10.08.2022

Universal Need for Success-ion | Theme| Family of Friends

Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS. 

You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach: 

Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: something that’s creating an energy and positive impact
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge

Have you taken the GLAS Understanding Assessment
and received your free report?

LEARN
Something Worth Sharing

Universal Need for Success-ion

Many of you will be aware that the GLAS framework and methodology was originally created to firstly help me navigate life as a fourth-generation #familybusiness member, and then many other family businesses across the globe. Of course one of the most common areas that I personally get called in for is associated with #succession planning. The assumption is that this is something that is ‘only’ relevant to family businesses and as a process that considers the transference of share ownership and leadership. Wrong.

When we break down the word and focus on its core - SUCCESS - we can see that the ‘ION’ added to it is purely to indicate action. The word SUCCESS means "get on well, prosper, be victorious" and is formed from SUB "next to, after" + CEDERE "go, move". Success (and consequently succession) is about sustainability, future-proofing, growth, relevance, drive, vision (purpose), creativity and strategy. These are all essential ingredients for ALL organisations, for ALL sports teams, for ALL of society - and humanity.

I often come across professional service firms that have teams not related to each other, but certainly encounter all of the issues associated with challenged family businesses. The All Black rugby team were featured in a book called Legacy (by Jim Kerr), and this is very much about how to continue being successful into the future. We all need to look at not just what we are doing right now, but take the time to stop, look up and question - adjust and repeat.

Of course sustainability includes our environment, but it also calls for us to think about: our human and skill sustainability, our economic sustainability, our creative sustainability, our market sustainability. To do this we have to:

1. understand ourselves and our businesses - building from a stable foundation

2. relate in a way that optimises who we are and invest in this

3. continuously question what, and how we do things

4. be aware and agile in the face of a changing world and society

5. have a clear and simple vision and purpose

6. lead with hope, kindness, choice, passion and be equipped to ensure alignment

7. stay motivated and driven

ENERGY
Focusing on an emotion or positive energy; a stand-out word / s

THEME

Whenever asked to speak at an event, my first question is always “what’s the theme?”. It’s amazing how many people don’t have themes for events - or many things at all. When I recently designed our kitchen, I had a theme to create a starting point - without it, I would have had no direction, the same going for our garden. A theme can be a great - and easy - way to support projects and teams. It’s a milder version of a vision and purpose.

The word THEME is from Latin THEMA "a subject, thesis". So many things are made easier when a theme is clear and communicated!

ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference

Consume

One of our #micro_glas cards this week included the words:

“What we choose to consume strongly influences our output”.

The action I’m suggesting this week is to review, adjust and be deliberate about what you consume - not just in terms of food and drink, but also: your reading material, the conversations you listen to, the news you read or watch, the TV shows you enjoy and what you ‘consume’ while out in the world (walking, driving etc). Be mindful of how these things make you feel and influence you!

PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)

“What happened to you?”

I love this question. It’s not asking, “what’s wrong with you?”, but understands that we all have stuff that has happened to us in our lives. The question is the title of a book released last year by Oprah Winfrey and Dr Bruce Perry. If only we knew what our fellow humans have experienced, endured and overcome - we would be a lot more compassionate.

What happened to you? Think about this question with regards to your experiences, in your family, your school-life, your work-life, with relationships, at home etc. There is ALWAYS stuff that has happened that shapes who we are (good and bad!).

SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition, my gratitude or to be celebrated.

Finding your family of friends

This is actually a shout out to our three children - Ben, Max and Emmy. Each of them have worked hard to better understand themselves, and then have been open to finding “their people”. They have done this in various ways, but generally based around shared interests and activities. I remember when I found my ice skating family of friends - people who were as passionate as I was about our sport. Max is over in Canada and has built himself a close-knit family of friends. Emmy has fallen in love with the outdoors and adventures involving rocks, water and stunning scenery - and has now found a group that also love all of these things. Ben has a long-term set of family friends from school and university who all work hard to stay connected and meet up regularly.

I spotted some stats recently highlighting that of 1,254 adults over 18 years old, 27 percent of Millennials have no close friends, 25 percent have no “acquaintances” and 1 in 5 — have no friends at all. Finding your family of friends (even just a few) is essential for our wellbeing.

BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
This week’s little extra for you - from me

This week, I mentioned Legacy by Jim Kerr in my ‘Learn’. I’m recommending this - whether you are a rugby fan or not. Your code for accessing a free download is EMOTIONALGLUE

We have added a small fee for many of the downloads, but I will be providing you with a week-long discount code for the recommended book as readers / supporters of LEAPS (use the code before next Wednesday 17th August).

If you’d like to discuss having your ideas, business or culture captured visually - you can also let me know via email.

*** ORDER YOURS NOW ***

Order Your Deliberate Year Calendar & Logbook Set

LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis. 

I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:

• L: what have you learned?

• E: what’s your energy / feeling word

• A: what’s one thing you need to do?

• P: what are you thinking / processing?

• S: who or what can you shout out?