Dear Guest,
Do you remember a time when you could draw or create anything in your imagination? Without limits on shapes or colours. There were no rules about where your mind could take you.
And then, we grew up.
Many of us stopped drawing altogether. Child's play was replaced by routine and responsibility.
Imagine if we allowed ourselves to tap into those creative powers. How can we unlock our childlike thinking?
This was a challenge put to the Australian Women’s Leadership Symposium yesterday by the Founder and CEO of My Green World, Natalie Kyriacou OAM.
Natalie is inspired by curiosity. And the best source of that, she reflects, can come from children and young people. Like one of her Board Directors, 8-year-old Isaac Busuttil.
Yes, eight years old!
Isaac is a young wildlife warrior and youth advisor helping to address global wildlife and environmental challenges through innovative, youth-focused education.
Natalie tells the story of Isaac's presentation about sharks to a well-suited group of consultants. During the Q&As, Isaac decided he'd ask some questions of his audience. When he asked "what do you do?", none of these highly qualified consultants were able to describe what they actually did in a way that would be meaningful to an 8-year-old boy.
"Great leaders are right in front of us," says Natalie. "Young people are changing us, challenging us and making us uncomfortable. They are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today."
Listening to the wisdom of young, diverse voices can help us unlock our own curiosity and childlike thinking and it can transform organisations.
This week, Women's Network Australia launched a sponsorship program where our members can sponsor a young woman to join WNA. For just $149, you can give a woman aged under 25 the boost they need by welcoming them to our vibrant community of women in business.
You can either nominate a young woman in business to gift membership to, or we will allocate it to one of the "up & comers" featured in the latest edition of Women’s Network magazine.
Get in before 30 June by emailing us at admin@womensnetwork.com.au and inspire a young woman to follow their dreams!
With courage and hope,
Cheryl Gray
CEO