New Beginnings -Taking the Past with Us

New Beginnings -Taking the Past with Us

Recently I shared a post about Dublin Civic Trust receiving an ‘exemplary achievement’ from the 2021 European Heritage/ Europa Nostra awards. Since then, I have reflected on what lessons can we learn from this that are relevant to organisational life.

As a society we’re beginning to embrace the concept of sustainability and valuing existing resources. Rejuvenating buildings to be of better use now, retaining their character while infusing contemporary looks, materials and improvements is truly an art form. We may not need to hire plasterers, ironworkers or master crafts people to cover up the old cracks, mend bits here and there or restore our cornices but in reality, to develop and grow as people and as leaders, we need to be master crafts people, working on ourselves.

As in life, the solutions to personal or organisational challenges are not always found in new resources or starting from ‘scratch’ but can be and must be found in re-using what already exists and strengthening these to achieve better results. In change, we talk about ‘Adaptation’ or “becoming better suited” to current needs and as with restoring buildings, we are essentially ‘re-using’ material from our past, in new or different ways.

However, to help clients re-imagine their strategic focus and how they achieve their personal and organisational goals, we often also say to clients ‘what got you here, may not necessarily get you to where you need to go’. While, so true, this point can suggest to people that they should forget experiences from the past! Even Bridge’s Transitions model, which I often use with clients, talks about the importance of ‘letting go’ to be able to move forward. On the surface, you might think that Bridges is saying that ‘the past is holding you back’. But this is not the case.

Bridges model recognises that as part of the process of ‘letting go’ we must acknowledge the contribution of the past to who we are now, to what we’ve become. Valuing what has preceded the ‘here and now’ is an important step in thinking about and moving towards the future.

What can you value from the past to bring with you? While this varies by person, ideas can usually be grouped under:

  • Lived Experiences and Memories: these shape our mindsets, skillsets and approaches to things. They influence our energy, commitment to and resilience in matters.
  • Values: these are the building blocks or foundation of ‘who’ we are and how we make decisions and act. They can provide a guide, sense of direction in how we navigate the world and a benchmark for how we do things.
  • Skills and Knowledge: these give us the capability to respond to situations more effectively and follow through on commitments, translating our aspirations, values etc into practice and give shape to who we are.
  • Strengths: we all have these and we need to acknowledge them, protect them and nourish them as a resource, as something distinctive about us.

Similarly, to our restored buildings, these points provide a foundation or framework for a new beginning. It can be liberating to review what we need to leave behind, e.g., patterns of thinking, behaviours or memories which hold us back and are no longer aligned to our future direction or purpose.

Through coaching we can repair memories and experiences to become more constructive and supportive, where necessary. Through self-development work, we can reconnect with the positives in our skills-and-toolkit and use these as a source of strength for the future ahead.

It is energising when we feel ‘unhindered’ or uninhibited by our past. We have a sense of freedom- a freedom to think and to see things differently; a freedom to try new experiences and activities. It is this freedom of ‘expression’ that will allow us to more freely collaborate with others; combine our perspectives and experience for greater innovation; free up space to integrate new skills for positive leadership impact. We are ‘re-using’ material from our past, in new or different ways. But we also challenge what we are taking with us to ensure it is ‘fit for our new purpose’.

As with the building conservators, in bringing modern life to old structures, we’re restoring our own features to highlight authenticity, we’re ensuring resilience for an even longer future, we’re nurturing and nourishing the best of our structure.

What are you consciously doing to restore yourself, to enhance your character and craft a contemporary look to your leadership and impact?