Our Favourite Resources from 2021

How did that happen?

It's the last working week before most of us take a well deserved break. I don’t know about you, but this year has flown by.

Before we step away though, for what I hope will be your opportunity to rest, reflect, and recharge, I want to share some of the best resources I’ve discovered in these last 12 months.

Given we’re approaching the holidays, there’s nothing too taxing here, but I hope there’s something that you find useful and enjoy.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season.

See you in 2022!

• A feelgood film
  
  What better place to start than with this fabulous feelgood film, coincidentally released on Christmas Day 2016?
  
  ‘Hidden figures’ follows the story of three African-American women who played a critical role at NASA during the early years of the space programme that eventually put men on the moon.
  
  If there’s ever a wonderfully uplifting way to show how talent comes in all shapes and sizes, and why diversity and inclusion matters, this movie is it.
  
  I’ve been working a great deal in the D&I space this year (indeed it was a client who recommended this film to me), and while we’ve made lots of progress in the past 60 years since the time this film was set, I think there’s still much more work to do.
  
  What I’ve learned personally this year is that we’d all benefit from better educating ourselves to notice inequalities and differences, and to understand how this is a first step to being more inclusive.
  
  The moral of this film is poignant - and it’s also a wonderful watch the entire family can enjoy.

• Sounds for this and every season
  
  The Squiggly Career podcast (another client recommendation) has become my favourite career podcast. Each episode sees hosts Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper discuss a different work-related topic.
  
  This is half an hour well spent if you’re interested in getting practical tips about career and leadership development. Topics span everything from communicating and networking to increasing your visibility and confidence.
  
  The conversational style makes it an easy and entertaining listen, so you can do so while driving, cooking or walking the dog!
  
  I’m particularly enjoying their ‘ask the expert’ series, where leaders of their field share their struggles and solutions for how to better navigate a career with confidence and control.

• An article with attitude
  
  How do you react when things unravel? It seems it’s human nature to want to get things back under control.
  
  As leaders though, tightening our grip is more likely to hamper rather than help us successfully navigate the complexity that’s caused things to unravel in the first place. That’s according to Managing Director for Corporate Learning at Harvard Business Publishing, Larry Clark, who in this HBR article argues that in today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world leaders need to fight their nature and respond by shifting from taking control to providing clarity.
  
  Great leaders, Clark suggests, clearly communicate the why and the what for others. In doing so leaders should ‘let go’ in the confidence that when the strategic direction is clear, everyone can make their own decisions.
  
  When things go awry, we need to fan the flames of learning, creativity and innovation, rather than extinguishing them in our quest for control.

• An inspirational interview
  
  What do you do when you’ve got a whole intimate view of the world captured in some 45,000 photos in your pocket? For astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield, it was to share them on social media for anyone to see.
  
  During his stint as the commander of the International Space Station, Hadfield had an opportunity to also watch and photograph our planet as he sped around it 16 times a day. We talk a lot about perspective in leadership, but Hadfield brings a whole new meaning to seeing the big picture.
  
  Having been around the world a thousand times, Hadfield felt compelled not only to capture what he saw but to share this unique perspective. In sharing his stunning photos, he hopes to show our interconnectedness and the common nature of the human experience.
  
  This is a wonderful interview with some profound leadership insights. But if you watch for no other reason, I promise it’s worth doing so for the phenomenal photography.

• Bookmarked: I promise to be…
  
  As we edge towards the New Year many of us turn our thoughts to making resolutions. What might we promise to do or strive to become in the year that lies ahead?
  
  Consultant, psychologist and former NBA player John Amaechi, understands the promises we need to make to ourselves and others for everyone to perform at their best.
  
  In his thoughtful and thought-provoking book, each chapter covers a different promise. All are meaningful and important, but my favourite is the promise in chapter 10: To be present. To give our undivided attention to others when they need us – not just when we need them. This feels especially poignant at this busy time of year. Perhaps the greatest gift we can give in our noisy, always-on world is our intentional and consistent focus on those we are with.
  
  We may not walk into 2022 as tall as John Amaechi (he towers over most of us at more than two meters) but, as he beautifully puts it, “everyone is a giant to someone or has the potential to be”.
  
  If you’re busy making your Christmas list The Promises of Giants would make a brilliant addition.