I am a huge fan of Jamiroquai and have been ever since I heard their first album in 1993.
Aside from the odd tune, I still feel their best music is those first three albums up to 1997.
Which means to this day, I still listen to those albums a lot.
Almost too much.
One of my favourite songs is from 1996 and is called Do You Know Where You’re Coming From (a bonus track on their third album; Travelling Without Moving)
As I was listening to it today, it sounded even better.
There was a section that stood out more than ever which was:
“Hey! Do you know where you’re comin’ from? Hey! Do you know… now where you’re going to? She said…Hey! Have you been…somewhere you’ve never ever been before? I said well…nothing is as clear! Nothing is as clear without
a holding hand to gently guide you…”
All of a sudden, my Marketing Academy experience so far was perfectly captured in that moment.
The whole experience is designed to propel me forward in my career, to help me evolve into an effective leader.
Through the first residential boot camp, my eyes were opened to what an effective leader is.
Our first speaker, Ed Smith from Foxtel, shared that whilst managers help people do what they do better, leaders take people where they haven’t been before.
John Eales shared the importance for leaders to know where they are going and to develop a point of view, referencing Wayne Gretsky and his quote around skating to where the puck is going to be rather than where it is.
The awe-inspiring Major Arthur Denaro talked about the importance to keep perspective and to have humility.
Across all the speakers, a theme emerged throughout the week around authenticity, which was expertly and deftly hammered home by the amazing Penny Ferguson and her Living Leader Programme.
A large part of this focused on exploring our how our past experiences influence the way we see the world today.
Following the bootcamp, I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with truly amazing leaders and coaches to help me on my own journey.
The power of authenticity has been repeatedly enforced throughout.
Being authentic about my principles, beliefs and values.
Being authentic about my leadership style.
Being authentic with others to help the team operate at a higher level.
All of this is helping me understand who I am and where I want to go.
Helping me understand what my authentic leadership story is.
And helping me understand where I want this story to go.
Which brings me back to Jamiroquai’s Do You Know Where You’re Coming From:
“Hey! Do you know where you’re comin’ from? Hey! Do you know… now where you’re going to? She said…Hey! Have you been…somewhere you’ve never ever been before? I said well…nothing is as clear! Nothing is as clear without
a holding hand to gently guide you…”
I’ve always wondered who “she” is. Now I think it is Sherilyn.
Through her amazing Marketing Academy, I have explored where I have come from.
I have and continue to explore where I am going to.
She has given me so many helping hands to gently guide me, that I feel I can’t go wrong.
And now, she has added a new meaning to one of my favourite songs from my favourite band.
