Learning from Pivotal Event(s)

Introduction

Over your lifetime there will be critical events that are pivotal in your personal and professional development. Sometimes these events can be positive and other times negative.

Five skills are available to handle these events, ie to maximise the learning and benefits:

i) the ability to engage others in shared meaning, ie it is a joint learning experience

ii) a distinctive and compelling voice, ie use words to defuse negative situations

iii) a sense of integrity, ie strong set of personal values

iv) applied adaptability, ie applied creativity; this has 2 primary qualities:

    - the ability to grasp context, ie
"...implies an ability to weigh a welter of factors, ranging from how very different groups of people will interpret a gesture to being able to put a situation in perspective..."
Warren Bennis et al, 2002

Without this you cannot connect with your audience.

    - hardiness, ie
"...the perseverance and toughness that enables people to emerge from devastating circumstances without losing hope..."
Warren Bennis et al, 2002

v) sense of humour, ie an effective way to defuse potential volatile, embarrassing situations.

Using a combination of the above skills will result in your being able to survive a situation or  an ordeal and to learn from it so that you emerge stronger, more engaged and more committed.

NB
"...One of the most reliable indicators and predictors of true leadership is an individual's ability to find meaning in negative events and to learn from even the most trying circumstances...... skills required to conquer adversity and emerge stronger and more committed than ever are the same ones that make an extraordinary leader..."
Warren Bennis et al, 2002