een booked my diary for months – two Goal Mapping
leadership workshops and a keynote presentation at the 'manager of the year'
conference in Athens. The Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland also had an appointment
in its diary and blow its top, spreading ash and grounding flights, just three
days before I was due to travel.

Sensing the volcano may not want to work to my
schedule and feeling the importance of the presentations I changed plans and
started out on a 2-day trek crossing 4 countries in 6 trains, 5 taxis, 1 ferry
and a flight, to make sure I would reach Athens in time.

It was an interesting experience to say the least,
with many challenges and rewards along the way. The seemingly low point of the
journey was running out of power for my laptop on the train, right in the middle
of my work. The high point however, turned out to be – running out of power
for the laptop and being forced to look out of the train window instead. The
views travelling through the mountains and lakes of Switzerland and Italy were
truly stunning.

.

I arrived at Athens with a feeling of exhilaration
mixed with a sigh of relief, only to be greeted by the stark reality of their
dire economic situation. From street-level to high-level the feeling of fear
and uncertainty was intense. After meeting with the Chairman of the Management
Association and being briefed for my presentation that evening I was left in
no uncertain terms that many people were looking to my keynote speech to help
them find some light in the gloom and a way forward in their difficult times.

With the sudden realisation that my already prepared
presentation wasn’t going to be anywhere near adequate, and with only 4 hours
to go before the event, I felt the growing weight of urgency and responsibility.
Instead of returning to my hotel to work on a new presentation I intuitively
took a taxi to the Acropolis and wondered through the ancient ruins and temples
looking for inspiration and anything that might help my audience of 400 business
leaders, government ministers and assorted press.

The insights came from many sources – from the
ruins I was walking through, from the ordinary people I was listening to, and
from the business leaders who shared their opinions.

While the situation in Greece may be complex,
the essence is simple and timeless. – Change is all around us.
Always has been and always will be. Sometimes it’s fast and sometimes it slow.
Sometimes it’s small and sometimes it’s huge, but it never stops. And always,
we can benefit from the changes of life if we hold a positive focus and work
with a good attitude through setting empower goals.

A sense of purpose and personal goal helps bring
out the best in people. It helps people spot opportunity hidden within difficulty.
- To seize victory from the jaws of seeming adversity. When people work together
with a positive energy behind a passionate uniting purpose they are able to
move mountains.

My taxi driver knew it clearly. When I asked him
what it will take to turn the situation around he answered; ‘the Greek people
will need to be hero’s now’.

Everyone can make a stand as a hero, it simply
requires that they choose their best thoughts, work with their best attitudes
and take their best actions. However, while the process is simple and achievable
by everyone, few have the self-belief to live to their true potential.

Often we need to see someone else making a stand
and being a hero, to ignite the spark of belief in us that we may aspire to
their example.

This principle holds true throughout time and
across all cultures, whether a country, a corporation, a team or family. And
so it was that I stood in front of the leaders of the Greek business world,
and stated with some considerable passion, that they must now make their stand,
and work together with positive minds and good hearts towards a solution to
their common situation, holding a promising vision for the future, not only
for themselves and their teams, but as a shining example to the wider community.

It was one of the most challenging and rewarding
speeches I have ever made and I believe I rose to the occasion. The presentation
was certainly very well received, and over the next couple of days I repeated
the message to great effect at the senior leadership workshops I ran with the
teams at Piraeus bank and Price Waterhouse Cooper.

Coming home later that week the sky had cleared,
planes were again in the air and my journey back took just the normal few hours
instead of 2 days. I was deeply touched by the whole experience and was left
with one thought repeating in my mind above all else – in these days of rapid,
far-reaching change, it is vital that for all of us, wherever we may be and
whatever our situation to make our stand and be our best, not only for ourselves,
but for the positive example it inspires in our colleagues, our community and
our family.

Make your stand now by capturing your positive
intentions, motivation and effective actions in a Goal Map that will empower
you forwards to their successful achievement.

Brian Mayne