“This is just how it is…”
A weekly roundup of the latest future of work and conscious leadership news and insights
The media is abuzz this week about last weekend’s interview between Oprah Winfrey and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. After stepping back from the British Monarchy last year, Harry and Meghan caused quite an international stir. This interview was their opportunity to share what precipitated their moving away from what was once considered their destiny to serve as “working royals.”
The insights they shared were disturbing and unveiled a shocking lack of conscious leadership within the royal family institution. When Meghan was suffering from suicidal thoughts and asked for help from the aides who run the family’s affairs, she was told it wasn’t possible because of how it might reflect on their public image.
Harry described the lack of empathy from his family and their staff. He was told, “This is just how it is, this is how it’s meant to be, you can’t change it, we’ve all been through it.“ That “lack of support and lack of understanding” is what prompted them to leave the “trap” of royal life.
It’s disheartening to hear the excuses given to Harry and Meghan because we’re all familiar with the same excuses in our own work and lives:
“You can’t do it that way because this is how it’s always been done.”
“I had to pay my miserable dues and now so do you.”
“Don’t even try to change how things are because you’ll never be successful.”
“Get in line with the program and suck it up.”
Feeling trapped, as the Duke and Duchess described it, is the perfect analogy. We often feel trapped by old systems and ways of doing things in order to make a living or advance a career. Disruptors or divergents are ridiculed and ostracized. The desire by unconscious leaders to maintain their power in old systems destroys others and blocks our ability to build new and better systems that truly serve society.
Thankfully, the façade of the British “keep a stiff upper lip” mentality is beginning to crack as we move into a time of more authenticity, empathy, love, and support. It’s also a stark reminder that often old, revered institutions are immune to necessary change and will vehemently resist it even when there is clear evidence that it has become toxic or antiquated.
This is not a #teamqueen or #teammeghan debate. Such duality distracts us from the real issue: the need for conscious leadership at the highest levels of leadership in the world all the way to the individual level and everywhere in between. This is just the beginning of the wave of conscious leadership that will transform every institution in the world. We no longer hope for it, we now expect it. Whether we’re a duchess, or a corporate employee, we should settle for nothing less.
Here is some of the future of work and conscious leadership content I found interesting this week:
Finding out if you’re a good leader is harder than you think. h/t to my friend David Green for sharing this insightful article about ways leaders can receive genuine feedback in order to continually improve themselves and their organizations.
The rapid shift to remote work is causing some issues this tax season, as noted by policy experts Andrew Cline and Robert Alt. Tax policies need to be updated to reflect the greater flexibility and freedom many employees now experience thanks to remote work opportunities.
A continuous learning culture drives innovation. This excellent article from Forbes shares tips on how to practice this conscious leadership attribute in your organization. One key takeaway: the number one reason why people begin to look for a new job is an inability to learn and grow.
What’s the key to avoid being distracted? According to Nir Eyal, find fun in your mundane tasks. “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.”
Work happy. Live happy. BE happy.
Meredith
The way we work and build teams is rapidly changing. Leaders often feel unprepared to navigate the transition. As a conscious leadership coach, consultant and communicator, Meredith helps leaders and their teams create new ways of working and relating so they can prepare for the future by consciously co-creating it.
Contact her to develop your conscious leadership and transform your organization into the workplace of the future.
You can support my work building more conscious leadership in the world by investing in a paid subscription to this newsletter. Upgrade your subscription today!
Connect with Meredith on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for content related to these topics.