The Movie Adaptation
What are the plot points in your life that shaped who you are today?
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one (wo)man in their time plays many parts.
Shakespeare’s words rang in my head last week as I tuned into the inaugural Mom’s First Summit in New York and heard my client Charles Johnson talk about losing his wife after a routine C-section birth of their second son, due to what can only be characterized as negligence and racism on the part of the healthcare system.
He turned this catastrophic moment in his life into inspiration to start a non-profit, 4 Kira 4 Moms, which is on a mission to eradicate maternal mortality.
For Charles, Kira’s death is an undeniable plot point in his journey to becoming an activist.
What are the plot points in your life that shaped who you are today? These are pivotal moments in your story that impact the direction of your life in some way. In movies or TV shows, they are major turning points. Even without the bright Hollywood lights, they are worth sharing with your colleagues because, in subtle and profound ways, they’ve shaped who you are today. Here are two exercises you can try with your team. Don't have a team? Jot down the answers to these questions and share them with a friend:
If you only have 10 minutes: If your life were a drama/adventure/romantic comedy, what would the biggest plot point be?
If you have an hour: Have each person on your team draw a squiggly line on a poster-sized paper and point out 1-2 high and 1-2 low plot points of their life that shaped who they are today. Then, go around the room and share them with one another.
Read
Last week I wrapped up a project helping a small leadership team craft a 5-year strategy and completed How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen. In the book, he explores the notion of emergent and deliberate strategy, a helpful construct for teams building their strategic plans and anyone mapping out their career plans. It’s never too late to read a book like this, but if you’re looking for a gift for a college graduate in your life, this might be the perfect one.
Catch up on my recent post exploring the difference between self-serving and self-sacrificing leaders
Listen
About 6 months ago, at the onset of the conflict in the Middle East, I opted to reduce my social media consumption because I was being bombarded by messages that were oversimplified and demonizing.
Listening to this interview between Elise Loehnen and the author Africa Brooke reminded me of what makes it so hard to be a bystander of the online discourse, which often tends to shut down healthy debate. If you are still active on Instagram, I recommend following Africa and listening to this podcast episode. Africa also has a new book called The Third Perspective: Brave Expression in the Age of Intolerance.
...and I just worry that we're performing this very shadowy version of ourselves, especially online, without making any kind of effort in our everyday life to cultivate a strong sense of self, where you're able to handle conflict, where you're able to express disappointment to someone face to face and have a dialogue. - Africa Brooke
