Polly Higgins, Lawyer for the Earth
Someone once said to me that “the one who has the vision has all the tools to make it happen.” That really changed my viewpoint. Before that I had thought that others were far more capable of driving change. Now I thought “maybe the change can come from me.” That’s when I stood up and decided that I had the potential to see something really big come into being. I could use my skills as a lawyer and put them to good use for the Earth.
Later it was explained to me that what I had done when I thought “the Earth needs a good lawyer” was that I had created a leadership vacuum. I didn’t know it then, but I do now: I had the vision of what was needed and I also had the tools to make it happen.
Sometimes all we need is the encouragement to step up to the challenge. To know that we have the ability to be a leader. We all can aspire to greatness, it’s just a question of giving ourselves permission to do so. When we do, very quickly we find all the help we need coming from others.
That’s just the beginning – taking the first step forward into the leadership role. There is so much to learn, and that’s all part of the journey we choose. How we navigate the waters is part of the process; rising to meet the big waves is all part of the adventure. The scariest step for me was that first one.
What makes good leadership? Here are some of the ingredients we aspire to in our team:
- thinking beyond ourselves: seeing ourselves in service
- visionary
- inspiring
- a friend
- taking a stand for what we believe in even when it’s against the odds
- committed: not giving up despite all the odds, keeping the belief
- being humane: being vulnerable and saying when we need help
- guiding and empowering others
- being open to others ideas
- listening to each other
- stepping back to allow others to speak
- valuing each other: giving recognition and thanks
- leading by example: whether by stories or walking the talk
- learning from our mistakes and being better next time
- having fun
Being a leader in service to the Earth Community is placing ourselves into a gift economy. We each give of our time something which will have an enormous impact on the outcome for the whole of the world. By committing to give one’s life to giving time, money and energy to making Earth our business is the greatest gift of all. We are the new gift economy.
