With an ever-evolving world, one of the pillars of Elson Consulting Group (EGC) is to be steadfast as good stewards of the environment. With our continued dreaming, we were curious about how we could invite others to join us in thinking about the health of the ecosystems we work in and breathe. Our challenge is to see how organizations we help design can pivot from traditional and patriarchal structures that alienate leadership on these critical issues.
Yes, we work together collaboratively to empower others to be creative and innovative in illuminating leadership that presents a greater sense of purpose on people’s issues. In doing this important work, the values of community, dialogue, engagement, and inclusivity must help us navigate, transition, and adapt to the shifts in all of our own lived realities. It is essential to inner-stand that everything starts with the self and is the basis for effectively connecting us.
“We are not trying to create salvation for others. We are here to help you to be less dependent and amplify the need to reawaken the agency within yourself and to create a space for folks to discover anew through the revelatory paths we are collectively engaging”. Omowale Elson, ECG Vice President for Growth & Strategic Partnerships.
CommUnity: Centering the U in Community
EGC invites you to continue the work beyond the workspace and encourages you all on how to be in community with self, unifying with others, bridging hearts, minds, and hands, so that the work spaces will become truly inspirational, innovative, and transformational!
Doing this deep ecosystems work requires noticing possibilities that can replace old tired and worn out patterns of behavior with more invigorating relationships. It requires you to trust yourself and be bold to listen to your voice so that you can become A good trusting steward for the change you, your organization, and your family needs.
You may ask how we get there? It starts with YOU.
As we kick off this refocusing on self, we invite you to try the Note to Self-activity. This self-reflection activity can be whatever you want it to be; all you need is to curate something, a piece of something intended for yourself. It can be a letter, a poem, a collage, a painting, a drawing, a song, a video; the possibilities are endless. As you take time to do this activity, we encourage you to explore and include your dreams, aspirations, goals, and manifestations while reflecting on who you are in that moment and envisioning who you would like to be in the future. After your creative process, you can then store away your personal note/creation and set a time in the future 6 - 12 months ahead, to revisit your past self and reflect on the journey to your present self and moment, and find your way back to yourself and looking beyond.
When finished, ponder on the courage you have for self-reflection and self-development. No one said that this life would be easy if you started and stopped. Cool! If it's still on your mind without prodding, then you're on higher ground from where you started, continue. Perseverance is a conqueror. Hold on to it. It brings the joy of overcoming!
Please return to share your experience and thinking.
Hannah Gray-Chambers, M.A.
Hannah is an emerging Leadership Coach and Consultant. Her focus is on holistic healing within leadership. Her role at ECG is to focus on ways to curate community building and healing experiences. She currently writes our blog and is a free spirit who is trying her hand at many things. She received her Master's in Higher Education and Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego. She is also a Co-Creator for Group Relations International, a co-host of the The Higher Head Podcast, a culinary enthusiast, and has an immense passion for service.