Can understanding Trauma help you to be a better leader?

On the back of spending 4 days at Europe’s leading Trauma Conference, I’ve compiled some ideas to share.

In my work speaking to leaders, disruption is everywhere and how we face this disruption..

There are 2 questions that I raise in the article:

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit - Napoleon Hill

Life, much like sailing the open seas, is full of unexpected challenges. As leaders, these challenges often manifest as setbacks—whether they’re missed goals, failed projects, or unexpected crises.

But from my experiences, I’ve learned that setbacks are not the end of the story.

Resilience - it's a word I hear in every single briefing call for an event whether that’s for senior leaders, a team or the whole business.

“we need to be more resilient”

But what does it actually mean?

More importantly, how do we cultivate it in a way that is sustainable and isn’t just window dressing to tick the box of “we’ve done some work on resilience”.

No one ever decided because of a number. They need a story.”

- Daniel Kahneman

At sea when you’re facing a storm, you have 2 options.

Run before the wind and try to get away from the storm.

Or turn and face it.

It’s the same at work.

Each of us faces a choice.

Belief is at the heart of everything we do.

As business teams, as family teams, why would we do anything if we don’t believe that what we are embarking on is possible?

This makes belief an important topic of discussion in a business context.

“It's never a good sign when extremism becomes the norm” Ari Melber

Have we as a society become trained to become more extreme?

Are people more polarised in their views than we were before?

If like me, you believe this to be true, it raises several questions…

There’s a passage in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises in which a character named Mike is asked how he went bankrupt. “Two ways,” he answers. “Gradually, then suddenly..

How do you feel about your work and what the future looks like?

On a scale of 1-10 where 1 is “Uncertain as f**K, and 10 is "rock solid, bring it on”, where do you score?

If I asked those you work with, what would their range of answers be?

What are you fearful of? 

What do you put off and ignore?

I think we can all relate to having something we seek to avoid.

Let me share something personal, something I’ve never shared publicly before.

It’s this: I’m scared of the water.

Specifically swimming in the sea and feeling out of my depth.

Sound like a contradiction for someone who became known for sailing 2 1/2 times round the world?

Without data, you are blind and deaf and in the middle of a freeway.” — Geoffrey Moore

June 2024 - Gallup has just released their 2024 Report on the State of the Global Workplace.

It’s essential reading for leaders at all levels in business.

“I could push it, but I’m so frustrated with the way things are going that day that I’m like, ‘You know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna do nothing.’”

You’re ambitious, you’ve got big ideas, big targets and you want to go and make them happen.

BUT: how do you motivate everyone on your team to get on the bus?

It’s a common question.

It’s a question I hear daily from ambitious leaders and their teams.

It’s a question I hear from people who are hungry for more.