Leadership learnings - candidate meets Green Senator, Green Environment Minister and Greatest Living Canadian (CBC TV, 2004)

My leadership studies have taught me a few things.

#1
Identify leaders whom you respect and whom you can model

#2
Infiltrate these leadership mentor circles, observe, be humble

Over the last ten days I have felt a certain confluence in my leadership learnings.

First off I was able to spend an evening and morning with Senator Bob Brown an elected Green in the Australian federal senate. Leaders participate with grassroot community groups and use these experiences as a catalyst for growth.

Senator Bob spoke like a great orator sharing his experiences from the front line in working to preserve the great old growth rainforests of Tasmania. Senator Bob left a stable career as a medical doctor to promote the benefits of preserving the great rainforests of Tasmania and the on told biological treasures that they contain. With a focus on ethical leadership through the years (Senator Bob was named the most inspirational politican by te BBC in 1996) Senator Bob was able to stand up to the most powerful man on the planet, President George Bush, and boo him for his Iraq foreign policy.

Leaders make time for everyone, as does Senator Bob, and empower those around them to propel their personal vision forward. Senator Bob transformed me and allowed a new passion seed to pollinate within me. I need these transformational experiences with senior leaders to truely beleive that I can beat the Liberal candidate in Vancouver Point Grey who happens to be the Premier.

In a unforseen set of circumstances I was able to meet Dr. David Suzuki for the first time on the same evening I met Senator Bob. Considering I have read many of his books (Good News for a Change, From Naked Ape to Super Species to name a few), watched his show (The Nature of Things), and seem him speak a half dozen times meeting Dr Suzuki was like meeting a guru of sorts. Not suprisingly he is mortal being but wise beyond our knowledge. Hearing him speak of the Haida in the Queen Charolettes was stunning.

And yet another transformational experience had recently in Germany in the meeting of the great Jurgen Tritton. More to come on this latter.

From Berlin and Vancouver bound,
Damian

is that to evolve ones leadership skills one must infiltrate the ranks of senior leaders and model them.