The DO Lecture I’d Love to Deliver

I love the simple idea that ‘people who DO things can inspire the rest of us to DO things too’ … that’s the simple premise behind the Do Lectures.

And here’s a secret …

I would love to speak at the DO Lectures (PS, I’m not very good at keeping this a secret).

Why …?

Not because I feel like I have a better story than anyone else … that’s not the point.

But I do have a story … and some hard-won experience … and an idea in my head that sharing might shortcut other people to a realisation that has taken me way too long to articulate.

So, what’s the big idea?

Well, perhaps it is as simple a mantra as “it’s not all about me”.

In my long public sector ‘upbringing’, my career, that ‘thing’ I thought was the most important vehicle for proving myself, life was essentially about showing off. OK, not overtly, not necessarily in a self-centred way … but progress was dependent in no small part on making yourself stand out; doing ‘good stuff’ was the key currency in how others measured you.

In that hierarchical world, within which progress was made through the accumulation of ‘scores in the doors’, the greasy pole could only be climbed with an aggregation of weighty performance points to show off at the annual promotion board.

There’s little doubt, as I look back, that I judged my worth on the basis of how I perceived others judged it; advancement in relation to my peers was, it seemed at the time, the only measure. So, onwards and upwards; a remorseless climb to the top.

The safest place to stay, of course, is within that world, continuing to make progress, gathering acclaim for progress from others within the same system. The in-bred self-promotion providing a path for actual promotion.

But, belatedly, I discover there’s a different path.

There’s a path where you don’t need to measure, or be measured. One where value can be judged differently.

In my imaginary Do Lectures moment, I stand at the front of the class to celebrate the achievement of others.

I take a moment not for what it gives to me, but to recognise that there is SO much more worth in celebrating the skills and creativity of others. There is inestimable value in providing a voice for modest but talented souls.

That’s the voyage of understanding I would love to share one day … but, hey, it’s not about me and there are some super-smart folk who really have got something to say at the Do Lectures.

I just need to keep finding ways to sneak in at the back of the class!