ACTIVATE Youth Leadership Conference

This past week I had the honor and privilege of conducting a leadership development seminar to a group of volunteer leaders that were delegates of the ACTIVATE Youth Leadership Forum. 

ACTIVATE is a national youth leadership program that aims to inspire and support the youth-led development and delivery of sport and active recreational programs in communities across Canada, while facilitating youth engagement and leadership in the process.

The program takes an innovative approach to fulfilling Motivate Canada’s Youth-Driven Development framework by creating a constantly expanding network of youth leaders that can spread their knowledge and empowerment to other youth.  I found the group to be personally inspiring and I immensely enjoyed my time hearing about the programs and ideas they were looking at instituting in their respective communities all across Ontario. 

 ACTIVATE Ontario 2012 Conference 

Given the nature of the program and the magnitude of the initiatives they were about to undertake, I felt that the topic of CHANGE was an appropriate one to discuss with the group.  Since leaders are the ones who help drive change, it only made sense that we broke down its six key components and discuss some of the things they could do as leaders to support the change process. 

They were a wonderful group to present to with a lot of good energy but more importantly, they all were highly motivated to give back to their communities through the development of programs and projects that would have an impact and make a difference on the next generation of leaders after them.

As they individually shared what they intended on doing when they returned to their respective homes, I couldn't help but be in awe of what I was listening to.  Their drive, sense of responsibility and passion for wanting to bring about change brought a sense of comfort over me on the drive back home.  Knowing that these youth would be the next wave of leaders responsible for moving our society forward left me feeling excited about what the future has in store.

Congratulations to all of you! 

See you on the court! 

 
Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman 

It's Time For A Change

We're all subject to change in our lives at one point or another and we don't have to be leaders to experience it.

The next edition of HCL Radio is dedicated to looking at this thing called change and understand the role of a leader during the change management process.

I've called on the services of my good friend Bill Kane to help us make sense of it all.



Bill is a business change expert, leadership consultant and is the co-creator of Coach John Wooden's Leadership Program.

He delivers management training seminars for corporate clients, civic groups, schools, and individuals seeking to lead their teams toward optimized and sustained performance.

His book, "The Truth About Thriving in Change" provides some great insights and practical ideas for how we all can work through the change process.

Join the next episode of HCL Radio and hear how these tips can be used to help us in our personal and professional lives.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

~Charles Darwin~

Note: Free show reminders are available by visiting the show page and clicking on the "Remind Me" button.

Click here to listen to the episode!

Thanks for reading!

Audley
Where developing leaders is more than just a game.

Just Accept It

Imagine you're a player in the NBA and you wake up one day to find out you've been traded.

No advance notice, no rumours on the internet - NOTHING!

The team that drafted you out of college has now severed ties and it's time to go.

Pretty startling stuff huh?



NBA player Shawn Marion said after being traded from Miami to Toronto, "It's a business, you just gotta accept it."

What Is It?

The process of being traded isn't an uncommon occurence amongst professional sports and is pretty much the same right across the board.

You play for the team you're contractually obligated to and they decide when and where you get moved.

While we may not all be professional athletes, it's a form of change we all deal with.

Change is one of things that happens in our lives that when we least expect it.

When it does take place, we have two simple choices.

Accept it or not.



Whether it's ending a relationship, loss of job or having to learn how to use a new computer program - change happens.

We, unlike the example of a player being traded to another city, have a bit more flexibility as to how we choose to respond to it.

What Can I Do About It?

Here are 6 quick tips to keep in mind when your jersey number gets traded:

*Life is full of surprises so be as prepared as a squirrel is for the winter.

*Understand the things that are in your realm of control - once you let go of the kite string, the wind is the master.

*Take the necessary time you need to deal with the change before adjusting to it.

*Having a clear sense of who you are will help you respond appropriately when change occurs. Think of incoming waves smashing against a rocks, no matter how large the tide gets, the rocks still maintains unstirred.

*Maintaining an upbeat, positive attitude on the situation makes easier to see the good things. Take off your sunglasses and face the light.

*Lastly, recognize when its time to move on and leave a situation. Don't waste time mulling over something that's already happened. Assess the circumstances and understand when its time to move on.

Kenny Rogers said it best in his hit song, "The Gambler"

You gotta know when to hold em
Know when to fold em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run


Thanks for reading!

Audley