EDUCATION, IT'S NEVER BEEN SO IMPORTANT

Society has at its heart, community. Whether it's a country, a village, or our global populous, community is the loving centre. There is no more vital investment in any community, than education, because from which, flows our future.

Education is undoubtedly a gift from us,

the current generation,

to our children and their children of future generations.

In my opinion and experience,

there is nothing more important and we cannot be too generous.

But perhaps it's even more than this,

perhaps education is what we simply provide and gift to each other, everyday.

There are many inspiring and heartfelt quotations that can be drawn upon to represent what education is about, however one of the simplest I have come across, and it reaches into the soul of the fact that,

education is not just something done by one to another, but also by ourselves, to ourselves, is from Seth Godin

In his podcast on what he calls 'Enrolment and possibility' is the line...

"Enrolment begets more enrolment, possibility begets more possibility. When we turn on lights for ourselves, we turn on lights for other people too."

All too often education is something that is described as being this that is given to one from another, however the reality is that it is a constant process, a perpetual exchange,

continually turning,

forever shifting and moving us,

changing our views,

modifying our perspectives,

furthering our understanding, and

enabling us to move towards a better version of ourselves.

The role of leadership is often akin to that of a teacher, and although of course it is much more than that, the role certainly involves the education of those within the organisation and those with who the leader wishes to have following.

Simon Sinek, the thought leader and writer, has coined the phrase 'Start with why', and this has been widely understood as a calling to leaders to realise that for others to follow, they have to understand why they are following.

This is closely aligned with Seth's concepts of enrolment and possibility, where he explains that to maximise 'enrolment' a leader needs to sell the 'possibility'.

Where is all this going?

Why am I so keen to express this point?

As a qualified teacher,

experienced trainer, and

leadership coach,

I primarily consider myself to be an educator.

There has been nothing more professionally rewarding throughout my life than inspiring and observing the 'lights go on' in others.

Whether that was

the classroom of teenagers,

the 300 full lecture hall,

the intimacy in the boardroom,

the openness of a workshop,

the challenge of a remote webinar, or

the conversation, me with another.

All have made me realise the exchange is, and has to be, mutual, in order to maximise its potential for moving us forwards.

As we struggle with the changing world around us right now,

As each country or jurisdiction finding itself at a different place,

As each of us looks ahead, with our own daunting journeys in front of us, and

As we, as governments, organisations and the human race wrestle with the uncertainty that surrounds us, education has never been so important.

Education on equality

Education on race

Education on our society

Education on our history

Education on our environment

Education on human kindness, respect and gratitude.

As leaders,

as educators,

as human beings,

we need to step towards each other with

Generosity,

Openness,

Patience,

Kindness, and

Compassion.

We need to do this now, more than ever, through mutual education.