I just spent three days at the Victoria Forum, where over 800 people gathered to listen to academics, scientists, politicians, bankers, experts, and many more. I joined not only as a participant, but as part of a group of facilitators who volunteered to capture the impact of the sessions visually, in what we called a Harvest Wall. There, participants were invited to share what they were hearing, the patterns they were seeing, and the actions they would like to take as a result.
I walked away with my head full of insights, deeply touched by the discussions. There’s too much to share in one article, so I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned over the coming weeks.
One comment that was profound for me was from Chief Dr. Wilton Littlechild. His bio reads: a Cree chief, residential school survivor, and lawyer who has worked nationally and internationally, including with the United Nations, to advance Indigenous rights and Treaties. But talking to him in person, one on one, was something else, and I’ll dedicate a separate article to this.
On stage, he shared how a visit to a grade 8 class saddened him. The class was waiting for him. When they said, “we’re waiting,” he thought they meant they were waiting for him. Instead, they said, “we’re waiting to die.” They felt hopeless, reflecting a harsh life on the reserve. His answer was simple. Keep exercising. Take care of your body. Connect with your culture. When you’ve got nothing else, believe in spirit. Pray. That’s how he starts every morning, with exercise and prayer.
That’s not something you’ll find in a leadership textbook, but it’s whole-person leadership in its purest form. Body, mind, and spirit held together, not managed as three unconnected aspects of who we are.
Which brings me to you. There’s no shortage of challenges, whether that’s at home, work, or the global issues we hear about in the news daily.
What keeps you going? What gives you hope? What has worked or not worked for you? I know for me, exercise can really shake me out of a funk. On the days where I don’t have the energy to put on my running shoes, I remind myself to have self-compassion for this hard moment, knowing that this too shall pass, that I’m only human, and that I can only focus on what’s within my control.
Powerful leadership is also how you show up at home, in the decisions you make on autopilot every week. Who you bank with. Who you buy from. Whether your money moves toward the world you say you want, or just away from the one you don’t.
One of the consistent messages I heard from the forum was the importance of community. When disaster hits, we cannot always wait for organizations or governments to respond in a timely way. Our relationships with our neighbours are what will help us most in those moments.
What was I willing to do? I committed to an action. While I can be shy, this was the kick in the pants I needed to do something I’ve thought of often, and that was to get to know my neighbours better. Within ten minutes of getting home from the forum, my neighbour and I had already put a community gathering on the calendar, two weeks from now.
Because leadership isn’t just what you do at work. Sometimes it’s whether you know the name of the person three doors down.
Where’s one place, this week, your money, your attention, or your time could move a little closer to the world you actually want to live in?