In his book ‘The Promises of Giants’, John Amaechi talks movingly about the moment he told his mum, at the age of 16 that he wanted to become a professional basketball player in the US. 

In addition to growing up in the soccer and rugby dominated north of England, John also shares candidly that he was a boy who loved pie, books and daydreaming.

So, it was somewhat of a shock to his mum to hear her boy talk of his ambition for a wildly incompatible future.

Her response was to ask John ‘would you recognise your soul in the dark’? 

She goes on to explain that people who want to do extraordinary things must be armed with full knowledge of who they are. 

Introspection is an integral part of achieving greatness 

“I was terrified, but I also gained powerful leadership insight”

Many great disability ERG/Networks have channelled the power of introspection to improve their own leadership capacity. 

We love this TEDx talk by Damian Riley, CEO of Capita’s Army Recruiting Group and leader of the Capita Ability Network. Damian sets out six insights on resilient leadership that he gained as a result of his experience of acquiring a life-changing spinal cord injury.

Watch the talk for more detail on how resilient leaders:

1. Are capable of learning from failure and reset their goals along the path to progress.
2. Tell stories in a direct and personal way whether they are speaking about themselves or their business objectives.
3. Do small things consistently and effectively as a way to make progress on bigger challenges. 
4. Recognise that the path to true transformation and enduring change is non-linear.
5. Accept bad days, contain the negativity and press on.
6. Demonstrate their vulnerability gracefully and candidly and in doing so, are able to recruit truly dedicated teams.

How does the world experience you?

In his book ‘Hardwired for Happiness’, Ashish Kothari explains that genuine self-awareness comprises of two elements - Internal (how we view ourselves) and external (how others see us). Kothari highlights the disconnect between the two and reminds us that the world usually experiences us in a very different way to how we experience ourselves. 

Self-aware leaders, understand their impact on others. 

This month we invite you to consider:

• What elements of your personality or leadership style do you most need to work on to improve your leadership performance?
• What can you learn from your own experiences of disability (direct or indirect) to help improve your own leadership capacity?
• When did you last get feedback from colleagues about your disability ERG/Network leadership?

Joining the 2023 #PurpleLightUp Leader to Leader conversation

This year, on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we invite organisations around the world to publish video conversations between their disability ERG/Network and C-suite leaders on how knowing yourself better can help you create a better working world.

Peer Leadership Roundtables

One of the most valuable aspects of PurpleSpace membership is the opportunity to build your leadership capacity via quality conversation with other disability ERG/Network leaders.

Each month we convene groups of disability ERG/Network leaders to stimulate discussion on the issues that matter most to our members.

Connect with your peers during these interactive one-hour sessions for disability ERG/Network leaders. These sessions are a great way to share good practice and challenges, swap ideas and build your ERG/Network leadership capacity. 

We have two sessions to choose from to explore the power of introspection:

• 6 December 08:00 – 09:00 GMT (19:00 – 20:00 ACT)

• 14 December 16:00 – 17:00 GMT (11:00 – 12:00 AST)

Resources and Recommendations 

Tap into our PurpleSpace know-how and check out some of the external learning that links into this month’s leadership lessons:

• When Movements Take Off: Webinar featuring David Caldwell, PurpleSpace Ambassador and Alia Cooper, HSBC UK, as they discuss storytelling campaigns and provide tips for ERG/Network leaders on how to secure engagement, appetite and budget.
• Storytelling in 8 Easy Steps: Short template guide on running a storytelling campaign. 
• The Untold Story of Disability: Podcast with Simon Minty, Disability & Diversity Consultant, and Kate Nash, PurpleSpace CEO, on how to deliver a story that drives cultural change. 
• Notice Your Soul in the Dark – John Amaechi