What Can We Learn From Toddler Tantrums?

1) WHAT LEADERS CAN LEARN FROM TODDLER TANTRUMS

This month, we enjoyed reading an article in The Guardian by a fellow from the Clore Social Fellowship.  He writes beautifully about the challenges of setting up a charity, drawing parallels between fatherhood and the observation of the tantrums of his toddler.  He writes:

“So maybe I've been wrong these last few years about learning how not to have tantrums. Maybe the art of being a grown-up – a leader, even – lies in knowing how to have a tantrum, and then how to get over yourself and get on with things.  But I don't think I can write "how to have an effective tantrum" on my Leadership Development Plan. I am, however, seeing if I can set up a workshop with a hostage negotiator. That should help me secure a multi-year grant – and maybe even help me to get Otis into his wellies.”

The article resonated with us, both as parents and as leaders, reflecting the frustration that we feel at times with the status quo.  Each one of us has a inner child yearning to be heard, the little voice which is quick to tell you how unfair things are or how things “should” be.  Our work promotes taking responsibility for our little voice and our moods but also, we know first-hand the power that comes with surrendering. The team at Achieve Breakthrough are continuing our work with transformation leader Jim Selman next week and Jim talks of the power of surrendering – the ability to stop fighting within yourself and just say “ok.  That’s how things are today”.

So maybe, just maybe, it's ok to surrender to our inner toddler at times.  There’s something infinitely powerful in giving yourself permission to “have an effective tantrum”, to dust yourself down and then get on with things. Achieve Breakthrough programmes can develop interpersonal connecting styles and organisational behavior change to understand and work with everyones "inner child".

Read the full article click here and let us know what you think?

2) BREAKTHROUGH THINKING for Entrepreneurs

This month, we led a session at the British Library for 50 Entrepreneurs as part of their Innovating for Growth award.  We are a a nation obsession with ‘entrepreneurs, an enviable group of heroic risk-takers. In 2014, more new companies were created in the UK than ever before, amounting to more than one start-up a minute. Just think about that for a moment.

One
Start-up
A
Minute

That’s 1,440 start-ups in the last 24 hours.

This would appear to paint a picture of prosperity in the start-up world but the reality is not so positive.   Statistics vary but the long-term success rate of many SME's is generally poor, with one survey from RSA claiming a 55 per cent fail rate after five years.  Considering that Fifty per cent of the UK's GDP comes from SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and social enterprises, And we know that circa 50% of small businesses fail.  That’s a scary thought right? What's the implication?

For business owners?  For society?  For the economy?

The pressing question, is WHY.

In our talk at the British Library, we shared the key to why this happens which lies in understanding the growth mind-set, operating from a space of possibility versus predictability.

If you look at the conventional route to growth, one which sees you taking your revenue targets from past experience and adding single increments over time, PREDICTABLY you will still grow.  The challenge is that because your organisation has always operated from a conversation of “well this is how we have always done things around here” then the gap that’s created between predictable versus possible results becomes filled with little more than hope.

The Achieve Breakthrough approach harnesses a powerful alternative – an invitation to operate from a bigger commitment, one that isn’t predictable based on past results. Consistently operating from a possibility based conversation enables you and your teams to build the muscles that will allow your organisation to consistently deliver breakthrough results by design again and again principally because this creates a different relationship to the concerns that operating from the space possibility throws up. Concerns just become things that we need to handle, the 'missings' that we need to address as opposed to the reasons why we can't or SHOULDN’T commit.

What would happen in your organization if you committed to operating from possibility?  That’s the invitation we give to you. Click here for more information.

3) ACHIEVE BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PRESS: Is it time for Procurement to step up to the challenge?

We worked with the team at PharmExec this week to create an opinion piece on the challenges that we see our clients facing in the procurement world, recognizing the ever increasing importance of the functions success on that of the wider organization.

Our founder, Mike Straw, talks of the “lack of love for pharmaceutical procurement function” and the wider industry with the resulting implication being one of reduced confidence in the difference that procurement can make.

Mike writes:

“Whilst speaking at a recent conference I found that procurement professionals are faced with an increasingly pressured organization and find getting airtime even harder – so the need is even greater to create an impact and be able to stand as equals in order to deliver the huge potential that the function has to offer”.

Mike shares four key changes that need to happen in any organsiation to shift perceptions.  To read about these and enjoy the article in full, click here.

4) EXTERNALISING YOUR INNER CRITIC

What would it sound like if your inner critic, your “little voice” spoke out loud?  Anyone who has experienced our work will tell you how insightful and often profound our “little voice” exercise is.  But this month, we were struck by the next iteration in Dove’s real beauty campaign called One Beautiful thought who took it to another level.

Created by Dove France, this powerful 2 minute advert brings to life relatable negative thoughts that many people will resonate with.  But the shift is in how they bring these universal truths to light in asking actresses to play out the negative self talk that we have through a conversation with a friend.  Would we speak to friends and colleagues in the way we talk to ourselves?  And if we did, what would the impact be?  How devastating?

The essence behind the idea is to share one beautiful thought about yourself via twitter in a bid to create a positive body image movement.  If you were to adopt this in your organisation, what one “beautiful” thought could you share that would create a positive culture?  Imagine the breakthrough that this could cause within yourself as a leader and within your team?

Take a look at what is probably one of the most compelling pieces of content to come from a brand in recent years.  Breath-taking.

Click to view YouTube video.

5) IT'S FESTIVAL TIME FOR JAKOB'S COLOURS!

Following rave reviews on her debut novel, Jakob's Colours, including new fans in John Humphys and Andrew Miller, author and friend Lindsay Hawdon is set for a summer of fun and festival going.  If you’re keen to meet Lindsay and get your hand on a signed copy of her book, you can catch her at these festivals:

• Greenwich Book Festival - Saturday 23rd May at 4.30pm.
• Bradford Book Festival – Sunday 24th May at 12.30
• Penzance Literary Festival – Saturday 11th July at 12:45
• Edinburgh Festival  - Thursday 27th August

6) STORY FOR INSPIRATION:  Biography is not destiny

“Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light'' Dumbledore

Earlier this month, JK Rowling took to twitter to help a fan who asked how she would respond to someone who has “failed to find meaning.”  She replied in a series of beautiful images:

This twitter conversation touched our hearts a little, reminding us that the smallest acts of kindness, of listening and just being present for someone, even a total stranger, can have more significance than we realise and can offer a profound gift.

What one thing can you choose to do today to help someone else?  A loved one? A colleague? A total stranger.  Do it – you may just be surprised on the impact it makes.

Have you got an extraordinary story that you would like considered for publishing on our monthly blog: 6 Impossible Things? Do get in touch by contacting karen.neal@achievebreakthrough.com.