What does your business stand for?  What is its purpose? How are you contributing to the greater good? How will you ensure that you continue to achieve you what aspire to in a sustainable way?

These were certainly not the questions we were being asked when we established Global Leadership Foundation in 2003. In fact, when we did share what we stood for and what our purpose was, what we sometimes heard back were statements like, ‘Well that’s all well and good, but what do you do?’  It felt as though many businesses just ‘didn’t get it’! 

Establishing a private company and putting the profits of that company into a philanthropic fund for the development of leaders in the community was certainly not the norm. Offering probono and lowbono opportunities for clients, holding no intellectual property and raising the emotional health levels of leaders across the globe was definitely a very different approach to business.

Today, those same questions of purpose are being asked worldwide and we are proud to be part of a growing ‘purposeful’ business community that leads by example in using business as a force for good. 

The Leadership Experiences we offer, such as our next Spirit of Leadership experience, place attention on exploring these questions with the leaders who attend. Our 'Tables of Ten' Global Initiative is a leading-edge opportunity to experience these questions in action. And colleagues such as Muneesh Wadwha - through the Global Purposeful Leadership Summit (see article below), Ginger Lapid Bogda and Uranio Paes are fellow travellers on the journey to raise the emotional health levels of people across the planet.

We welcome you to join us!

Our next 'Spirit of Leadership' Leadership experience will take place from September 15 to 18. This three-day journey into the desert in Central Australia will challenge your beliefs, enhance your resilience and creativity and help you lead a healthier professional and personal life.

Executive coach and Global Fellow Sue Gregory and traditional medicine man Frank Ansell will lead you away from charts, lists and meeting rooms and help you fully immerse yourself in Eastern Arrernte country and the beliefs and cultural practices of Indigenous Australians. Each day, you’ll venture out from your homestead to visit sites, where you’ll learn to slow down, tune in and become more aware of your whole environment, before returning to a hearty outback meal and campfire at night. You'll leave with powerful insights into your own personal and professional challenges.

For more details and to reserve your place, visit the Spirit of Leadership page on our website.

In addition, Sue will be running an introductory exploration of the Spirit of Leadership in her Global Collaborations workshop on September 5. Details and bookings for that workshop are available here.

We had a wonderful response to our 'Tastes of Tables of Ten' held in Helsinki, Copenhagen and Gothenburg earlier in May with those attending truly appreciating the wise counsel of the group on some amazing topics! Our Fellows in Finland, Denmark and Sweden will soon be offering further 'tastes' due to the demand; keep an eye on their individual websites for more details. We will also be holding 'Tastes of Tables of Ten' in Australia in July and August.

If you'd like to learn more about Tables of Ten and/or register your interest for the first round of 'tables' in Europe, Australia and beyond, please visit the Tables of Ten website. 

Muneesh Wadwha has been in the events business for a very long time and has decided to raise the stakes in terms of the conferences he is organising to reflect his own purpose and the business he has created: Humanity in Business.

Humanity in Business is hosting a conference in Sydney in September, the Global Purposeful Leadership Summit. From the conference webpage: "...we cannot create truly sustainable businesses unless we have highly engaged employees and a culture that cares. The lack of employee engagement in most organisations is good indicator that employees are seeking more meaning in the workplace. Purpose is the ‘holy grail’ of employee engagement."

Visit this page for more information and to register. Muneesh is offering a 20% discount to any of the Global Leadership Foundation community who wish to attend the Summit. Please add the discount code GLF when you register.

Cathy Duvel and Gayle Hardie invite you to join them ‘on the balcony’ at Byron Bay for three days of relaxed and mindful practices that reconnect and revitalise your three centres – Body, Heart and Head – ultimately enhancing your wellbeing and increasing presence in your life.

Whilst we intuitively know that we need to take time to rebalance and rejuvenate in order to remain emotionally healthy, it can be difficult to find time in our world of work to do this. Not being able to create the space and finding simple techniques to use and practice can also impact on our ability to ‘make it happen’.

'On the Balcony' will take place from August 18 to 21. There are only a few places left so visit this page for more information and to make a booking.

Two of the leading Enneagram teachers will be in Australia in the coming months.

As originally we originally flagged in March, Ginger Lapid-Bogda will deliver two of her most popular programs in Sydney in July. The 'Coaching with the Enneagram' course will run from July 10 to 14 and 'Consulting with the Enneagram' will run from July 17 to 21. Both are recognised certificate programs. Ginger has generously offered readers of Global Connections a 10% discount: use the code FOG10 at checkout.

Uranio Paes is internationally recognised as a leading Enneagram facilitator, coach, and organization development consultant. "Uranio leads participants through energy-based process work, drawing on the Enneagram carpet’s symbolic power and momentum." Uranio is running a two-and-a-half day workshop in Melbourne from August 19 to 21. More details and bookings can be made here. 

The Humanity in Business blog has a number of interesting posts exploring the concept of purpose in business.

Why now is a good time to think about structuring your giving with the Australian Communities Foundation. (YouTube)

The Communities in Control conference was held in Melbourne at the end of May. Speeches from the conference, including Andrew Denton's Joan Kirner Oration, can be watched or listened to on the conference page.