Finding Inspiration at Embercombe

This past weekend Tom and the Associates ventured to Embercombe, a social enterprise and valley in Devon that inspires individuals to take action to help build a socially just and environmentally sustainable world.

The weekend served as a pause for reflection as we begin our second placement of the year. In a few short days we experienced firsthand what sustainable living can look and feel like, and through conversations and individual self-exploration we discovered more about who we want to be as individuals and how we want to contribute toward shaping our future world.

At least a few of us were skeptical of what we assumed would be a weekend filled with trust falls and similar ‘team building’ exercises. Instead we found rejuvenation and renewed motivation through activities like woodworking, gardening, campfire story-telling (and rapping!), people planting (a bit hard to explain…), even playing on swings and monkey bars. Oh and do remember to ask when you next see one of us how to play ‘Zip, Zap, Boing.’

Every moment at Embercombe somehow led us to learn more about ourselves and about each other. Who knew- Peter can really rap, Dom's into Flamenco, Dalibor's an excellent woodworker. Through an exhausting yet immensely insightful feedback circle on our last morning, we shared with each other what we we respect about each other, what we perceive our strengths to be, and how we might improve upon those strengths.

Perhaps the most important lesson was that being an effective leader is not about telling others what to do, project management, or delegation. And as Liam Black noted earlier this week, it’s not about being the saviour, the tyrant, or the ‘I can do it all’ superhero. Instead, being an effective leader is about being yourself and using your personal style and strengths to move and inspire others. Strong leaders are genuine. They live the transformational change they hope to spark. They make their motivations transparent. They empathise with those they’re leading. They inspire as much by doing as by giving others space to do and grow.

The list could go on and on, but we challenge you to discover for yourself the rest. Come Sunday afternoon we were all reluctant to leave our yurts and to say goodbye to the breathtaking valley views and the amazing home-grown and home-cooked meals. We'll definitely be going back, and we'd urge you to go whenever you get a chance too. We promise that you'll be welcomed with open arms and a warm pot of lovingly cooked lentils.