All up in the air

I wrote this back in November 2011. I just looked now and realised I hadn't posted it.

At the time I was going through a very difficult period in my career, trying to get others to share my vision for an organisation on the brink of failure, both financially and systemically. Looking back I'm pretty sure there was more written which I removed before getting off the plane, mainly related to the frustrations of people's narrow focus on the immediate situation without a view forward, as I saw it, I think I cried a lot that month thinking about that stuff, but hey; what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!

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 As I write this I'm 39,000 ft above the Mid-Atlantic travelling at almost 900km/h and is -50 degrees outside. I was kind of dreading this flight, mainly because I thought passing the time was going to be an issue. I've watched an episode (quite a hilarious one) of The Big Bang Theory, spent about 25 minutes selecting 2 hours of classical (yes classical, not classic) tunes to keep me occupied but more importantly I've read the first two chapters of a book that I bought almost a year ago, meant to read, but haven't had time, misplaced and found yesterday.

I was so excited about the book that half way through the second chapter I wanted to put it down and start blogging, and that's some feat for a book considering it's probably been 2 years since I set out to read a book. This book centres around the theories of leadership (so far anyway) and its réson d'être. This is something that in recent weeks has occupied my mind. From planning a proposal to fund 35 students through an intensive leadership programme, to listening to a woman who despite being our head of state for the past 14 years through boom and bust left office last week with many wishing the rules allowed her to seek another 7 years speak on the the topic, I have a new found obsession.

 I'll ramble a bit more after another few chapters, but the excitement of the realisation that the leader is in all of us really is a boost to me where I am in my life right now. Some people would call that bullshit, but there's idealogical examples abound of things I'd view as bullshit too.

 Your not so anchored Irishman

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P.S.  As it turned out I ended up sticking doggedly and determinedly to pushing through those reforms at the very limits of the rules, but I hope (and think they have) they left a stronger organisation behind. I learned a lot in that year that have shaped my character and given me an outside the box view on certain things.

The book is called The Leader who had no Title by Robin Sharma (@_robin_sharma) and later during that year I gave a copy to someone else coming under pressure to do things for optical reasons. I only hope it helped and that he in turn gave it to someone else.