A significant vision for Global Leadership Foundation is to ensure the sustainability and thrivability of our world by raising the emotional health levels of individuals, organisations and communities.
This vision is aspirational, for at this stage in our lives we can’t quite imagine that we will have an impact on the whole planet or everyone on it. However, we know that through engaging with and enabling this vision in those we work with, we can indirectly influence many more and it will someday become reality – probably long after we are gone.
What do you aspire to achieve? What is it that guides your journey? What matters to you? Does your vision sometimes seem unattainable?
In the haste of everyday life it can be difficult to pause, take a deep breath and take a good, long look at what is possible. And even if we do this, it’s so easy for moments of doubt to creep in – for our vision to appear so grand that it is beyond our reach. It is often easy to believe others when they tell us that our vision is totally unachievable and will never be realised.
The gift of working with our clients across the globe is that we often experience commitment to and perseverance in staying strong to a vision despite adversity. Highgate School in Cyprus is one such organisation.
Located on the ‘Greek’ side of Nicosia, and taking in children from both sides of the ‘green zone’, Highgate believes that every member of the school community must have the opportunity to learn, acknowledge, understand and celebrate their own and other’s abilities, cultures, religions and traditions. They encourage respect and tolerance of all cultures and promote an awareness and acceptance of commonality and diversity within their school.
Their desire to raise the emotional health levels of children, staff and parents manifests in a very special way of working – with dreaming, creating and enthusiasm being as important as achieving results.
To work with the leadership team who had given up a Saturday to continue to develop and expand their own emotional health; to meet with a grandfather of one of the children who remains committed to reuniting the island (after recently retiring from the Turkish Parliament); to sit with Maria (the Principal) and Demetris (her husband) as they talk about the stagnant economy of Cyprus and the plight of some of the families who are unable to pay any fees. These things constantly remind us of how important it is to continue to hold on to a vision despite the circumstances that surround you.
As we have experienced, realising your vision is more than articulating it. It is paying attention to it regardless of the situation you are in, maintaining intent and keeping a focus on what is important in achieving it. It is stepping up to lead by example and ‘living it’. We are grateful to be reminded through examples such as Highgate.
Gayle
