In challenging times, our values can be tested. What is really important to us? Are we focussing on the right things? If we don’t know the answers to those questions, it’s a great time to pause and reflect, so we can let our values guide what is most important to us. Every upset we face is an opportunity for growth. In our values-based leadership work with parliamentarians we talk about pausing to ask ourselves what we call "transformative questions" for those times when we are being challenged.
Examples of transformative questions include: “Which of my values is calling me to be lived right now?”, "What is the learning in this for me?” Or, "Who do I want to be right now?"
This program is focused on helping us become more aware of the power of choice. One exercise which is useful for thinking about the actual choices we have, is outlined below. You start by populating your outermost circle of concern with everything that is concerning you, and then you populate the centre circle with that which is within your control. Lastly, you add your circle of influence in the middle and start to think about what you can move from the circle of concern in to influence, or even what might be within your control upon further reflection. The exercise highlights the power of choice, what is worth pouring your energy into and what isn’t. It also starts to broaden our thinking of how and what we can actually influence if we think differently about what we are ultimately trying to achieve and why.
We asked ourselves these very questions with the advent of COVID19.
As a result, over the last two months we have been working with alumni of our Parliamentary Leaders Program to support them through a very challenging time for their leadership. We have been delivering both an online “leadership helpline” and Values Coaching workshops. These have provided valuable space for reflection, for sharing in a non-partisan way with colleagues from across the political spectrum and for supporting our political leaders to reconnect with their core values and be calm, effective and focused on what they can control, and more importantly, how they can lead with their values during these challenging times.
Leadership Helpline and Values Coaching Testimonials
“Touching base with my colleagues on a regular basis across the country and across the chamber has given me calmer more focused outlook on what we do, in these challenging times this is a way of checking in on your own vulnerabilities’ and values. We are all just human.” Lee Evans MP, Liberal.
“The Zoom sessions have been an important means of re-centring thoughts, continuing to frame thinking around values and leadership. This has been invaluable in face of the uncertainty and concern that confronts all with the COVID crisis.” Justin Clancy MP, Liberal.
“A valuable chance to get your bearings as a leader in the storms of uncertainty we and our communities are facing.” Dr Joe McGirr MP, Independent.
“I highly recommend checking in with some talented leadership support structures that available to us right now! We are all dealing with some pretty new challenges at the moment, and I absolutely appreciate the Zoom meeting at this time. It helped me to calm down, get ‘on the balcony’ (amongst friends), and provided support to allow me to be the leader I want to be. Thank you.”
Liesl Tesch MP, Labor.
The values-based leadership content we use in the Parliamentary Leaders Program is the product of IP from Australian Futures Project and our partner Corporate Evolution.