May is a wonderful month for growth and renewal. In this brief period between the hustle and bustle of ending my current business cycle and arranging some summer fun before moving into the next cycle, I find myself focused on learning opportunities. And there are so many available!
One focus for me will be to complete my Learning Agreement. As I continue to explore the links between the Masteries and leadership, I’m creating a series of ten articles describing how the Masteries inform management development. I’ve completed three – here’s the first one – and will have finished the series by the end of June.
It’s also conference season and I’m looking forward to three amazing opportunities to expand my thinking. By the time the VOICE comes out, I will be in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for the seventh Conversation Among Masters event. I’ve been to all six previous events, each year learning something new. Year one, I was fortunate to be selected to join George Leonard for lunch and to hear him discuss Mastery. I’ve included a link in case you don’t know him and would like to find out more about this amazing man. I’ve heard Dan Ariely speak about predictable irrationality. I’ve learned from futurist David Zach and comic Yakof Smirnoff, who is now teaching about happiness as well as continuing to perform. This year, we will spend an entire day sharing ideas with each other in a World Café format. June will be a busy month. The IAC is delighted to be co-sponsoring ISEC’s Leadership Mantras for the Modern Age in Bangalore, India. The conference has been created by IAC Vice President Krishna Kumar. The keynote speaker is Sir John Whitmore and speakers active in the IAC include Krishna Kumar, M. Shanmugam (Shan), Teo Jin Lee, Bonnie Chan, and Nigel Cumberland.
We are also once again participating in WBECS. Natalie Tucker Miller, Aileen Gibb, Krishna and I are presenting a discussion of the IAC Masteries and Leadership. I’m looking forward to hearing Daniel Pink, John C. Maxwell and Frances Hesselbein, and to participating in a Chapter-level discussion group.
You don’t even need to leave home to find learning opportunities. My brother has been taking courses as diverse as Python (apparently a programming language) and Song Writing on Coursera. I was intrigued. It’s free and they issue certificates of completion, so now I’m working my way through an MIT course conducted by Dan Ariely.
Learning is not, of course, limited to academics. I plan to expand my musical horizons at Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, with performers as diverse as Buffy St. Marie, David Amram and the Klezmatics. I may also expand my knowledge of crafts (ok – jewelry!), especially since Natalie Tucker Miller volunteers as Vendor Coordinator. I will probably expand my learning to include some interesting new food finds and take a refresher course in the wonders of Jane’s ice cream….
Everything we learn contributes to our skill as coaches. I hope that your May is full of wonderful opportunities to expand your pathway to coaching mastery.
With warm wishes for your success, Susan R. Meyer
Susan R. Meyer, MMC is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.
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