My birthday seemed an auspicious date to launch my new eBook - The Rebel’s Guide to Leadership.

The book weaves together stories from my personal rebel journey as co-founder and former principal of Matahui School in NZ with new theories of leadership and education. My purpose in writing the book is to encourage people to take a stand on things that matter to them, to challenge the status quo if necessary, to do what they can to help create a more compassionate, just and sustainable world. If you're uncomfortable with the idea of leadership, you may like Meg Wheatley’s definition of a leader as ‘anyone who is willing to help’.

In publishing The Rebel’s Guide to Leadership, I'm raising my rebel flag against the traditional, hierarchical leadership model, and also our society’s emphasis on achievements, affluence and appearance. Our culture has become so externally-focused, too many of us become disconnected from our own hearts and deepest values.

You can find out more about the book and download a free chapter here​.

Mary Oliver’s poems are imbued with the mystery and wonder of nature.  They stem from her close and deep attention to the marvels she observes on her daily meditative walks in nature.   Mary Oliver’s poetry and this wee snippet above remind me of school field trips to the rocky shore, when I was principal of Matahui School, where learning outside the classroom, and learning from nature, are central.

The very first activity for each child was to choose a comfortable position, somewhere on their own beside a rock pool, and they were to simply sit there – very quietly - very still - and they were to do nothing but observe their pool.

For five full minutes. 

Which is a long time for a child to sit without moving or saying a word.  In fact we would practise this at school beforehand in preparation for the outing.

For this was the key to unlocking the magic and wonder of the rocky shore for the children; for them to gain the most learning from the experience.  As the observers sat there, as still and quiet as the rocks themselves, the sea life within each pool would decide that it was now safe for them to resume their daily business, and the pools would proceed to come to life.   Myriads of sea life, normally unseen when people are clambering about on the rocks, would begin to move about in their own particular way, doing their own particular thing, for their own particular purpose.  All shapes and sizes, some very tiny and easy to miss without paying close attention.  

And there was so much else to notice within the rock pool - the intricate structures of the plant life, the details and colours of the rocks and shells.  It was enthralling to watch, and once the show began, it was suddenly easier to simply sit and observe.  It was a lesson in paying attention and mindfulness, and this was years before mindfulness became the catchphrase it is today.

The children learned so much more from this activity than the adaptive features of plants and animals.  They also learned about the wonder and beauty of nature, the interdependence of the rock pool community with each other and their shared environment, and how important it is that we treat these  rock pool ‘homes’ and their inhabitants with deep care and respect.   

All very important universal understandings that apply on so many levels in the wider world beyond the rocky shore.

And so back to Mary Oliver, and her gift of observing and learning from nature and beautifully capturing and sharing important universal truths, as she does in her poem Invitation:
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I was delighted to read this Huffington Post article below, which sings the praises of Courage & Renewal work in US schools.  Schools are relationship-centred organisations, and open, trusting relationships between teachers and students, teachers and their colleagues, and teachers and parents are key to raising student achievement.   Yet the current emphasis in education on accountability and measurable outcomes is more likely to foster fear than trust in the hearts of teachers.  

As a Facilitator in preparation with the Center for Courage & Renewal, I am happy to be able to offer this work to NZ educators.   As an introduction, I invite you to join me in August 2015 in Hamilton to participate in the first Courage to Teach retreat to be held in New Zealand.  See the Event Calendar for details.