Welcome to the first issue of the Leadership Lounge's Leadership

Connections

Leadership Connections is an information resource provided through the Leadership Lounge Guiding Coalition, a voluntary group committed to furthering leadership in the public service in Queensland. Leadership Connections does this by sharing leadership stories, articles, events, opportunities and more for the benefit of subscribers.

To get things started.....

One of the perks (if you can call it that) of being an instigator of Leadership Connections is you get to choose the first content to be sent out to the 599 subscribers! I cannot say this will be typical of the information you will receive. The content will depend on what you and others contribute and what is happening in the leadership area at any given time. I just hope that from time to time, you will receive information that takes your interest, makes a difference, raises awareness or even changes lives.

The article in the link below is one that meant a lot to me and was a big step on my leadership journey. It made me take stock of some of the things that I value, perhaps without realising it, and why I react the way I do in certain situations. This article, by leadership guru Meg Wheatley, encouraged me to look for the things that others say or do which upset me; because it is within these disturbances that I will find my values.

I have always found it hard to articulate my values. They always just seemed like motherhood statements. This article pointed out to me that if something upsets me, it must be contradicting a value that I hold. It also showed me that my precious values are just that, my values. They are not necessarily the values of the person who upset me. My values are based on beliefs that I hold and perhaps, just perhaps, they may not be justified beliefs.

As they say in Neuro Linguistic Programming, "The Map is not the Territory". My map of reality will be different to your map of reality. We have seen the world through different eyes, different life experiences, different beliefs and different values. Your map is as real to you as mine is to me. But which one is right? Is either right? Could I have been wrong all these years?

This was an eye opening article for me and I hope you get as much from it as I did.

http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/pleasedisturb.html

Events:

Denise Reghenzani from Education says she is nearly finished reading Richard Florida's book "The Rise of the Creative Class" and can't put it down; and no wonder.....it was one of Harvard Business Review's top breakthrough ideas for 2004.

She believes that there something in this book for all aspiring and practicing public service leaders. That is why she wanted to pass on the message that Richard Florida, author of this best seller is in town for one night only - Thursday, 24 February 2005.

So..... if you want to be at the forefront of something that will have a profound impact on future business, government policies, education, urban and regional planning, advertising, social development and much

more, then this seminar may be the most important event you will attend this year!

Come along to learn why there is such a buzz. With cities and regions across the United States embarked on new creativity strategies based on Florida's theories, come along to discover what these strategies are doing for the movement of the Creative Class.

* How does the movement of talented people across borders affect regional growth?

* What do tighter immigration, faltering education systems and strong international competition mean for growth?

* Who are the up-and-comers in the global creative economy?

* What will this mean for your work?

Don't miss the only opportunity to hear this internationally acclaimed author and dynamic speaker as he examines the global competition for creative talent.

Day: Thursday, 24 February 2004

Time: 5.30pm

Location: Concert Hall, Performing Arts Centre, Southbank

Tickets: From $10 to $15 - can be purchased by phone at QTIX on

136 246 or on line at

www.qpac.com.au/events/Richard%20Florida

Leadership Connections is happy to provide details of this seminar as it is a joint collaboration of the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council, Griffith University, Australia Council and QPAC. Share highlights from your Leadership Journey

Do you have a story to tell? Have you found an article or web site that really impacted on you? If so, why not share it with Leadership Connections by simply including the details in a reply to this email.

Help us grow Leadership Connections

If you enjoyed or learnt from this email and believe others in the Queensland Public Sector may also benefit, please forward this email in its entirety including all links and attachments.

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