Women In Leadership – Adelaide, Australia
Greetings from Adelaide, Australia! Last night we had a lovely dinner with some of our Women In Leadership participants. Two of our participants were also able to share their experiences from the Power of Personal Purpose Retreat held earlier this year in Kona on the big island of Hawaii. It was wonderful to see all of them again and catch up on the progress they have made and how the training has influenced their lives. Next stop, Melbourne.
Leadership Philosophy: It’s a Rap
Every participant in the Women in Leadership Program does their Philosophy of Leadership for their graduation Certificate. Vicky McGowan showed the graduating class her grid on leadership and shared that when she showed it to her 11 year old son he said, "Oh mom, that's so boring!"
Thanks to her 11 year old son's challenge Vicky decided to go for it so she wrote her philosophy in rap form. She read to the group with rap music for rhythm and everyone in the group went wild.
Vicki is now working to record it for YouTube and when she does, we'll share it with you. Thanks, Vicki for taking the challenge.... I can't wait to show your video on my blog!
See Vicki's Leadership Rap and the Leadership Philosophy Grid.
Fun, learning & excitement in Australia
August in Australia
I was reflecting about 5 days ago as I kicked back and relaxed on my flight from Canberra back to Melbourne. For 9 years Lynne and I have been coming to Australia, yet this tour has been one of the most amazing and exhilarating ever.
Relationships are everything! It is what invigorates me and brings joy to my life and this particular trip was one was about making new connections and reconnecting with old friends. I had an opportunity to spend time with many of you that I now hold dear as family, and I also had a chance to meet many new friends. (The pictures are friends from the CEO Women in Leadership Program. Check out those gorgeous smiles!)
I received a note from one of the graduates from a leadership course I did in Canberra and wanted to share this person's thoughts with you: "You parted the clouds for the light to beam into my consciousness, and you opened my heart to a new way of being. By the end of the 2-days.... (an) internal transformation ... was underway....This morning I awoke refreshed, rejuvenated and renewed, truly reborn in spirit. I know now what I want to do with my life." This person's message touched my heart... It is truly why I do the work that I do and this is why my passion and my purpose, my fun and my play have so merged and become one in the same!
I'm back home in Hawaii now recouping from close to 24 hours on the road and trying to catch my breath before heading into a busy week with principals and teachers in two of the major schools here.
I just want to say thank you to my Australian family! Thank you for letting me participate in your life, and thank you to each and every one of you who continually enrich my life.
A Book Worth Your Time
Over the past few years I have been presenting a 3-Day Women in Leadership workshop for the Centre for Strategic Education (CSE). During the years of delivering the program I have come to meet some amazing female school leaders. Each group of women that I have worked with has reminded me of the great resource women are to all educational communities. Women bring such a unique and wonderful model of leadership to a school.
During my May 2010 Australian Tour I was able to collect the final version of a book produced by the CSE on Women in School Leadership. I had read early manuscripts of the book, but to actually have the final version was a true gift. The book compiles the stories of 12 inspirational female school leaders. It is a must read for all those who wish to move up and expand their leadership, not just women. Within the covers lies a template for leadership success shared by women who have walked the path themselves.
I recommend the book to you - Women in School Leadership: Journeys to Success
You can buy the book directly from the CSE via this link
This is a short video that introduces the book:
Women in Leadership Program
One of my great joys is teaching leadership skills.
During the past 2-3 years on my Australian Tours I have had the chance to teach a truly special program. My Women in Leadership program is a 3-Day event. I have had such great fun and enjoyment during these sessions.
The program runs again in 2010. You can register with the Centre for Strategic Education here
This is an overview and introduction to the program.
May 2010 Australian Tour
How fast has 2010 flown by?
I was just thinking the other day about my speaking diary for the coming months when I realised that I will be in Australia this time next month.
I have some fantastic programs planned for my 3 weeks in Melbourne, Australia. Many of the sessions are private and I can't invite you along sorry.
But there are some public events that I would love to see you at:
You can book with the Victorian Independent Education Union to attend these sessions:
Fostering Leadership Teams - Book Here
The power of influence: how to communicate in the most challenging situations - Book Here
Advanced Skills in communication - Book Here
You can book to attend my Women in Leadership Program with the Centre for Strategic Education via this link
I have a great day on Coaching, you can book via this link
If you do come along to one of my training sessions on this Australian Tour, please be sure to introduce yourself as one of my blog readers. I would just love to meet you when I am in Australia.
I Love U Australia!
It has been another wonderful week of friendship and connections. Lynne and I are so excited because our Aussie family is expanding exponentially! Thank you! It is a joy to connect with all of you! My Hawaiian family knows that to someone like me from Hawaii, family is everything. The word for family in Hawaiian is OHANA and I put it in caps to show how important that word is in our culture.
In the video titled Lilo and Stitch (for all you moms and dads who watched it with your children) they had a saying which captures the feeling of ohana for us. "Ohana is family with no one left out!"
Lynne and I love the feeling of having our Australian Ohana expand. The connections have been more than magical. They have been enriching and nurturing, candid, genuine and authentic, warm and empowering, elevating and inspiring... and we have shared much laughter together during our time together.
As usual, pictures can sometimes express so much more than words. In this case I believe the words augment the images and vice versa.
To all of you in our extended ohana, please share your thoughts with us. I would appreciate your thoughts, feedback, questions or insights about our time together and the work that you and I are engaged in.
This is a personal note to each of you from the Women in Leadership program and from the Catholic Women in Leadership program. Take care of your MMP, stretch your zone and achieve those goals...
AND HAVE FUN WHILE YOU'RE DOING IT!!
Lots of Aloha, Trinidad
Relationship is Everything!
The #1 law in the universe is: RELATIONSHIP IS EVERYTHING! And the AU tour has been no different. Day after day Lynne and I have had beautiful connections with delightful people from various backgrounds.
It's amazing to engage with 50 or 60 individuals all with an incredible history that they bring with them. Each person has family and friends as well as a rich support network. Each comes from different professional backgrounds from the government level to school principals, deputies and educators.
The sharing and team participation has been amazing. Something very magical happens when people get together and connect with hearts and minds. I'm not sure there are words to describe the feelings that these sort of interactions inspire...
Authentic, rich, genuine, energizing, electrifying, nourishing, animated, exciting, motivating, uplifting--- creating a kind of synergy not always experienced in our day to day professional lives.
Dr. Barb Watterston is on the left. Barb is the one who made all of the Women in Leadership courses available in Melbourne.
Until Barbara came along, I had never done a course specifically for women. It was through Barb's realization of the importance of women in the workplace and the very special contribution that women leaders have to make, that I started these programs eight years ago. Thank you Barb! The Women in Leadership courses have grown every year, because of you and the work you do through CSE.
If only photos could really express the magic of minds and hearts working together! They may not do it completely, but they often seem to do it better than I can with words alone. So enjoy these few snapshots...
And please forgive me, I wasn't sure of all the names, but faces and hearts, I recognize!
Much Aloha from Down Under, Trin
