A Gathering in London too next week

The calming buddha prevails over the bustling activity in the Healthy Home kitchen

what am I talking about?

Well if you are not from the north of England then you might not know the delightfully old-fashioned expression to give something “a good bottoming” is to give a right good clean from top to bottom!  And that is what we are doing here today at the Healthy Home in Skipton ready for the summer Women’s Gathering.  We all know that if we have a group of women visiting we make sure that everything is tickety-boo (didn’t Mary Poppins say that?). All the corners are being checked for cobwebs and there are plenty of them as it has been too cold these last few months even for the spiders to go outside!!

If you are within driving distance then please do join us on Saturday (May 18th). It will be a wonderful day of fun, connection, good conversation and wonderful networking and community building. Everyone leaves feeling nourished, not just by the food but by the heartfelt connections made and the inspiring discussions.

Find out more, and book either via our Facebook group or on eventbrite.

And there’s also a Women’s Gathering in central London next Thursday (May 23rd) so please do join us for that if you are down south. Eventbrite link for London Gathering.

* Here is a precis of the conversation we had last time in March when we had a discussion circle….

…… Insights from the last Women’s Gathering (March 2013)…
At the last Women’s Gathering which I hosted in the north of England back in March we had a wonderful group of women come together from all walks of life (business owner, seminar leader, author, activist, physical therapist, teacher, trainer, nurse, consultant, retired …) and from all over the north (Chester, Newcastle, Driffield, Manchester, Skipton!).

After supper I asked the circle of women to discuss what they would ask of our country leader (currently ours is David Cameron but this question is not about personalities, it is about having access to the highest level of decision-making) if they had the opportunity to do so. The women spent quite some time in animated discussion groups and then came back to share what they felt was important to talk about with our country’s leadership to drive much-needed change in our society.

Here are some of the highlights that came forth from our conversations:

• first and foremost compassion is completely missing from the political system and is the is key to everything
• the political system we have is seriously faulty, outdated, unrepresentative, antiquated, corrupt and undemocratic .. it is beyond fixing so a new one is needed
• a new system needed that would be more egalitarian, much more cooperative than we have today…. Iceland is an example of new ways of bringing a more democratic process to society where the Icelandic people have stepped forward to create a “People’s Parliament” [one criteria for people stepping forward to serve is that they have NEVER been in parliament before (!)]
• the way we educate our children needs to change; let’s stop trying to fit them into boxes, let’s be more creative and design something inspired by Steiner or Montessori; we need an education process that produces well-rounded human beings who can have a positive impact on society …. we are really feeling radical and like to start the whole system from scratch!
• does the prime minister feel that women make a valuable contribution to society, and if he does believe that, does he believe that women could play a more valuable role in parliament ?
• stop spending money on war and weapons; invest some of that money in the women of this country …. many are still stuck, held back and disempowered and need support groups like the circle we formed tonight. It is much harder for women to send their men to war when they are sending their own sons and grandsons  .. Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, says women feel this connection differently to men and so they would have less wars.
• is the prime minister capable of really listening to us instead of just hearing what he wants to hear?  we women do not feel represented and heard. can we talk about the solutions instead of focussing on the problems. As women, we notice how resourceful and collaborative we are when all get in the kitchen and prepare a meal together (like we did for that evening gathering), no egos to watch out for just all of us happily and companionably making the meal happen even though we have not all worked together before
• and we are clear as and when women rise the top positions that we want to do things differently and bring our feminine energy with us and not end up as a clone of a man doing things in a masculine way.

An invitation to join our next lively and nourishing conversation
These are just some of the thoughts and insights that came out of our creative dialogue. I’d love to invite you to be part of our next conversation ….  We might not be there in significant numbers at the top of government sitting alongside the many Eton and Oxford-educated millionaires that form our Cabinet, and we might not be chairing the major financial institutions that have taken our country to the brink but everyday we are “running the country” from our households, kitchens, desks, enterprises … working at a grassroots micro level making life work for ourselves, for our families and for our children. That has to count for something. We do have a voice and we need to start using it by firstly talking with each other about the kind of world we want and think creatively about what we are going to make it happen.

Join in the fun in the kitchen !

Please do join me at our next Women’s Gathering in the Healthy Home, Skipton, Saturday May 18th or in London on the evening of Thursday May 23rd. A warm welcome awaits, as well as tasty food and great friendship from the lovely women who always find their way to these gatherings.

Saturday May 18th 11am, read about & BOOK: Northern event in Skipton

Thursday May 23rd 6pm, read about &  BOOK: London event

The BBC news reporter asked if the new manager of Manchester United was going to be “man enough for the job?”.

I wondered what that could mean, being “man enough” … I have heard that expression before, not for a while … I have even heard that asked about women in senior corporate positions …. maybe in a movie perhaps. And I wonder, in this day and age what does it mean to be man enough … what does it even mean to be a man? It’s an interesting thought for men too .. what does it mean for them when they hear it?

Nobody ever asks if we are “woman enough” do they?  I have been watching a BBC TV programme on iPlayer called The Bankers and some of the banking CEOs in there come over as extreme and pitiful examples of manhood …. aggressive, greedy bullies … and yet they held some of the most powerful influential positions in society, even being knighted for their “contribution”.

I am asking this question because in my work I am deeply involved in the conversation of what it takes to be a woman today, a woman who wants to be a good mother or grandmother, a valued member of her community, someone her friends can rely on, a loving, caring person, a supportive and cherished partner, do a good job at work, be happy, be well, live without stress … pretty normal really…… but maybe above all, live a life of meaning and richness, feel like we are here making a difference in whatever we do. And these are some of the things we talk about when we gather together as women.

This is our last Northern Women’s Gathering in the Healthy Home, Skipton in March

Insights from the last Women’s Gathering…
At the last Women’s Gathering which I hosted in the north of England back in March we had a wonderful group of women come together from all walks of life (business owner, seminar leader, author, activist, physical therapist, teacher, trainer, nurse, consultant, retired …) and from all over the north (Chester, Newcastle, Driffield, Manchester, Skipton!).
After supper I asked the circle of women to discuss what they would ask of our country leader (currently ours is David Cameron but this question is not about personalities, it is about having access to the highest level of decision-making) if they had the opportunity to do so. The women spent quite some time in animated discussion groups and then came back to share what they felt was important to talk about with our country’s leadership to drive much-needed change in our society.

Here are some of the highlights that came forth from our conversations:

• first and foremost compassion is completely missing from the political system and is the is key to everything
• the political system we have is seriously faulty, outdated, unrepresentative, antiquated, corrupt and undemocratic .. it is beyond fixing so a new one is needed
• a new system needed that would be more egalitarian, much more cooperative than we have today…. Iceland is an example of new ways of bringing a more democratic process to society where the Icelandic people have stepped forward to create a “People’s Parliament” [one criteria for people stepping forward to serve is that they have NEVER been in parliament before (!)]
• the way we educate our children needs to change; let’s stop trying to fit them into boxes, let’s be more creative and design something inspired by Steiner or Montessori; we need an education process that produces well-rounded human beings who can have a positive impact on society …. we are really feeling radical and like to start the whole system from scratch!
• does the prime minister feel that women make a valuable contribution to society, and if he does believe that, does he believe that women could play a more valuable role in parliament ?
• stop spending money on war and weapons; invest some of that money in the women of this country …. many are still stuck, held back and disempowered and need support groups like the circle we formed tonight. It is much harder for women to send their men to war when they are sending their own sons and grandsons  .. Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, says women feel this connection differently to men and so they would have less wars.
• is the prime minister capable of really listening to us instead of just hearing what he wants to hear?  we women do not feel represented and heard. can we talk about the solutions instead of focussing on the problems. As women, we notice how resourceful and collaborative we are when all get in the kitchen and prepare a meal together (like we did for that evening gathering), no egos to watch out for just all of us happily and companionably making the meal happen even though we have not all worked together before
• and we are clear as and when women rise the top positions that we want to do things differently and bring our feminine energy with us and not end up as a clone of a man doing things in a masculine way.

An invitation to join our next lively and nourishing conversation
These are just some of the thoughts and insights that came out of our creative dialogue. I’d love to invite you to be part of our next conversation ….  We might not be there in significant numbers at the top of government sitting alongside the many Eton and Oxford-educated millionaires that form our Cabinet, and we might not be chairing the major financial institutions that have taken our country to the brink but everyday we are “running the country” from our households, kitchens, desks, enterprises … working at a grassroots micro level making life work for ourselves, for our families and for our children. That has to count for something. We do have a voice and we need to start using it by firstly talking with each other about the kind of world we want and think creatively about what we are going to make it happen.

Please do join me at our next Women’s Gathering in the Healthy Home, Skipton, Saturday May 18th or in London on the evening of Thursday May 23rd. A warm welcome awaits, as well as tasty food and great friendship from the lovely women who always find their way to these gatherings.

Saturday May 18th 11am, read about & BOOK: Northern event in Skipton

Thursday May 23rd 6pm, read about &  BOOK: London event

And I would be interested to hear your thoughts about what it takes to be “man enough” or “woman enough”.

Last night’s sharing with Dadi Janki was very special. It is hard to know what to call it .. not a seminar, not an audience. Dadi answered my many questions about leadership and feminine leadership and she called it a “conversation”. It was indeed a very rich dialogue. Almost too much to digest in one go. Several people have asked if I have recorded it (of course).

The Brahma Kumaris’ warm & loving hospitality welcomed us all
It was an intimate group – about 60-70 who gathered for an early evening start at the beautifully named Global Cooperation House which serves as the UK headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. There was much friendly chit-chat among those arriving as they enjoyed a lovely supper of hummus & couscous salad followed by chocolate cake, all lovingly prepared in the BK’s kitchens. The audience was mainly women for the female-focussed topic but it was lovely to welcome a handful of men who were interested in this conversation about energy balance in leadership as well as meeting Dadi Janki for the first time. About half the audience had never met her before, something which absolutely delighted Dadi. She adores to meet new faces. I opened the session expressing my gratitude to Dadi which she quickly reciprocated by thanking everyone for coming to see her. As much as she is a globally revered spiritual teacher, Dadi is no remote guru and we could feel her genuine delight at being with us. She need not have said a word all night as we were all very present to the fact that just being in her presence, sitting in her energy field, would provide a deep spiritual nourishment in itself.

Dadi enjoyed seeing the newspaper headline from the Evening Standard about HM The Queen who is apparently giving up long haul travel now that she is aged 87. God bless the woman for all she has done in her 60+ year reign of the UK and the Commonwealth across the world. Dadi however remains a force of nature at 97 years. Sister Jayanti (European Director) who we were also lucky to have with us as Dadi’s translator ran through Dadi’s schedule of flights round Europe and the USA over the next couple of weeks. Quite frankly, it is an itinerary that would wear me out!!

Dadi was keen to share her insights or ‘secrets’ from decades of leading
I gave the context for my inspiration to ask Dadi for this opportunity to ‘download’ her secrets. She joined the organisation back in 1937 and has been a leader for most of that time which means she is really one of the most experienced female leaders in the world alive today … potentially THE most qualified to talk about the qualities required. Queen Elizabeth II would be another example but such is the way our culture works, she is not accessible for the kind of “fire-side” chat which we are able to have with Dadi.  Dadi may not be a CEO of a publicly-listed commercial company as we understand for-profit entities today, but you can easily liken the BK’s global reach to that of any multi-national bank or consulting group. With a network of over 8,000 centres in more than 100 countries and a vast library of educational resources and campaigns, the BKs are no insignificant outfit. It would not normally cross many people’s radar as being worthy of evaluation (which in my mind makes it a hidden treasure for the world when the listening is ready) but what stands out for me is that the whole global network is held together and delivered by over a million volunteers. Not only that but everything they offer is free (except for books they publish) and from the word go in 1937, the male founder stepped back and appointed eight women to lead his vision.

The whole structure could easily have imploded and disappeared when the founder passed away in 1969 and yet interestingly, that is when the real global overseas expansion started spearheaded by the diminutive Dadi Janki (truly, not much taller than Yoda, she is). Brahma Baba, as he was known, left two women as leaders to move the BKs forward .. .Dadi Janki was asked to join them shortly after and very soon she received a message from God to lead the international development out from India so she stepped on a plane to London arriving with what seems like a few pound in her pocket and the equivalent of a prayer book. What I was keen to find out last night was what kept her going when all the odds were against them achieving anything that looked like ‘success’ ….. surely her faith must have been tested many times when it might have looked like her efforts in the early 1970s were as effective as whistling into the wind. Included in her long answer with many insights that I can share later was the virtue and value of PATIENCE.

We never know just how long things take to ripen
Dadi spoke of the tendency to eat unripe fruit … we don’t know how long it takes for our visions, initiatives or projects to take hold, flourish and show results, even a return on our ‘investment’. It is important to have faith in our endeavours and stay true to the path which we feel guided to work on. By staying positive and not feeling tempted to give up before our fruits ripen we will create what we are looking for.

Today during morning class Dadi referred to the questions she had been asked at our evening recalling what sustained her courage during those early days in 1970s London when results were small and certainly not commensurate with the effort being invested. She likened it to travelling in a car up Mt Abu in India and feeling car-sick while being driven up the winding mountain roads. The advice was to face the direction of travel and not to look around sideways. Doing this made scaling the mountain so much easier. If there is any high destination we are aiming for then keeping our gaze forwards and not being distracted is good practical guidance.

A new look at leadership is needed
What we learned from Dadi is how she is not comfortable with the label of ‘leader’. I asked her what she thought might be an alternative and she immediately said ‘servant’ and ‘instrument’. This really runs contrary to what most people think of as a leader. Even though the term servant leadership is a style that is in vogue, the idea of simply being a servant and working without any desire to be recognised is truly outside the norm.

It is not normally Dadi’s style to take so many questions and answer them so succinctly; often a question is given and Dadi’s answer is extensive and encompasses so may other wonderful jewels. On this evening Dadi focussed very much on the theme of Feminine Leadership that we had given her and really kept her answers shorter so we could ask more of her. Several questions arose out of a group discussion prior to Dadi joining us and one, from a man, was about how men could find a way to lead in a more feminine way, particularly in business where traditional styles are so much more of the masculine archetype.

What can men do to embrace a change of leadership style?
Dadi pointed out that it is not so easy for men to develop feminine qualities but what is more possible is for them to deal with the negative side of their personality which is their ego. “The heart of a woman is very soft and tender, and it comes into feeling very quickly and she can get hurt very easily which is the negative aspect for her.  Men have a tendency to be bossy” …. so when the BK organisation developed, a key aspect was for the sisters to learn how to strengthen their hearts. As a result of doing that “nobody can show their authority or bossiness to us. So it’s not a question for men of developing feminine qualities, it’s about letting go of the bossiness and ego”.

Dadi continued: “Sometimes there is the external show of the bossiness but internally they are upset that we are not doing as they want us to do.” Dadi pointed out that today it is easy for couples who don’t get on to get divorced but men and women who follow the path of spirituality learn to work with each other so there isn’t the question of divorce (real or metaphorical). “Being able to value each other’s qualities [is important]…. it’s a fact, men can do certain things, women can do certain things, and so to be able to recognise the differences and be able to value them. If we learn to give respect it makes our own life elevated; no matter what may happen, never give up respect.” Dadi counselled not to remember ‘situations’ but to continue to give respect.

Women in the majority – learning new ways of being for the future
When the BK community started in 1937 there were 350 women and just 5 men… and now in India the community is more or less equal. Men are very much part of the organisation, the women give them respect, and the men reciprocate which makes for success. “What works is for men not to exercise authority or bossiness and for women not to have a heart that is hurt easily. A true heart and a strong heart, then it is good for men and women.”

I have reported Dadi’s exact words here because I feel they are true pearls of wisdom and actually, they contain simple, practical guidance for both men and women. This is something we can all practice at home and in the world of business.

I am interested in the feedback from those who joined us for this evening (and I will write more from Dadi’s answers). Please do leave a comment, thank you.

I have had a very enjoyable morning watching the interview I did with Gopi Patel. The conversation was so rich – I watched it twice and felt very inspired. It’s hard to edit it down to a short segment as there are so many useful nuggets! (Link to video)

Dadi Janki the 97 year old head of the Brahma Kumaris

From our conversation I pulled out a piece where we talked about our initiative last summer where we organised events that sought to bring soul awareness to feminine leadership through Dadi Janki’s wisdom. I continually marvel at how Dadi is such a wonderful role model for women because she is so active and runs such a huge operation and yet her demeanour is one of great calmness and peace.

We joked that Dadi says she doesn’t “run” the organisation “God runs it”. Gopi points out that Dadi “runs the spirit of the organisation very well.” An interesting distinction. What I am fascinated about with the Brahma Kumaris (BKs) is their ability to produce so many global and local programmes by galvanising a massive network of volunteer effort.

Gopi sheds some light on how this is done.

It is a very different approach to the way most of us know how organisations are run so it is insightful to hear her reveal their way of doing it on the video.

Gopi said “so much of the organisation’s growth has been led by the individual growth” of the people, and that the organisation has flourished in an organic way where people are not ‘followers’ but are initiators. Most of us are products of a culture and education system where we expect to be told what to do … here the BKs rely on the individual’s personal sense of direction.

Leadership by women embedded in the constitution

The person needs to clear the obstacles that reside within themselves so that, as Gopi says “my path becomes clear for me, so I am able to express and communicate what I see to enable something new to happen”. When you give people this level of self responsibility you create a very different culture and as Gopi explains, the BK constitution set out right from the start in 1936 that the leadership would be by women. What an amazing vision the founder had. Watch the video of the conversation with Gopi.

the London celebration of Jane Noble’s Knight new book “Inspiring Journeys of Women Entrepreneurs” April 2013

On April 10th, a group of women, including a handful of men interested in supporting the Rise of the Feminine, gathered at my London home for a supper party, circle meeting and discussion. (Read the report)

The author Jane Noble Knight came down from her home in Wales, and a few others travelled great distances too – from Chester, Ilkley & Newcastle to join our throng and celebrate Jane’s book. Jane was inspired by the original Pilgrim Mothers to showcase successful business women and the private stories behind their achievements as inspirational role models for other enterprising women. I am thrilled to be included in this first book of nine published, along with Marie-Claire Carlyle (The Money Magnet author) who attended, along with Shelley Bridgeman who is featured in the next edition.

The original Pilgrim Mothers set sail on the Mayflower from Southampton in 1620 for the new world. History remembers the Pilgrim Fathers but their wives, who accompanied them to start a new British colony in the new world, are never mentioned. (Interestingly, at our London evening, Cathryn McNaughton born on the USA Pacific Coast but now resident here in the UK for the last thirty years, is a descendant of that expedition of the Pilgrim Mothers!)

It was a beautiful evening, the atmosphere charged with excitement, friendship, community and creativity. People were in an immediate buzz of conversation as soon as they arrived.  I cooked a 2-course vegetarian supper which was enjoyed. It was hard to break in to the animated conversations but after eating we gathered in a circle to recognise each person attending and to acknowledge Jane’s journey in publishing this lovely book. Some women who had read it and found out about our launch evening were inspired to join and share their appreciation of it.

After our circle the gathering broke into small groups to discuss these three questions:

1. What does feminine leadership look like?
2. How can the way that women do business transform the culture of business?
3. What does it take for women to flourish in corporations?

The groups reported back on their discussions. The summaries were recorded and the insights transcribed on this document.

• Of note was the wisdom, knowledge and passion in the room. Like a “war cabinet” … if a major challenge had been thrown at us I am sure this group could have brought forth a solution and made it happen.
• The sharing was honest, heartfelt and thoughtful.
• We emerged a very well-thought out summary of the different qualities of the   masculine and feminine way of working and leading.
• The approach notionally associated with the masculine way of working was often referred to as the old paradigm/old model whereas the feminine was associated with a new order/new approach to business and leadership.
• It was highlighted that we need to look at the words we use and change the language for how we express masculine/male and feminine/female ways so as not to diminish one gender.
• Many personal anecdotes illuminated different aspects of the experience of women in work, in leadership, in business.
• It was very clear that the women believed their skill sets were very different to men’s and we have much to bring to the party which contributes and adds value, rather than dilutes.
• Although we only had a handful of men with us, it was delightful to embrace both perspectives, yet it was a highly feminine evening and we concluded with how important it is for the genders to collaborate and work together.

Jane’s book is definitely worth a read, as is the report from the evening.  To read the report click here:  Celebration Pilgrim Mother new book April 2013

The Pilgrim Mothers successfully set sail this evening for the shores of a new world order …..

The next Women’s Gatherings:

at Gina’s home in London is Thursday May 23rd. Book here.

at Gina’s Healthy Home in Yorkshire on Saturday May 18th. Book here.

Feminine Leadership in action – London event

If we are looking for new ways of caring for the planet, moving the world forward and making business more sustainable .. of re-thinking the way global finance works instead of simply recovering from the latest banking crisis, would we think to look at a spiritual organisation for inspiration?

Beyond taking personal benefit from meditation, would we think that lessons can be learnt from the organisation that seeks to wake up our souls? Indeed there is something very interesting to look at.

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU), the only spiritual organisation in the world led by women today offers a 76 year track record as proof that the feminine way really does work. If the Dalai Lama is right and “the world will be saved by western woman” then we need to step up our game and take advice from women who are already being pioneers of change and feminine leadership.

BKWSU is no insignificant entity. It is a global network which now reaches out to 130 countries with over 5500 centres and over one million teachers and long-term students.  At its head is Dadi Janki who was there at the start in 1930s India and today, at age 97, she leads the organisation.

From day one the constitution determined that the leadership roles would always be taken by women. The organisation represents an astoundingly rich resource and treasure trove for exploring the new solutions we need, and none more so than Dadi herself.

I recommend you clear your diary on the evening of May 7th and join us for an inquiry into a very different way of leading and running an operation. We are going to ask Dadi Janki to share her secrets from being a global leader and spiritual teacher for over seven decades. Not only has she not retired but she is actively involved every day without any anxiety, high-powered activity, forceful direction or stress. (register here for free event)

If you have never met her, then you need to be in the room with Dadi to feel her grace and presence. Where does this power come from? How does she mobilise thousands of volunteers across the globe to deliver the BK’s many educational programmes? How can she guide us as women to see our value and unique gifts without getting caught up with our egos? I am sure you can add to the many questions I want her to answer.

Quite honestly, at age 97 this could well be the last opportunity you have to meet this ‘world mother’ and Wisdom Keeper in person.

London event details

Tuesday May 7th, 2013
Brahma Kumaris UK Headquarters
Global Cooperation House
65 Pound Lane, London NW10 2HH

Arrive 6pm tea & biscuits
6.30pm gather for meditation & dialogue with Dadi Janki

This programme is free.

Please register here in advance

This programme on feminine leadership is also open to men       interested to attend

My Mum just shared her sadness at losing some very good friends. At age 101 and 107, Evelyn and Arthur were not likely to be around for many more years.  What is incredible is that they passed away within 9 hours of each other.

Married in 1939, fit and lively right up to the last couple of years (Arthur finally decided to give up driving at about age 101) they started to deteriorate in the last few weeks and became fragile quite quickly. One day last week Arthur passed away. Evelyn was asleep and apparently did not wake up joining Arthur nine hours later. What an AMAZING way to go….. you can’t call that a coincidence!  I think they must have decided that, finally, it was time.

They were a whole generation older than my Mum and Dad … at age 79 and 81 they have lost friends who were their own parents’ generation. I think that is a harder loss to bear than losing friends your own age especially since my grandparents passed away so young. My Mum was about 11 when she lost her mother and my Dad was eight when he lost his. Older, wiser friends always hold a special place in our hearts.

Evelyn and Arthur regaled them with their stories of long ago … they grew up in an age where it was not unusual to cycle from Carlisle to London! They seemed to have a great sense of humour with tunes from All Creatures Great & Small and Dad’s Army TV show themes played at their joint funeral.  74 years together and they decide to leave on the same day, twin coffins in procession, together until the absolute end.

God bless them and their family.

Dadi Janki visits London – feminine leadership programme planned for May 7th

I visited the UK headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University to speak with Sr Gopi Patel about how the organisation is run. I am fascinated because it is the only global spiritual organisation that is led by women and has been since it was started in India in 1936.

The organisation’s head is Dadi Janki who still travels the world, aged 97, teaching and leading programmes. She visits London this month and I look forward to hosting a women’s leadership evening with her on Tuesday May 7th in London. (Event details & booking here)

In this short video (taken from an hour’s conversation so many more insights to be shared) Gopi talks about Dadi’s advice for how we can talk care of ourselves. Dadi never wastes her most precious resource …. her thoughts …… and takes care not to entertain negativity, unnecessary thinking or worry. She does not see herself as her role but is constantly present to what she is here to sustain .. she is clear that the part she is here to play is to be a world mother.

what part are you here to play? 

May 7th event in London

Lynne McTaggart, author of The Bond

I have just been reading Lynne McTaggart’s latest book The Bond. In the intro she talks about the world we have now which, post Global Financial crisis of 2008 and other significant events in the last decade, quite clearly, no longer works. It really does not serve humanity in the way it should. Right in the introduction she points out that “We urgently need a new story to live by……. We need some new rules to live by. We need another way to be.”

In a nutshell that is what our latest video is about in the conversation series between myself and Dr David Paul, a Sydney-based expert on global leadership and complex change. Because of his expertise in complexity and his gift for expressing his ideas in such beautiful, clear and simple language, David has often been called on to give advice to world leaders and senior government leaders all over the globe.

If you think about it, the problems we face today are indeed so extremely complex and go way beyond the expertise that any one single person could now be expected to provide. It’s as if the solutions are destined to emerge from many sources rather than already residing somewhere and our job is simply to find out where and who has the secrets. No single source has the answers now……. but together, using different thinking, we have a chance of bringing forth some new answers.

Lynne talks about the current world order which is failing us having grown out of three Revolutions which originally held such promise (the Scientific Revolution in the 1600s and the two Industrial Revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries). A culture of what she calls “competitive individualism” is what we have now created and this has disconnected us from a much saner, fulfilling and holistic existence.  I mention Lynne’s book here because in this video you will hear David calls for change and says that in actual fact, another revolution is what is needed now. He says we have gone so far down a path of destruction that the system is way beyond tweaking. Now, only radical, revolutionary reform will bring us back from the brink. And he feels that this next new global revolution needs to be in the hands of women who are the only unheard voice left.

I was quite taken aback when David first said this. I have had these stirring thoughts in my head for some time now … what would that revolution look like? How do we start it? If we as women take leadership, then how do we enrol the men in it for it is not a revolution against men. It’s more a push-back against a patriarchal system and masculine way that has trapped and failed the majority of men too. So even though I don’t yet know what the revolution will look like, I am clear that it is feminine leadership that is most needed to get it started and maybe see it through….

The conversation on the video is about how women are leaving middle management in droves and so removing themselves from the pipeline that supplies the most senior women to join organisations at Board level. David talks about the choices that face women and how they often opt for a work / life balance so they can accommodate the needs of family and their many roles. These choices often lead to taking a part-time option which is generally seen as giving less commitment to the corporation (in favour of family) and so is penalised by taking those women out of the frame for the top leadership jobs.

In pointing out that change is usually most effective when it comes from the bottom as a grass-roots initiative or movement, David is again challenging us to think about what we, as women, with our different thinking, different perspectives, different needs can bring to bring to the table. What new questions can we ask… what new ways of being and working can we model so that we indeed spark a revolution and so actually start to bring forth what Lynne McTaggart calls for in her urging for a new story for humanity?

I’d be interested in your responses and ideas …… I am not letting this drop. This is not a throwaway line in a conversation although it is true I could just have left it at that. But no, it is time to create change, it’s a call that I cannot ignore. Can you?  It’s time to be a leader in change and model new ways of being, living, working and leading … the feminine way. I know you have been thinking about how YOU would do things differently. It’s time to share what you are doing in your own life or enterprise or inside your corporation that is going to create this new story, this new way of working, living and being.  Men and women … we have to find a new way. Answers on a postcard please …….. email me … comment .. tweet me … let’s continue the conversation.

Love from London

Gina

Why is there such a fixation on comparing and setting up two separate entities or personalities in competition… and with the young woman coming out of it as looking rather silly with her achievements undermined?

I felt particularly aggrieved when I read the Evening Standard’s need to compare two of the personalities involved in the forthcoming reportage of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral this week.  The BBC has decided to go all out with a special 3-hour live broadcast with an outside studio rigged up near St Paul’s Cathedral while ITV has decided to save money and stick to its original schedule with their presenters dipping in and out of the morning’s proceedings. It sounds like good sense to me. Why spend more if you don’t need to, as long as one channel is covering the events live. If you want the full works and a blow by blow account then watch the Beeb, if you want a different take then tune in to ITV’s This Morning show.

So why does the Evening Standard newspaper have to use this story of the different approaches planned by the two broadcasters as an opportunity to belittle a young woman. See the article. On the left is Holly Willoughby, popular co-presenter on This Morning …. in the right hand corner … veteran political commentator David Dimbleby. Ignoring the fact that Holly is part of a duo of presenters, the writer has chosen to create more dramatic effect by comparing, in a handy listing, the different ages, education and achievements of just Holly. She is a young 32 to his 74 years and the article helpfully points out that he has been broadcasting for 52 years compared with her ten. Her education was in High School and college while we are reminded that his was at a famous public school followed by Oxford. Her career in modeling and children’s TV is pitted against his impressive list of worthy political programmes and his Lifetime Achievement award.

As if that was not enough, we are reminded that Holly’s style comprises “plunging necklines, neon pink bodycon dresses, big hair” while his style is “sober suits, natty ties, bright socks”. It is not as if Holly herself decided to set herself up in competition with David … she is simply presenting her regular morning show, only she will have the added task on Wednesday of fielding commentary of an historic event, alongside Phillip Schofield, whose age and accomplishments have not been revealed here.

David Dimbleby may be a veteran broadcaster but the last line gives the clue to who will probably win the popularity stakes …. he is a “self-confessed Luddite” on social media with 1,000 followers while she is referred to as “a prolific tweeter with more than three million followers”. That speaks volumes to me …. let’s hope that some of her fans rally in her defense. Holly is a successful broadcaster and as such a very positive role model to aspiring young girls but the no-so-hidden message here is … watch out, when you reach the top, somebody in the media will create an opportunity to shine a disparaging light on your achievements in favour of a man (beauty versus brains) and belittle your success. Beware, it won’t be for anything that you have done.

Boo to the news writer on the Evening Standard who offered this piece of really shoddy journalism. Thank goodness the paper is free.