Gifts from Living the “Leadership Way”
As I reflect on this year, I’m amazed how I came to know Kwai Yu and become part of a life changing group of individuals at Leaders Cafe Foundation.
My very first email correspondence with Kwai dated February 20, 2009, when Kwai saw me in another leadership forum on LinkedIn and invited me to his newly created Leaders Cafe Foundation.
This was on a Friday.
That was also the SAME WEEK when I, after agonizing for most of the month and interviewing about 6 different nannies, told my husband that I wanted to be a “stay at home” mom for our then-14-month old son. I didn’t feel right any other way. We’d be squeezed financially, because of the lifestyle choices we made (mainly, the house mortgage), but I’ll work however I can, and we’ll be more conscious of our spending habits. My husband, who has taken so many leaps of faith on me over our decade of marriage, supported my decision.
I’ve made more friends in 2009 than I’d had in the past 10 years.
(Ok I’m a former introvert, and apparently parenthood has made me more extraverted.) Kwai and some of the LCF members – David B-S, Kellie, Chris M to name a few – I’ve had many deep exchanges via skype and email with. But I’ve also opened up to moms like me in my neighborhood, and created a “PhD Parents Posse” to support those of us who spent decades in school to get this degree and found ourselves wanting to be present for a few years for our children rather than “make use of that degree… NOW”.
What about the ROI (return on investment) for living the leadership way, when doing what is right actually “pays”?
For me personally, connecting with Kwai motivated me to create my 9 Pillars leadership model – using about 150 pages of material I’d written in 2008 over 9 months of living meditation, “doing only things I really loved to do, otherwise I’d go take a nap with my infant, because I’m too tired to fake enthusiasm.”
This opened a door for me to enter a field that previously I didn’t notice.
It’s less than a year, so I’m still “entering” through this open door of leadership development. But I see the potential for me to create sustainable living while contributing value. I am also bringing my focus in leadership back into my established pharma consulting business, and was recently approached by a UK healthcare publisher to write a book on executive leadership in biopharma. Now I can enrich my offering to an existing business – brand extension!
My visioning and panoramic view of where my future is opening? These felt almost effortless – it’s a matter of having too many “yes”s to choose from than not having enough.
But I do struggle, to be honest. Just because doors have opened and people have come into my life as friends and guides – doesn’t mean it all falls easily into place. My struggle has been in the execution phase of things, where I had to work with the physical confines of time and space as a mother. Also, I experience lots of self imposed stress because I’m very critical and harsh on myself. I’d like to be nicer to myself in 2010, let go of the belief that “I don’t deserve it unless I struggle and experience pain for it”. I’m nicer to myself this year than last year, but I have a long way yet to go.
How has living the leadership way changed your life – opened new doors – shown you new possibilities for the future – connected you with generous and kind people?
I’d love to hear your stories.
Jane Chin
Image by Miamiamia (India)
