This week marks the end of the virtual development journey for the 5th cohort of Homeward Bound, #TeamHB5. For the past 18 months, 80 incredible women in STEMM , from all over the world, have come together every month to strengthen their connections as a community and to evolve their leadership practice.
The HB5 experience combined both horizontal and vertical development, offering opportunities for them to add both breadth and depth to their practice. As part of their final session, supported by Homeward Bound Projects (they now host their own monthly sessions), we invited them to reflect on the following questions, which are a snapshot of the journey they have been on.
- What are you noticing about your leadership?
- How has the way you show up (interact) in groups shifted?
- How has your leadership philosophy evolved?
- What did you learn about the role of visibility in your leadership impact?
- What is your approach to leading complex systems?
- What strategies do you use to develop your complexity of mind? (sense making, perspective taking capabilities, managing paradox)
- How do you use your sources of power, privilege and rank to influence change and realise your purpose?
- What would it be like if you couldn’t lead with your most important values?
- How do you approach an ethical dilemma?
- What strategies have you used to increase your visibility?
- What goal or priority from your personal strategy map will be the hardest to achieve and why?
- What is your relationship to conflict now compared to two years ago?
- What are your self-care and wellbeing strategies?
- What behaviours, beliefs, mindsets, assumptions have you let go of?
- Why are you the leader the world needs now?
Congratulations #TeamHB5, you really are the leaders the world needs now. We are so proud of who you are as women in STEMM, the sacrifices you make, and what you continue to offer the communities you lead.
Also, massive thanks to our Lead Facilitator, the masterful Kate MacMaster who, with kindness and wisdom, guided us as a community through the challenges of the pandemic and the first-ever virtual program for Homeward Bound.
And to the Leadership Faculty, Rowan Brookes, Attiyya Malik, Hafdís Hanna Ægisdóttir, and Cassandra Kane, who not only demonstrated their ability to design and deliver a completely new program to meet the times we find ourselves in but who always role model the very best qualities of leadership.
Christie Little, Steam Lead, Homeward Bound Leadership Stream