COVID-19 has impacted everyone’s lives in ways we could not have predicted. Over the past few weeks, we have had the pleasure of connecting with Animators in our community to hear how lessons learnt on our Leadership Programs are still resonating with them today – specifically in these unprecedented and uncertain times.
The 3 recurring themes of Resilience, Interconnectedness and Mindset Shift unite us to face the current challenges via the strengths and leadership capacity that resides within us.
1. Resilience
The notion of resilience is one that many Animators have identified in our work, the idea of confronting a challenging situation head on. We hear stories of resilience every day from our village partners. Their capacity to recover quickly after facing difficulties is key to attaining a life with greater agency and Self-Reliance. The resilience of our village partners continues to inspire and motivate us to face our new normal.
Nola with an Elected Woman Representative in India.
“I think back to the Elected Women Representatives in India. Their resilience was just incredible in the face of anything. If they can do that, then we can learn lessons from those fantastic women.”
– Nola Wakeford, Business Chicks 2019
Garry with Dr. Daisy Owomugasho, Country Director of THP Uganda.
“Shoulders back and smile.”
– Garry Wallace, Decjuba Uganda 2019
2. Interconnectedness
One of THP’s 10 principles, Interconnectedness, was a theme that arose numerous times in our conversations about how we are all dealing with the uncertainty today. Much like hunger and poverty, COVID-19 impacts us on a global level and it is up to all of us to come together as equals and in unity to confront this challenge. COVID-19 has enabled us to recognise this global connection in a particularly meaningful way.
“Everyone being together has shown me that we are all human. I feel this real sense that everyone has had to show their true colours…I think it’s brought people closer.”
– Rebecca Summers, Business Chicks Ghana 2020
“I find that I am having deeper connections with people because I’m reaching out and having more meaningful conversations and people are becoming a lot more open, I think because we are all in the same boat.”
– Kelli Farrell, Business Chicks Ghana 2020
3. Mindset Shift
We all know the power of mindset shift. It is key in our work to end hunger and poverty. It is vital in individuals to recognise that they have the power to transform their own lives. Mindset shift is the element that ignites the fire within our village partners to seek a more prosperous future for themselves, their children, and their communities.
By realising that a shift in mindset is as important in our own experience of adversity, we experience how empowering it is to accept that we are the ones with the power to change our own path and put our vision into action.
“From any adversity comes opportunity.”
– Suzanne Hughes, Decjuba, Uganda 2020
Melanie with Ganga Gupta, a Master Trainer for the Elected Women Representative Program in India.
“A mindset of ‘I can’t’ can be a really limiting mindset, and as soon as you shift to what you can do and what we can do together there is a power that it creates.”
– Melanie Noden, CEO, The Hunger Project Australia
What about you? We’d love to hear about the leadership lessons you’re drawing on right now! You can either post in the Animator Collective Facebook group or email hannah.ryan@thp.org.