Image by Joy Furnival

Last week ended on a joyful note. Along with over 80 Fellows I travelled back to Ashridge to celebrate the GenerationQ Leadership Programme as it reached the end of its 12 year run. I had been awarded a coveted Scholarship on Cohort 1 in 2010, graduating with an Ashridge Masters with Distinction in May 2012.

There have been a subsequent eight cohorts. Over the two-day event, it was a delight to make new connections and learn how the programme had unfolded for the Fellows that came after us. As with any bounded system, each cohort had its own history, character and rules of belonging. Yet there was no sense of exclusivity between the different groups. The GenerationQ magic connected us ensuring our place as part of the whole.

The week between Christmas and the New Year often takes on an ‘other-worldly’ quality. Retreat and introspection are bundled soporifically between festive book ends. The world slows down creating space for reflection. 

This kind of benign introspection doesn't take much effort. It would be easy to discount festive downtime as 'cerebral idling'. But it serves an important role in creating distance and bringing perspective to our otherwise hectic lives.  

For those committed to life-long learning, reflection plays an important role. Margaret Wheatley sums it up in her customary no-nonsense manner:

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences and failing to achieve anything useful”.