Going well outside my ‘comfort zone’ - a personal story

Kirsten Diprose with Allan Cameron, CEO of the Gardiner Foundation (thank you for your sponsorship of my ARLF place!)

I’m not sure why this podcasting, “indoor farmer” decided to go camping for two weeks. No tech and no showers. I know some people actually find camping enjoyable.

But for me… well, we were given a whistle at the start (for emergencies) and I promptly looped it around my wrist. You don’t plan on getting lost, I thought. I was put in a team with an ex-army guy and I told him, he was responsible for my survival. All bases covered.

 So, this adventure I had embarked on in the beautiful NSW scrub, was part of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s 15 month flagship program. We’re cohort 31… a bunch of strangers thrown together and many of us will become lifelong friends.

 That must have been why I was doing this; to connect with other rural people. I genuinely enjoy new people…so this part wasn’t going to be hard. I just feared, I’d be completely useless. I don’t camp, I don’t swim well. But, I can cook, I thought.

 Turns out, 8 of the 9 of us in the small team I was put in, can also cook… very well. I was going to need something else.

 I can’t tell you much about the program, because the ARLF likes to keep it a surprise for each new cohort. And there is method to this madness, so I shall respect that. But as the first few days passed, I stopped worrying about not being ‘enough’ for the group. Instead, I was able to be fully immersed in our daily missions and to trust and be trusted in the group.

 This was a journey of self-awareness. To understand how others see the world, how others may perceive you and to ‘stretch yourself’ in terms of your usual personality traits and behaviours. A cultural immersion experience and yarning circle with a First Nations group was another major highlight.

 By the end of our journey, a few in the group told me they thought I had “grown the most.” Is that a compliment?

I may have over-analysed that before this journey. But I know the intent and meaning is good. Afterall I can now tie a taut-line hitch (previously I would have guessed that was a bush dance!)

I asked the ex-army guy, who has also done Kokoda, how this adventure compared in terms of difficulty. He howled with laughter, as I unwrapped the emergency whistle from around my wrist. Ok, it’s not Kokoda. But I am feeling a unique sense of fulfilment and achievement.

 I’ve had many reflections since and I’m implementing some changes in my life – including utilising some of my newfound outdoor skills. As someone who lives on the land, I have often joked that I spend a lot of time trying to keep the outside from coming in (the dust, mud, mice, grasshoppers etc)… but perhaps I need to step out of the inside a bit more too.

But of course there are many leadership lessons I’ll be able to use in situations where I feel more comfortable, such as offices, board rooms and broadcast studios:

• Leadership is about bringing others with you. It is one thing to have the vision. You need to spend the time and care enough to understand what is important to each person on your team and understand the support they want/need to make it happen. Leaders often talk about ‘buy in’ - but it goes beyond that. You need to serve them.

• Everyone is different. We all know this, but we don’t recognise it enough. We’re all different, but we’re not unequal. So if someone reacts differently to what you expected - check your assumptions. Again, take the time to understand.

• You can lead from the back. Or the middle. This is a combination of leadership and “followership”. If there are defined leaders, then support them in their leadership, by giving them the faith required to do the job - and using your common sense and initiative to step up where required (without over stepping).

• Finally… what do you do when things are tough… and you don’t have a good leader steering the ship? I’ve been reflecting on this a lot. I was put in a team full of enthusiastic, high achieving people; open to new experiences and there to learn about themselves and others. They actively wanted to work as a cohesive team. So we did. Sure, we had to iron out a few things along the way. But I am acutely aware that every workplace is not like that. I don’t have an easy answer for this. But I think it all stems from being authentic. Being true to your values, doing what you say you will and supporting a culture of continuous improvement.. However, if you are in a culture where you alone can not turn things around (and you are not the organisation’s leader), then ultimately it is best to leave. If people don’t recognise your value, you are not expected to shrink yourself or compromise your values. Find your next team, where you have space to grow, influence, lead and support.

 I also now know why I went on this adventure. Yes, I did meet the most amazing group of people, who have all become my friends and I value so very much. But really, it was to grow. I have returned with a greater sense of purpose, gratitude …and dare I say it, ‘love’ (well, maybe just ‘sometimes like’) of the outdoors. Baby steps. I have been hiking twice since returning two weeks ago. Still yet to pitch another tent.

 Thank you to my wonderful team for not allowing me to survive, but to thrive.

 And for the record, I never needed to blow on the emergency whistle.

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Kirsten Diprose is a PHD Candidate at Deakin University, founder of the Rural Podcasting Co. and co-host of Ducks on the Pond podcast. She is a former broadcast journalist.