IT IS In THE SHARING OF TRUTH & EXPERIENCE THAT the CONSCIOUSNESS OF HUMANITY WILL RISE
Hello and welcome to my website.
I am Esther and I'd like to introduce myself to you by sharing with you my truth and experience,
because it is this that has led to me creating this Leadership Consultancy and Educational company.
I have worked in leadership roles within large global corporations for over 20 years.
8 years ago, I found my Self to be in a place that I had never imagined for one moment, that I would, that place being rock bottom.
After reaching what I believed to be the dizzy heights of success, in a senior leadership role within one of the worlds' largest global organisations, with the accompanying perks and 6 figure salary, that I had relentlessly pursued for many years, it transpired that instead of feeling happy, fulfilled, and all the other emotions that one expects are intrinsically linked to Success, that I actually felt at polar opposites to all of those.
It turned out in my experience, that the stress, struggle and striving for, was not worth it.
Because I see now that in the quest for success I had become so separated from my sense of Being - my true Self, that I had to all intents and purposes, sold my Soul to the corporate machine.
I was indeed at rock bottom, emotionally, mindfully, physically and spiritually - although I had no awareness of that latter part of myself, at that time this was far to woo-woo for my serious corporate persona to even consider!
But the good thing about being at rock bottom
as I have now considered, is that I felt the rock within me, the unbreakable part.
Which I know now is the being within me, my Spirit.
I had an inner intelligence at the time,
that it was not the prescribed medication
for my mental health that I needed, no I needed healing at a much deeper level.
And so, I did not take the prescribed medication and instead I paused for thought,
something I had never done on the relentless treadmill of the corporate system.
I surrendered in that time out, and I allowed the unbreakable part of me; that I was witnessing with some level of suspicion and scepticism, it has to be said! take over running the show. After all my mind had given up, my body had too, I was literally bedridden, exhausted from the great STOP that the Universe had delivered to me. (I see now that not all adversity is as it seems) And so, what did I have to lose?
Despite being overwhelmed with an overriding sense of pointlessness, there was a part of me that was still fighting for survival, and although I wasn't sure what for at the time, I stopped trying to control the outcome and although I am not religious, I started to pray to the Universe.
And in this surrender, I connected with this unbreakable part, who felt rather like a wonderful friend, comforting, safe, caring, protecting, brave, fearless, strong, solid, and oddly joyful even in moments of despair.
This part of me felt most definitely enough. I didn't know it at the time, but I know now that this part of me is my Spirit, the being inside my human being.
And so began my journey, my returning home to me through a process I call my Navigation of the Self.
I have spent a long time healing and doing a great deal of considering!
I see now that I was not unworthy, undeserving, not clever enough, not good enough, not confident enough, not enough... the list goes on, you may recognise some of those.
The fear-based imposter syndrome debilitating thoughts that I painfully dealt with every single day..... the reason I felt like an imposter in my leadership, was because I was having to conform to a way of leadership that required me to be an imposter!
To think, feel and behave in way that was not me.
I did not fail in my leadership, It was the systems and the structures and the outdated definitions and concepts of leadership that failed me.
The entire concept that leadership in that workplace were built upon, were wholly misaligned with my own.
It was just that I had never brought my own concepts into any awareness, simply because I had never considered them.
It was no wonder I was adrift.
I had been navigating my whole life using someone else's sat nav! I was seriously misguided during this part of my life. My values, ethics, ethos, ways of relating to another, my boundaries, my leadership style, my priorities, my definition of what makes me feel happy, fulfilled and successful, were not those of this global culture.
I was being asked to think, feel, behave and relate to others in a way that felt devoid of emotional intelligence, and at times even inhumane.
To me there was no relating, no support, no care, no compassion... there was none of the feminine attributes of leadership that are the essence of me, my true identity, not the false corporate identity I had been conditioned to be and that I was struggling and striving to be, which was creating the dis-ease and pain within me.
There was no leadership to represent, within the fear-based masculine power-based systems and structures that I was being asked to lead within.
This was leadership that was based on fear, a hierarchical structure where never the twain shall meet,
where leaders were to be feared not revered. This was profit before people.
This was the 'in to win it' at any cost, climbing over the back of another. The ' I am It' leadership that serves no one, not even the leader themselves. For I ask you to consider, how can one feel true happiness, fulfilment, a true sense of success, when one misuses power, when one exploits and abuses another?
And so, thankfully in the end, The Universe answered my prayers and delivered the great Stop, my Soul had been screaming for, and my own inner intelligence force (my own sat nav) showed me the way to my own healing, back to my Self.
I could see and in the end FEEL the dis-ease this way of leadership was creating, manifesting in mental health issues, colleagues in tears from stress and exhaustion, the false and joyless corporate persona, the lack of relating to another with any real support, care, compassion or consideration, the switching off of emotions in order to survive... it is a reflection of how the unacceptable has become acceptable in the workplace and it highlights that leadership must change.
I know that I am not alone in my experience and the circumstances of my experiences must be erased if certainty in any company is to survive.
A new way of leadership is needed and this is what I am here to ask you to consider.
Through my own truthful experiences, I am here to offer considerations for change that seed a new way of being in life and leadership.
The foundation of change requires a different way and my work is in these realms.
And so, here I am, showing up with the truth of ALL of my experience, which whilst I can appreciate that what I share in these digital pages is different and you may be considering me rather sceptically! For a start this website is different! too wordy isn't it? You want one that you can just glance over, see if it offers you the quick fix, because you are too busy to read all this :-)
It is only when we share and speak from the core essence and the truth of who we are, from our own core wisdom and heart-felt experience, and not from our conditioned mind that makes us all the same, mundane, and our learnt intelligence, our so called expertise, that we really are able to assist another.
Wisdom is earnt, intellect is learnt.
Wisdom is seriously lacking in leadership!
When we create from the mind and the ego we form an agenda, we separate ourselves from our Self, from others, from purpose, from planet and from the infinite intelligence that guides us all. From all the 5 major relationships that enable us to excel.
When we create and relate from the ego self we become guarded, fearful to speak, to be too different, to share our experiences of our life lessons, of pain, of gain, of fear, of faith, of strength, of hope, of the learnings, unless they fit the global concept of success...self-doubt sets it. Our social media platforms are saturated in influencers, changemakers, experts, but how many are sharing it all with raw authenticity and vulnerability (true strength) and have no agenda, an overload of so much communication and yet are we really any wiser? Language is an art form, words create emotions, they have the power to transform.
Doubt is a fear-based energy. When you programme it in, it suffocates the Soul.
Debilitates it’s movement and strangulates it’s breath.
We remove ourselves from the beauty and purity of our own uniqueness and inner intelligence of what we truly relate that may assist another. When we relate this way, we become all the same, mundane, fearful and false at the core, this is not the source of intelligence, conscious creativity, or change.
The focus is also placed on the delivery - word perfect rehearsed presentation style speaking. Why?
It is no wonder public speaking and business presentations are so high up the fear scale, it is all fear based all based upon judgement and performing against predefined concepts, that you are compared and benchmarked against, what is wrong with just relating and communicating in the world of business as yourself with a focus only on why and what you are speaking about. And so we guard how we relate, which leads to limited transformation, for the energy behind the words is always felt.
If you speak from the heart and with a pure intent, to be of service and an offering for good, nothing else is required. It does not need to be so complicated and thought out. We over complicate everything by living in a world of boxes that we all must fit into.
I ask you to consider who created the boxes, who set how many we need, how many eons ago were they set? Who defined the concepts by which we live and lead by, who set them, who agreed them, who reviews them?
Times change, the world keeps on turning, when we did we last stop, pause for thought, take a review and check in with the boxes, check in with the concepts and definitions? Are they still fit for purpose?
You would not continue to operate your business platforms on old software without a regular performance review, and yet the global software model we are running the world on clearly needs a reset, a reboot! We need to switch it off and on again, change the energy supply and I am not referring to that of Net Zero.
If we changed the energy that we are all feeding upon, I imagine we would easily achieve Net Zero.
There is a lot to consider for change!
It's time to get out of the box so we can think outside of it, as Einstein said "we shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive" I think it is evident that time is now!
Truth can be seen, truth can felt, it can be expressed, identified and evidenced.
There is a growing need for truth and accountability in leadership and for each of us to take a personal responsibility to wake up and to take action.
I am inviting leaders, whether in a corporation or their own business to define their own standards, their own core ethics and values. Not to be a lip service but be integrated and conscious within everything they do. It is no longer acceptable to say this is what you stand for, when you do not stand for that.
It is simply not the truth and to not be your truth, not be integrated with this level of transformation that is offered, is yesterday's consciousness and will not provide security, certainty, success, or sustainability in the new paradigm of business dynamics.
It is my greatest desire to create change in leadership through assisting leaders to come into the art of their own being.
For this is my calling, the why to me!
I had an inner knowing when I walked away from my corporate career that I had stressed, struggled and strived so hard for (the 3 Ss that separate you from you essence) that I had unfinished business in the world of business.
Through my own journey of coming into the art of being, I have found my footprint for change, my depth of purpose and meaning, that is far beyond any business or transaction of trade. It is my legacy to seed into the earth, to leave for others to follow. The decisions we make today should result is a sustainable world seven generations into the future.
I see now with my expanded sight that every experience I have ever had served me to place me into this new leadership position.
I am returning to leadership with the wisdom I have earnt.
To be bold, to be brave and to be daringly different!
HOW I CREATE A DIFFERENCE:
Through assisting leaders to be open and awake to their own being, inner intelligence, to implement and action considerations and consolidation of change that promote; freedom of rights, freedom of speech, freedom of expression where the being in the person is simply allowed to be.
Where the unique talents and skills of every person can flourish.
Where every person can excel in their own potential.
For when this is set, Unity far beyond equality for every person shall be.
For when these qualities for life are available to every person, there is freedom and there is liberation from hurt and pain and stress.
The art of being in business and in life, comes from a connection to the Self, and through acknowledging, honouring and respecting the being within every person.
When the leader knows how to relate to themselves in this way, every person will relate better with everyone they encompass and meet.
This is the change I wish to seed.
Part of my purpose is to create change within leadership through rising and supporting the feminine leaders who feel these words, who can relate to my story and feel a calling from their heart and soul to be part of the collective conscious for change. Please see RISE and Footprint Leadership Retreat under Consultancy & Courses.
CONNECT WITH ME
Thank you for taking time to read my words. If you feel ready to look within, to explore your own sense of Self, to find your being, to take responsibility as a leader - an 'ability to respond' to changing times and emerge in a new way of leadership - that will in time become "the new normal" I would be honoured to work with you.
