May flight path: Rethinking leadership for a thriving world
Newsletter, May 2024
Hi there,
Welcome to a fresh chapter of Bluebird Leadership's flight path!
We're excited to have you join us on this journey towards creating thriving ecosystems – vibrant, interconnected environments where individuals, teams, and organisations can flourish. If you're new here, a special welcome! We've recently combined our Bluebird Leadership and Thriving Women communities, bringing you a broader perspective on personal and organisational growth.
Our holistic approach is grounded in the belief that nurturing these environments is essential not only for sustainable organisational success but also for global well-being.
This month, we'll explore new perspectives, practical strategies and insights to help you cultivate your own thriving ecosystem, whether in your workplace, community, or personal life.
Embracing systems thinking for transformative leadership
In my journey as a consultant and coach, I've seen firsthand the power of systems thinking to unlock new possibilities for individuals and organisations. It's a shift in perspective that allows us to see the interconnectedness of everything, from our personal choices to global challenges.
As leaders, we often focus on individual actions and quick fixes. However, true transformation requires us to understand the complex systems we're part of and how our actions ripple through them. When we embrace a systems-thinking mindset, we can:
Uncover hidden patterns and root causes as systems thinking helps us look beyond surface-level symptoms to identify the underlying structures and dynamics that drive behavior and outcomes.
Make more informed decisions by understanding the interdependencies within a system, we can anticipate unintended consequences and make choices that lead to sustainable, long-term results.
Collaborate more effectively as systems thinking encourages collaboration and shared ownership, recognising that everyone has a role to play in creating change.
Embrace complexity rather than trying to control or simplify complex systems, we can learn to navigate them with agility and adaptability.
But here's the paradox. While systems thinking reveals the interconnectedness of everything, individual change is still a powerful lever for transformation. When we cultivate our own awareness, growth, and resilience, we become catalysts for positive change in the systems we inhabit.
What is a link between your right nostril, a leaf and the planet Saturn? I invite you to explore further with a short video on systems thinking.
New podcast episode 🎙️
In case you missed it there is a new episode of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is out now. We chat with Evannah Jayne, the founder of Terran Industries, a global ESG services firm. We asked Evannah: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲? It's a question many businesses grapple with and we dive into practical steps and the power of starting small and building momentum.
We explore actionable tips on how to:
Replace everyday plastics ♻️
Use data to drive change 📊
Build a sustainable company culture 🤝
What I listened to 🎧
We’re currently reading You matter more than you think in the Sustainable Shift Book Club. If you don’t have time to read the book, this interview with Karen O’Brien on the One Humanity Lab from George Washington University podcast is really insightful. Karen explores the concept of quantum social change and shares personal stories highlighting the importance of embodiment, visualisation, and asking powerful questions in driving social transformation.
How can we embody the change we want to see in the world, starting with our own daily actions and choices?
Quote I'm pondering 💬
The crisis of our time isn’t just a crisis of a single leader, organisation, country, or conflict. The crisis of our time reveals the dying of an old social structure and way of thinking, an old way of institutionalising and enacting collective social forms.
Otto Scharmer
Upcoming Events
Sustainable Shift Book Club
The selection for our upcoming book club is You Matter More Than You Think by Karen O'Brien. This book explores how and why each of us truly matter in responding to climate change and other global crises.
Thriving Women Retreat, Japan
A unique personal and professional development journey with the Thriving Women Snow Retreat combining snow sports, mindfulness, yoga, research-based insights, and interactive workshops to foster resilience and drive personal growth.
I hope this was helpful and sparked some insights. I'm eager to hear from you too! Share your thoughts or burning topics on your mind. Leave a comment and let's spark a conversation…I would love to hear your thoughts!
If you've been enjoying these emails, please forward this to a friend and encourage them to sign up for my monthly newsletter. Thanks so much!
Warmly,
Cherry
Get in touch
If you want to learn more about our work or would like to explore possibilities please get in touch 👇👇