Manila, 30 December 2020 — Quality awareness for quality results in 2021.

Our World in 2020

“A once-in-a-century pandemic.” — The Economist

Looking back to the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, that seems right. But is it? 

We now hear from scientists who tell us that it’s the destruction of the natural environment that has brought humanity uncomfortably close to the remaining forests that are home to the natural reservoirs of related coronaviruses as well as other viruses that pose a threat.

Even as we struggle to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic now, scientists say that the next, and possibly even larger pandemic may be around the corner rather than a century away. 

Add that to the many other global challenges including the climate emergency, the spread of drug-resistant diseases such as malaria, and surges in inequality, poverty, and mental health challenges, and it’s clear that we have plenty of reasons to reflect deeply now that the year 2020 is drawing to a close.

We are the Problem and the Solution

According to scientists at the World Health Organization, what these challenges should prompt us to do is get our act together and collaborate faster and more effectively. In a world where populist political leaders threaten to raise walls and disrupt collaboration, the scientists remind us to double down on the good work that we can do when we put our minds to it.

While in this Anthropocene era humanity is the problem of many disasters, we need to be the solution too. And that is happening. 

Beyond the suffering, 2020 has been a year of incredible human progress against many odds. Scientists in countries around the world have collaborated across many borders to produce vaccines at unprecedented speed. They continue doing so today, with awareness, focus, and persistence.

2020 was also the first year of the Decisive Decade to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, and we saw the birth of many global, regional, national, and local initiatives to take on challenges in new and innovative ways. I’m sure you have noticed such initiatives where you are, locally, as well as some of the international ones, including the Earthshots Prize, the TED Countdown, Covax, and many more. 

Your World Needs You

Today and in this decade, the world needs active and optimistic sustainability leaders more than ever before. What are you doing to make a difference? On my part, I’m committed to growing more leaders who will master the abilities to influence positive change individually and together, speedily and at scale.

With the leaders I coached this year, I noted the tremendous progress that many of them have made. While facing the challenges brought by the pandemic, they doubled down on their leadership growth and were able to show better results at work because they took the opportunity to invest in self-leadership to change their mindset, behaviors, and habits. 

None of that progress is possible without awareness, and this year has borne out for me that quality results will follow from cultivating quality awareness. That causality lies at the heart of developing more effective leadership behaviors.

So what can you do with this insight?

For a start, consider your achievement this year that you are most proud of. Have you already double-clicked on what actually happened and what empowered you? Developing quality awareness starts anytime.

Preparing for 2021

In the Grow3Leaders community, we have also prioritized awareness. Our practice this week was to describe what led to our achievements with the 3 Worlds Awareness Scan, looking through the lenses of 1) our results in the Observed World, 2) our relationships in the Social World, and 3) our inner responses in our Personal World. 

This scan to Triple Your Awareness is just one of the resources we have used to train our awareness this month, in preparation for starting the new year in the best possible way. Other resources included the Three Leadership Blocks, how to look Under the Surface, and using the metaphor of The Leaders Journey to see yourself as a leader in transition who is committed to working on yourself. 

Are you committed to Work on Yourself in 2021, developing your quality awareness, and putting it to good use in your workplace and life? I sincerely hope that you are, because your world needs you. Once you decide to commit, there are a lot of resources to help you, just like the many colorful balloons in the image.

I wish you a valuable reflection as you wrap up your year 2020 and mindfully start a new chapter of your life and work story in 2021. Hopefully, our paths will cross again in the new year to influence more positive changes together.