- If you had full permission to be kind to yourself, what would you do daily, weekly, monthly? (Kindness to Self, Kindness with Other)
- What inspires you most about being in this industry? (Inspires)
- What is the commitment you can make today to continue your growth as a leader? (Growth, Commitment)
This was a context explicitly offered as leadership development. So, some of the questions are deliberately pointed back to that purpose. However, slight shifts in these questions bring out growth and commitment and practice as a human being also.
I love pulling people into these moments in which their commitments to job intersect with their commitments to humanness. I love seeing people open to a deeper inner that then carries them into the many forms of outer.
ooh. My favorite question: What is at the core of the gift that you bring to leadership? What is the growing edge? (Gift, Edge)
I’m not entirely sure I have a quick answer to that one.
It does stimulate a range of thoughts, however.
Good question!! (In typing quickly, I almost wrote “God question”)
When I read these questions, my mind and heart immediately shifted them for work in a Circle. Instead of leadership/ industry, I used the words “journey” or “your journey.” Thank you for these, Tenneson. I hope your work ripened into delicious fruit!
That’s it Sue, isn’t it.
So easy, and important, to bring attention to the deeply human.
With appreciation.