DEVELOPMENT
THE EXPERT
Philippa is founder and CEO of The International Exchange ( TIE ), a comfort zone disruptor . Following a successful career in advertising , she has created a unique programme that exposes people to global challenges to ignite their humanity , ingenuity , and purpose and launched TIE in 2006 seasoned professional who was top of her game – but she was looking to be pushed in new ways .
While still fully employed at the company , she was involved with their professional development programme with The International Exchange ( TIE ). Her project objective was to use her knowledge to help create materials to help MMF present themselves to high-net-worth donors .
The interesting part came at the end of the programme when she wondered how on earth she could go back to the corporate world . Surely , she needed to stay in Mozambique and continue to work for the NGO , she thought . But on further reflection , she started to notice something different about herself . At first , she couldn ’ t put her finger on it . Then it was clear . Lauren ’ s experience awakened in her the courage and clarity to connect with something bigger than herself .
With that , she started to think differently . She realised she could use what she ’ d discovered about herself on the TIE programme to make a positive impact on the planet . And she could look at impacting the private sector from a systemic point of view – which could be a bigger change than simply cleaning up the plastic from one beach .
She started to feel inspired by the impact she could now create . She could start to come up with the solutions , rather than waiting for someone else . She couldn ’ t wait to go back to work and start because she had found her purpose – her own , unique north star to guide and excite her in ways she would never have thought possible before .
The experience created the catalyst that pushed her to think differently and changed the way she tackles problems and interacts with the world .
Be clear about purpose Meanwhile , my friend and mentor Jim Carroll told me a story the other day that really resonated . It reflected on his performance appraisals over the course of his career .
He told me that he would go into the planning director ’ s office every year to receive the feedback . He would hear some of the good things he had done . And then some things to work on . He said he found himself skimming over the positives – instead , he would go and focus on what he needed to work on . He would then spend the rest of the year on those things that he was bad at ; routines that truly lacked a personal meaning for him . A year later he would go back and hear the same things . He had the same appraisal for 15 years .
At some point he decided to stop addressing those meaningless negatives . He decided to accentuate the positives ; those that would inspire and guide him in new and imaginable ways , giving him a reason to come back to work every day generating the impact he realised he had in himself . He was a man on a mission , not just another employee .
Fundamentally , we all need to be clear about purpose . Stories like Jim ’ s are why it ’ s so important . We all need to be asking why am I doing this ? Why am I coming into work ? What do I stand for ?
Purpose looks at the impact your work , your essence , can have on the world . And the reason purpose is such a current thing is that in periods of change like what we are going through now , the need for a fixed point or a north star is more important than ever .
Unleash your purpose It ’ s too easy in our jobs to drop into a formula and a rhythm where you feel like you are going around the block a bit . We can all feel constrained . And it ’ s hard to know how to contribute outside of the constraints of our jobs . We know we can be and do more – but how ? We all know our places in the system .
What needs to happen is you need to spend time unlocking it . Spend time on yourself and discover your essence . Once you do that , you can start to make the change you ’ d like to see . So , how can that happen ?
It ’ s about taking you from can , to do . Create the space for you to find your unique power to make meaningful change and an impact that is true to you . By disrupting your comfort zone , you can discover more about yourself and what your unique power is .
You have a lot of responsibility . And you have become very good at running trains along railway tracks . In many respects , that is what many jobs are . You run the train along the track because you know that track is going to the destination that it always has . But sometimes ( especially in times of extreme change ) we need and want to learn to lay railway – and that is hard . But that ’ s where you need to test yourself .
So , you know how to run a train along a track . But can you put railway down ? First , spend time working out who you are . What are your values ? What is your cohort ? What do you stand for ? And where are you going to make a stand ?
We are all capable of incredible things . No matter your age , background , or title . If you want to be more than you are today , to create meaningful impact … You can do it . You just have to know , you have to believe , and you have to go do .
I wonder what the world would look like if everyone recognized their own potential , and then acted upon it … S
theinternationalexchange . co . uk
Summer Issue 2023 | Executive PA 63