Be Brilliant

Facet 1 Character

One of my all-time favourite childhood movies is The Wizard of Oz. It's the story of four friends journeying together, but on individual missions to enhance their own brilliance. Like the wonderful cowardly lion: ‘Put 'em up, put 'em up!' he says, bouncing on the spot with his fists balled up. ‘Courage! If I only had courage!'

Let's be honest, there are times when all of us could do with a trip down that yellow brick road to find the courage to be ourselves. But like the great and powerful Wizard of Oz says when they finally make it to the Emerald City, ‘You, my friend, are a victim of disorganised thinking. You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away you have no courage; you're confusing courage with wisdom'.

Just like the lion, we need to reorganise our thinking and self-belief, to recognise that we already have everything we need to be our brilliant selves.

The last couple of years of my corporate life were far from the champagne-popping joyous existence it once was. On paper I had it all — responsibility for good brands, a great salary with awesome job perks — but behind this was an environment of bullying, lying, deceit and game-playing, which meant I was always on the look-out for the next grenade being thrown my way.

I unconsciously absorbed the energy and behaviour of others and ended up leading from my own place of fear and self-protection in an effort to keep one step ahead. It was exhausting and in conflict with my personal ...