Close your eyes and imagine the African continent 25 years from now. It’s a continent rich with professionals, connected to themselves, to their communities and to the world around them. These are conscious, curious, courageous, compassionate, creative leaders who are connected to their values of contributing to the present and the future of their continent.
They are conscious
They are conscious – with well-developed self-awareness of themselves and the world around them. They are awake. They are deliberate. They are purposeful.
They are connected
They are connected – to their values, to their communities, to their organisations, to each other, to their physical, emotional and spiritual experience. In their connection, they create synergy.
They are courageous
They are courageous – in their integrity, in their convictions, in their vulnerability, in their objectivity, in the face of adversity and in the actions they take.
They are compassionate
They are compassionate to the internal voices that have held them safe and small as children – they hold those voices compassionately and curiously, but no longer give those voices the power to hold them back.
They are creative
They are creative – in experimenting and connecting with different perspectives to identify opportunities and solve problems.
The continent is alive with these mission-driven generative self-leaders who choose to challenge their thinking every day and show up confidently, fearlessly in their careers – shining a light on themselves, making sure their light reflects onto others.
They are transforming the businesses, communities, environment, politics and the landscape of Africa.
They are the youth of today, who have been groomed, coached, mentored, capacitated and empowered to take up leadership roles in shaping the future. They are the CEOs of the future. They can be the CEOs of their careers today.
Can you feel it in your heart? This is the Africa I want to contribute to. Would you like to join me?
The challenge is that the Africa that I visualize, isn’t the Africa of the future on our current trajectory.
In the work I’ve done in my career I’ve engaged with diverse people across Africa in rural and urban areas, with and without academic degrees, employed and unemployed, whose curiosity, courage, compassion and creativity has been suppressed to such an extent that they walk through life unconsciously, disengaged from the present, let alone from their futures.
I hear them say:
“I didn’t know it was ok to question this?”
“I didn’t know that this isn’t normal”.
I didn’t know I was allowed to have a vision, to have goals, to have hope”.
I’ve heard young professionals say
"I thought I wasn’t supposed to be seen”.
“I thought it was safer to stay quiet”.
“I thought it was safer not to show up, to stand out, to be noticed”.
I’ve met people who’ve been punished for their curiosity, their courage, their compassion, their creativity - knocked down time and again, mostly by leaders who know no better, or feel threatened by the energy of young people.
In my very small way over the last four years, through coaching, workshops, webinars and my online courses, I have also seen hundreds of young professionals:
wake up,
become curious,
develop the confidence to show up and be seen,
develop the courage to ask the questions,
develop compassion for themselves when they fail,
develop the creativity to find a way through.
I have seen these people who were playing small, start to step up and shine. And in shining, they have inspired others to shine too. Their ability to step out of their comfort zones and consciously take a leap of faith has been generative.
But we need more. I need more. I need your help.
My BHAG – my big hairy audacious goal or as I prefer to call it my Bold Heartfelt and Generative mission is to enable 1% of the African youth population (between 18 and 35) to become the CEOs of their careers, strong self-leaders who are invested in not just leading themselves, but engaging in the world in which they live and transforming the continent of Africa with courage, creativity, compassion and curiosity.
That’s not going to happen overnight or by myself. I need your help to make this a reality.
According to the United Nations, 226 million youth aged 15-24 lived in Africa in 2015 representing nearly 20% of Africa's population (and 20% of the world’s youth population too). Extend that to people under the age of 35 and the number increases to 75% of Africa's population or an estimated 850 million people.
Imagine the impact of just 1% of these young people being conscious, curious, courageous, compassionate, creative leaders who are connected to their values of contributing to the present and the future of their continent.
Would you like to help me make this a reality?
If you want to help me make this a reality, please subscribe below. I am working out the HOW part of this bold heartfelt and generative mission and would love you to join the conversation... and sooner rather than later in the action!
I am Briony. I'm a career and business coach to mission-driven STEM professionals. My mission is to help you show up with curiosity, compassion, creativity and courage.
My career started out in 1998 in the mining industry in South Africa - completely unintentionally! For a large part of my career, I thought I had a good handle on what I was doing and where I was going. But to be honest, most of what I did was done because I was in automatic mode - I just had my head down being busy.
At some point, I started questioning where I was and what I was doing, and I started waking up, being curious, and reflecting on what I wanted my career to be like, and to mean to me.
I realised I needed a change, and took a leap into the unknown.
Since 2017 I’ve coached STEM professionals, like you, to show up confidently in the world by helping my clients identify their real value and articulate it in a way that positions them to be impactful in their careers, their communities, and the world at large.
I do this by working with my clients in one-on-one and group coaching to get curious so that they can find:
❤️ the self-compassion that connects them to their voice,
🖍 the creativity to communicate their story in a way that resonates deeply with their network,
💪 the courage to show up and position themselves as the expert that people need to know, and
🤝 the confidence that gives them a greater sense of control.
Connect with me on LinkedIn