“You travel a lot,” I heard this week while in Turkey leading the annual women’s leadership lab sail.
It wasn’t always this way.
I grew up with traditional Indian parents. No Friday night football games. No dances. No sleepovers. No going outdoors until 6pm.
“You’ll get dark.”
I left at 18 and was on my own for 20 years. Vacation days laid waste while I built a career as a news anchor. I dared not take them. There wasn’t enough money too.
Today at 50, I have planned and designed for this brand of travel.
If you are seeking more adventure in your leadership, 3 thoughts
🔵 Permission. You have to give yourself permission to go on an adventure. Most are stalled here. Underneath is almost always: “I am not good enough so I don’t deserve it; Helplessness. What I want was/is never available to me; I need to be safe so I better stick to the known/familiar.” There is so much magic and self discovery on the other side. You won’t know until you have given yourself permission to do it.
On this sail of the Turkish coast, one woman ceo, came by herself. Not knowing me or the group too well. She just knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she likes taking big risks. At one point, we were clambering over rocks. She had touched something that felt squishy. “I’m doing so many things outside my comfort zone on this trip!!”
That’s exactly what I’m after. What’s coming up for you personally? How are you growing professionally? It’s my motto.
🔵 What’s your risk profile? I look at this leadership quality above everything else in the folks. Are you adaptable and able to roll with the punches or are you expecting the ‘Four Seasons’ treatment everywhere? I seed all of my adventures one year in advance. I provide the maximum amount of transparency: who is coming, where are you going, what are you eating. Once on the ground, it’s inevitable there will be surprises. Turkey’s tourism hospitality is amazing but the land is far more rustic and rural than the other countries we have visited. Because I’ve put together an adaptable group, folks are having a wonderful time.
🔵 Openness to the self discovery that comes from new contexts? Yesterday we stopped at an island inhabited only by a donkey family. Our crew brought watermelon rinds, Lettuce, and water for them to eat/drink. It was a moment of purity just watching them eat. It was a reminder there is something much bigger than us in this world. And we are now connected to it.
One of my C-level attendees listed off what her typical day looks like. She has a young 18 month old. The days at home are a blur between work, self-care and child-care. The moments of stillness here in Turkey (with her spouse/child) are a welcome reprieve from the routine. Receiving in a way she’s not able to at home with such a tightly planned schedule. it.
I have a business mastermind. Next years retreat is already in the works. Are you interested? Joya@joyadass.com
