When all seems lost, come home.
Musings on Heart-Led Human Leadership
Last week I was in a Norwegian Wood in a cabin with three good, wise and true men. That week in the woods was a lot of different things. But mostly I would say it was a coming home. I have known two of these men for over ten years. In fact, I was their leadership coach when their business was just a glint in their eyes and had helped them to articulate their heart-led vision and hope for a better world.
Fast forward 11 years they were Founders of a publically listed unicorn; a human centred — game-changing tech company. Having achieved incredible success they now had added a third like-minded visionary partner to their team. However, once again they all found themselves at a crossroads…
What to do with their wild and precious lives and their time left on this earth — both as individuals and as a team?
And in a world that is in dire need of real and impactful change for people and planet.
For them, the last few years have been really tough, despite all their success. Personal lives have been very intense with great highs and lows in all their cases, and in their professional lives they had experienced scattered energy, being unfocused, feeling under-utilised and generally frustrated in trying to navigate new partnerships that just don’t get that WE ARE HUMAN.
They felt unaligned, un-purposeful and dispirited. A bit lost. But you know what was not lost? Love. Love was not lost.
We spent three days in a cabin in the woods, remembering who they were. We remembered — what their zones of genius were, what energisers and drains them, what they needed to thrive. They heard from the other two who they were in their eyes, what was their contribution and capability, what difference they had each made. And yes, there was room for some home-truth telling too.
There were reflections too — on what was true about their partnership — where they do well and could do better. What is next and who they were now. Somehow in this space a new clarity and belonging naturally emerged a sense of the future; a focus. It was built on what was true and it was built on love.
There were also walks, making fires, cooking and cleaning together (I do love to see a man happy at a stove or sink) Saunas and alone time. And a decent amount of space to just be.
It was the childhood home of one the men — bringing many poignant memories with it especially at this time of personal sorrow for him, and even though I grew up in Australia it somehow made me think of my childhood too — the night walks, the connection to nature.
It was indeed a home-coming. A homecoming on all the levels — to their roots, to each other, to their true selves and true path. It was a privilege to be their guide and a kind of miracle to witness — given how lost they had all felt only a few weeks before.
It is a testimony both to them and to the power of the space of home-coming. When we are lost, it is as simple of this. We have forgotten what is true. What is in our hearts. And in remembering that — we are home.
For leaders who want to lead with humanity, heart and wisdom.
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