Issue 14 - We Don’t Need Roads

Hello and welcome to my weekly email newsletter, Deep Life Reflections: Friday Five, where I share five things I’m enjoying, thinking about, and find interesting.

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Here’s this week’s Friday Five.

1. What I’m Reading

Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others. By Stephen M. R. Covey.

In Trust & Inspire, Covey lays out a compelling case that even though our world has changed drastically, our style of leadership has not. He advocates shifting from the dominant Command & Control leadership model, a relic from the industrial age rooted in positional power, rigid hierarchies, and compliance, to a Trust & Inspire leadership model - one based on the belief that people are creative, collaborative, and full of potential.

As the former CEO of the Covey Leadership Foundation, the world's largest leadership development company, Covey's views carry significant weight. However, this isn’t just a book for managers. He emphasises that leadership isn’t exclusive to roles or titles; anyone can lead. He shows this through a 3-step approach: Model, Trust, and Inspire, with a wealth of case studies to support each. Each chapter ends with actionable insights.

In our overmanaged and underled world, Trust & Inspire is an important book. Echoing Covey’s profound words that the overarching goal of the leader is to grow people, the book is a calling for bringing out the best in ourselves—and the best in others.

2. What I’m Watching

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Directed by Davis Guggenheim.

In the closing moments of this poignant, reflective documentary, Michael J. Fox tells us: “I’ve always been moving. Maybe because I’m small. I’ve always counted on movement to propel me from place to place, to express myself, and to be who I am.”

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at 29, there is a grim irony to Michael’s condition, subtly reflected in the documentary’s title. Even at the advanced stage of his condition, he is still hardwired to momentum. We see his physiotherapist and wonderfully supportive family gently imploring him to slow down because of the falls and injuries inherent in Parkinson’s. An early scene of him walking—and subsequently falling—outside his New York City residence is a powerful and stark reminder of the disease’s destructive nature.

Yet, despite the cruel hand dealt, Michael J. Fox’s warmth, humour, and humility remain. His journey has taken him to some dark places for sure—his struggles with alcoholism and the strain of hiding his condition from the world—but here he stands, resilient, reflective, and hopeful. That hope is embodied through his foundation, which has raised over $1 billion for research programs, inching the world closer to a future free from Parkinson’s.

Just like the prophetic last words from his most famous film, Back To The Future, Michael J. Fox is proving “we don’t need roads” to make our way in the world. He’s forging his own way forward. Still moving.

3. What I’m Contemplating

When writing my latest article, The Art of Inspiration: How to Inspire Others Daily (which I encourage you to read if you haven’t yet), I reflected on the people who placed their faith in me throughout my life, and why it’s important to reciprocate this trust.

I spent seven years as a running coach at my local club, Dubai Creek Striders. When I handed over that baton of responsibility a year ago, I looked for someone within the group who showed the qualities I was looking for: humility, dedication, and a willingness to improve both themself and others.

That runner, Arun, seized the opportunity, carrying the baton forward for the club. Just this week, he organised a packed 5,000-metre time trail that saw many runners achieve new personal bests. Well done, Arun. Your journey reaffirms the power of trust and the inspiration it kindles. Keep paying it forward.

4. A Quote to note

“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

5. A Question for you

Can you think of a person in your circle, whether a friend, family member, colleague, or someone in your community, who could flourish under the gift of your extended trust?

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Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.

James