Blog - The LEAP Journey

The curse of intelligence: How we limit ourselves by being human knowers instead of human beings

2019-11-282019-12-02Chantal BreytenbachAuthenticity / Experiential Learning / Future Self / LEAP / LEAP Thinker / Meaning / Purpose / Real Self / Self-Cultivation / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

You might think that your life would be easier and infinitely more fulfilling if your IQ were higher. Don’t smarter people have it easier, because they always have the answers? And don’t they get the best career opportunities and make more money than anyone else? In our most recent blog post, Chantal explores some of the downsides of being highly intelligent or a high achiever to illustrate how the LEAP Journey might help those individuals who have become stuck, because they have too many options, or because they are afraid of failing or making a mistake. […]

How future-ready am I? Answers to LEAP Academy’s Website Quiz

2019-10-012019-10-01Hannelize JacobsFourth Industrial Revolution / New World of Work / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

Ever wondered if you have the skills to navigate the changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to succeed in the new world of work? LEAP Academy has compiled a quiz to help you assess your readiness and to figure out what your next step in preparing yourself should be. The Fourth Industrial Revolution does affect you and is changing the way you should evaluate your life and career. We have a responsibility towards ourselves, our societies, and our world to participate and help shape, this evolving new reality.

In our most recent blog post, Hannelize provides the answers to the eight questions in the quiz and explains each answer. Failing to answer correctly means that you are most probably not future-ready and that you should take steps to prepare yourself more adequately for the new world of work. At LEAP Academy, we advocate that instead of waiting for organisations and systems to prescribe how you should prepare, you should take the lead, dig deep and create your own future path. […]

Why understanding human nature is important in a coaching /learning relationship

2019-08-212019-09-10Chantal BreytenbachCoaching / Experiential Learning / LEAP Thinker / Self-CultivationLeave a comment

When you work with people, things can get a bit messy and complicated. People are unpredictable and no one person is exactly like another person. So, when you are designing learning experiences to help individuals grow and reach their most important goals in life, it’s important to be cognisant of the differences between people as well as the traits we all share as human beings – i.e. the things that make us uniquely human.

In this blog post, Chantal describes her experience whilst attending a coaching workshop on building confidence, and the lessons she was reminded of again on how best to facilitate participants’ learning whilst being mindful of differences in personality, culture and even in the way that people interpret and process information. […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 7: We believe in “thinking on our feet”

2019-07-312019-07-31Hannelize JacobsFuture Self / LEAP / LEAP Thinker / Mindset / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

“Just-do-it” is a motivational call to action frequently used to move people into action. At the LEAP Academy we argue that the just-do-it view is not enough to successfully transform your life and career because it does not require conscious thinking. Rather what is requires is the ability to “think on your feet”.

For the LEAP Academy “thinking on our feet” means that thinking is something we do as part of our actions. It involves a distinctive type of learning in action. Thinking in this way, is like creative problem-solving.

We believe that authentic self-leaders are also self-teachers who can navigate their own transformation by seeking novel solutions to challenges that are true to who they are and that will give them the edge and put them forward more quickly. In this blog post, Hannelize explains our “don’t just do it, think about it too”-philosophy, and why it will help you to successfully reinvent yourself. […]

A fresh perspective on The Authenticity Paradox

2019-06-272019-06-27Chantal BreytenbachAuthenticity / Future Self / LEAP / Purpose / Real SelfLeave a comment

In a thought-provoking Harvard Business Review article, The Authenticity Paradox, Herminia Ibarra argues that having a too simplistic understanding of what authenticity means, can severely hinder your growth and your ability to make an impact as a leader. Yet, ironically, we believe she steps into the same trap of viewing authenticity too narrowly. In our latest blog post, Chantal explains why we think so, and how we, on The LEAP Journey, view and approach authenticity. […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 6: We understand that “we” is stronger than “I”

2019-05-302019-05-30Hannelize JacobsLEAP / LEAP Thinker / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

A big reason why so many traditional approaches to personal transformation are unsuccessful is that they’re based in the false perception that you (and you alone) know the answers; you have the resources, and you know the right passion to follow in order to have it all. These approaches are in the same category as those who say that you should simply set some goals and go get it. At the LEAP Academy, we do not agree with this, as we understand that we co-create with others when we self-innovate. Simply put, we understand that “we” is always stronger than “I”. In this blog post, Hannelize explains the importance of and concerns when teaming up with other people in the process of self-innovating or redesigning yourself. She also shares how we approach co-creation on The LEAP Journey. […]

Why it’s sometimes bad advice to be yourself

2019-04-232019-04-23Chantal BreytenbachAuthenticity / Future Self / LEAP / Real Self / Self-Cultivation / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

So, you’re interviewing for a new job. Or you are going on a date with someone for the first time. Naturally, you feel a bit nervous, so you ask your friend for some advice and they dispense that old adage: “You’ll be fine. Just be yourself.” In her TED Talk The Art of Being Yourself, Caroline McHugh contemplates the ridiculousness of this little piece of advice. People will tell you to “just be yourself” as if that is the easiest thing in the world and as if it is a completely novel idea that you haven’t considered. However, as most of us know, if it were simple to “just be ourselves”, most of us would just do it and reap the benefits.

In this blog post, Chantal discusses the situations in which it is bad advice to “just be yourself” and the steps you need to follow to allow your real self” to work for you. […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 5: We develop LEAP Thinkers not Leap Takers

2019-03-182019-03-19Hannelize JacobsExperiential Learning / Future Self / LEAP / LEAP Thinker / Mindset / Purpose / Self-Cultivation / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

Because people can quickly understand the power of leaping to a better future, transformational programs have latched on to the idea and quickly accelerated it to the top of the hype curve. This has created many problems for both experts and for the methodology itself. The hype machine has led many transformational programs to claim that simply taking leaps is the hammer to every nail.

In this article, Hannelize warns against this practice and explains what a program that will bring lasting results should look like. On The LEAP Journey, we travel beyond mindfulness and use tools to develop meaningful cognitive transformation. This requires that our clients become LEAP Thinkers and not mere ‘leap takers’. We believe that you can only leap meaningfully if you align your life and career with who you truly are. This requires deep self-work that changes the way you think and feel. LEAP Thinkers balance their conscious and intuitive thinking and follow a disciplined approach to decision-making. To guide our clients accordingly we use a LEAP Thinker Journey Map, which Hannelize also shares with you. […]

An invitation to all Hummingbirds

2019-02-032019-02-03Chantal Breytenbach100-Year Life / Future Self / Meaning / Purpose / Real Self / Self-Cultivation / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

I recently stumbled on a talk by Elizabeth Gilbert – the author of Eat Pray Love – on a curiosity-driven life. In this talk entitled “The Flight of the Hummingbird: The Curiosity-Driven Life”, Gilbert speaks out against passion. That’s right – it’s not a typo – she was advocating for steering clear of passion. And I got excited, because this incessant search for passion, and the frustration that some of us have with not finding it, is one of the reasons why we created The LEAP Journey… […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 4: We brave the design layer between the imagined and the realised future self

2019-01-212019-01-21Hannelize JacobsExperiential Learning / Future Self / LEAP / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

Design thinking, a methodology used for quite some time in organisations to solve complex problems, is not usually used for solving personal problems. At the LEAP Academy, however, we do just that! We help our clients use design thinking to redesign their lives in order to leap from the present self to the future self. Unlike the typical double diamond design process, we follow a triple diamond process. We also recognise the importance of design doing and the design layer between the imagined and realised future self, and address it explicitly. In this article, Hannelize explains our reasoning and shares our Triple Diamond Redesign Process for Self-Innovation with you. […]

How immigrating to the other side of the world, helped me realise the power of being present to my reality

2018-11-192018-11-19Chantal BreytenbachFuture Self / LEAP / Mindset / Real Self / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

LEAP Thinkers know that embarking on a leap requires a lot of planning and preparation. In my case, the end of 2017 involved a major life leap, not just for myself, but for my whole family. My husband and I had decided to immigrate. When you decide to immigrate, you start imagining what your new life is going to be like. You conduct research about your new home and you try to put as much as possible in place. But in all honesty, no amount of preparation or research can prepare you for how your future imagined self will handle a future life in an unknown place. I’ve been in Canada for almost a year now, and I am yet to find some sort of equilibrium. I had big ideas and big dreams, but I can honestly say that I was wholly unprepared for how my life would change due to this transition. […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 3: We call for the “removal of blinkers”

2018-10-182018-10-18Hannelize JacobsExperiential Learning / LEAP / Mindset / Self-Cultivation / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

Your perspective is the way you see the world. It comes from your personal point of view and is shaped by your life experiences, your values, your current state of mind, the assumptions you bring into a situation, and a whole lot of other things. Throughout our lives, we are exposed to perspectives and realities beyond our own. How to open up and learn from and integrate these perspectives, i.e. how to “remove your blinkers”, has become a distinguishing factor of The LEAP Journey. […]

How to turn a limestone quarry into a lush garden

2018-09-262018-09-26Chantal BreytenbachFuture Self / Mindset / Purpose / Self-CultivationLeave a comment

Earlier this year, I took a trip with my family to Vancouver Island, British Columbia and we paid a visit to The Butchart Gardens. As stated on their website: “The Butchart Gardens is a must-see oasis over 100 years in the making”. And what a privilege it was to take in the beauty of this place that stands as a testament to what is possible when one has a grand vision. The story of The Butchart Gardens has some hidden life lessons for us as we embark on The LEAP Journey and it is also one of the most interesting family business success stories rarely told… […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 2: We subscribe to the dance between art and science

2018-08-272018-08-30Hannelize JacobsExperiential Learning / LEAP / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

My youngest daughter, a second year university student, recently went to her sorority’s annual house dance. A week before the event she still did not have a date. Out of sheer desperation, she finally asked someone who she recently met while camping with friends. Little did she know that this young man was not just a nice guy, but also an excellent social ‘ballroom’ dancer. The problem was that my daughter cannot dance and she wasn’t interested in learning to do so. However, the young man ended up teaching her how to dance and she later posted a picture on Instagram of her and the young man with the following quote from Samuel Beckett to demonstrate how she was taught to dance: “Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order”… […]

The secret behind greatness

2018-07-162018-08-29Chantal BreytenbachExperiential Learning / Future Self / Mindset / Purpose / Self-Cultivation / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

Our modern-day society tends to overemphasise talent at the expense of other factors that lead to success and they perpetuate the myth that excellence or greatness is mystical. Consequently, some of us assume that we are not meant for greatness and that we will never excel. Here’s why reaching excellence or greatness is both easier and harder than just having talent. […]

Why you shouldn’t try to find your passion but rather aim to develop your interests

2018-06-152018-08-29Chantal BreytenbachFuture Self / LEAP / Meaning / Mindset / Purpose / Self-Cultivation / Self-DiscoveryLeave a comment

When it comes to choosing a career or making a career transition, many career experts and graduation commencement speakers offer the advice that you should “find your passion”. Most people today find themselves stuck in lives and careers not of their own making. Sometimes out of desperation and perhaps also with some hope for something better, they absorb messages proclaimed by books like The 4-Hour Work Week. They believe that if they could only discover their passion and find the right formula for living and working, they could live happy and productive lives, and pursue meaningful jobs that ignite a fire in their bellies. However, once they start down that path, they soon discover that the Utopia that was promised is not within their reach… […]

Why grit is essential for transforming your life and career and how you can develop it

2018-05-152018-08-28Chantal BreytenbachFuture Self / LEAP / Mindset / PurposeLeave a comment

The ability to bounce back from adversity (i.e. resilience) and to keep going when things get tough (i.e. perseverance) are two important traits people need to make successful life and career transitions. Your level of resilience, agility and flexibility determines the extent to which you are willing to persevere in building the life you want when you are faced with setbacks. Perseverance, together with passion, constitutes the two key ingredients of a character trait defined by Angela Duckworth as grit. Here is why grit is important and how to develop it. […]

What makes our LEAP unlike any other? Part 1: We operate in the space beyond knowing and doing

2018-04-102018-08-28Hannelize JacobsExperiential Learning / LEAPLeave a comment

At the LEAP Academy we facilitate self-directed learning through carefully designed learning experiences. The focus is on our clients and the process that the client as learner goes through. Such learning experiences forges the mental link between knowledge (knowing) and the way it is applied to situations (doing). In addition, this learning is internalised through affective learning (being). However, we don’t stop there. We also build our clients’ capacity for meta-cognition (becoming). […]

How to incorporate the three C’s of Resilience into your life

2018-03-092018-08-28Chantal BreytenbachFuture Self / Mindset / Self-CultivationLeave a comment

Resilience is mental toughness. It is the ability to adapt, recover from, or bounce back from setbacks, failures and disappointments. We have all heard tales of bravery and resilience from people who were able to overcome difficult circumstances or events and turn their lives around for the better. What is their secret? Is it something we can all learn? […]

How searching for myself helped me to be

2018-02-082018-08-28Hannelize JacobsFuture Self / Meaning / Mindset / Purpose / Real Self / Self-Discovery / Self-InnovationLeave a comment

I was nearly fifty when I stepped out of my comfort zone for the first time. I had battled with internal questioning and second-guessing of my chosen career path for a while, but had never acted on it, because I was actually doing reasonably well. But there was this nagging feeling that perhaps I wasn’t being honest with myself. “What could I have achieved and offered this world, if I had stepped out of my comfort zone sooner?” is a question I have since asked myself many times. […]

Choosing a meaningful life over a happy life

2018-01-152018-08-28Chantal BreytenbachMeaning / PurposeLeave a comment

Human beings are driven by a fundamental need to find meaning. But does living a meaningful life also mean you have happy life? Not necessarily. What sets human beings apart from animals is not the pursuit of happiness, but the pursuit of meaning. Perhaps happiness remains elusive because it cannot be pursued as a purpose in itself. […]

Why unleashing your calling is the only way to have meaning in your life and career

2018-01-082018-08-28Chantal BreytenbachMeaning / PurposeLeave a comment

Why do so many of us experience a feeling of being stuck in life and career? Why do we often feel disappointed and even sad as the end of the year approaches and why are we filled with excitement at the beginning of a new year? Viktor Frankl, psychologist, and Nazi concentration camp survivor, believed this is because the most fundamental human need, is the need to find meaning. Even if our lives look perfect on the outside, but we derive no meaning from the things we keep ourselves busy with, we will experience a feeling of emptiness or “stuckness”. […]