One of the joys of being funemployed is the learning.  I have learned how to be a systemic team coach, I have learned how to assess people in a number of different ways via some cool psychometrics; I’ve read plenty of very cool books. (Thank you Dave Graham for the latest eye-opening, life changing one.)

Another joy is clearing out old shiz! I’m not a hoarder except when it comes to note books. Stuff with my musings, old work notebooks of lists and meeting notes; great ideas; every imaginable quote, model and teaching on leadership…

I found one today that I wanted to share. It started out as one of those notes to a younger self things which I would not normally do, but was prompted by a relative’s 21st birthday. The more I look at it and the more I talk about Leadership, the more I realise it is about humanity. Something on LinkedIn caught my eye yesterday, (because I have also been saying this for a while.) Excellent leadership is about being the best human we can be. We may have lost sight of that a little lately. So here is my manifesto.

1. Be brave enough to truly know yourself. Be brave enough to ask yourself tough questions and really listen to the answers
2. Love yourself. Love your imperfections. NO-ONE ELSE SEES THEM!
3. Listen to the anger that goes on in you. Find out why
4. Ask yourself what you want your legacy to be. How do you want to be remembered?
5. Check-in with yourself: Am I happy, kind? Am I doing what I want? Am I being who I want to be? or am I just going along?
6. Take time to BE and to explore and to do the things you love
7. Be a contributor to family, friends, community, causes
8. Challenge. Question. Say no. Say YES! Play. Have fun regardless of how old you are.
9. Remember the little girl or boy in you, because they never leave you
10. Be grateful and kind and gentle. There isn’t always a need to fight everything/everyone, or chase everything/everyone
11. Be you! Listen to you. It doesn’t matter what you “DO” for a living, it matters what kind of soul you have
12. Simplify the confusing stuff – break it down. Listen to your heart and your gut. Intuition is underrated
13. Know you are beautiful. Know you are talented. Know you are unique and know you are loved for all that you are
14. Don’t strive to make people happy at a cost to yourself. That’s not your job
15. Feel ALL the feels. Emotional intelligence has more credence than intellectual intelligence
16. Travel. Eat amazing food. Learn new things – music, another language. Be shocked. Be shocking! BREAK THE RULES
17. Be whoever you truly are. Know who you truly are. Respect who you truly are
18. Hold tight to the belief that you are wonderful
19. Approach difference with curiosity
20. Have empathy and compassion in your life. For everyone. All the time

There are many more I am sure, so if you have them and would like to add to the manifesto, I welcome your thoughts.

“I am the traveller, not the cartographer”.  Nothing here is new, I didn’t make the map I’m just on the journey.