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

“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. […]

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

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. […]

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

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. […]

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

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. […]

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How to turn a limestone quarry into a lush garden

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… […]

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The secret behind greatness

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. […]

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

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… […]

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

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. […]

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

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? […]

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How searching for myself helped me to be

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. […]

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