by Anja van Beek, Talent Strategist, Leadership & HR Expert and Executive Coach
Let me just start: I.love.travel. A little-known fact about me is that I travelled abroad for two years after I completed my degree and before starting in my first corporate role. I was in my early 20’s and it was my first time abroad. This is where my love for travelling was ignited as it was amazing to be exposed to new cultures, food, and people, and most of all, to be part of the different communities for more time than usual.
I didn’t have a “proper job” back then. I supported my travels by working in a nursery in Holland, picking grapes in a vineyard in Perroy, Switzerland and being an au-pair for an attaché in Belgium (gifting me with many trips and countries I would not have seen otherwise).
As a young adult, it was an opportunity to travel, yet also a chance and time to ‘find’ myself and see how I show up as “Anja” – especially as no-one there knows your parents, your siblings, your achievements — they are meeting you at that moment. I’ll always be grateful to my parents for giving me their blessing to travel. It has built my confidence, impacted my mindset and helped me become the person I am today.
On a funny note, back home during one of the interviews in South Africa, I elaborated on the question “tell me more about yourself”, and as I shared my travelling experiences, they seem to be in disbelieve, requesting to see my passport as proof of what I’m sharing. …Clearly an indication of #hownottodoaninterview. So, when the opportunity arose to attend the LMI World Convention in Las Vegas in America, I didn’t think twice. What a wonderful trip!
Here are some of my highlights:
Emotions and airports: One of my favourite movie scenes are in Love Actually, at the airport, where families greet their loved ones returning from a trip. So much love and delight when seeing them after a long time. I’ve experienced the tension and excitement as well… so much laughter and chatter, people exploring duty-free shops looking for appropriate gifts for their friends and family, or couples enjoying a coffee or a meal whilst waiting for the flight to their next destination. Home is where your loved ones are… seeing my husband (and our dog) at the airport after my trip had me in tears. Best hug ever!
Sense of belonging: I have been part of the LMI family for some time but due to COVID and other circumstances it was the first time that I have met many of the South African associates. Meeting people from across the globe and expanding my network was impactful. I was pleasantly surprised to see the connection and support between the delegates – it was so moving to experience this sense of belonging. There seems to be a special bond based on the mutual purpose of “helping people reach their full potential”. I often say: ‘Don’t underestimate the power of the invisible leader, purpose’…and I experienced that first hand. It is powerful.
Power of recognition: In my career as HR director, we have had many annual awards ceremonies in our business. The rules specified that the EXCO team doesn’t qualify for any awards. This might give you some context as to why the awards at the world convention were one of my highlights. Team South Africa won a gold medal in the sales championship –a special moment to share the stage with fellow teammates. We all have our own businesses (therefore not part of a real team), yet for the sales championship, the top 3 sales numbers are combined and South Africa won the gold medal. The cherry on top was being selected as the “rookie licensee of the year”. It felt so nice to get the recognition and for me, it is confirmation that I’m on track and I have a purpose… doing what I’m supposed to be doing (yes, even I sometimes wonder if I am doing what I am destined to do at times!).
In awe of nature: South Africa is a beautiful country and I love spending time in nature; especially in places where there is not at of connectivity to really recharge. The highlight of my USA trip was visiting the Grand Canyon and my trip to the horseshoe bend and antelope canyon. I was in awe of nature and the magnitude of the cliffs and rock formations. It is a sense of wonder; more beautiful than in the pictures. A memory that I will treasure for a long time.
Family: One disappointment was not being able to visit my high school buddies living in the USA; yet it seems like a good excuse to arrange another trip. I did however spend a few days with my brother- and sister-in-law. The home-cooked meal after “the red-eye connecting flight” felt sooooooo good. Also, it was special to experience “a day in their lives”; taking their dogs for a walk in the park across the street, visiting their favourite coffee shop, sharing meals so that I get a taste of their favourite lunchtime order – it’s the simple things to appreciate the life they have built for their family.
Being adaptive: There had been a few moments on the trip when I was stretched outside my comfort zone. It was not all excitement but also some stressful moments where I had to be adaptive and allow life to take its turns. In the end, it was worth the while, and I can honestly say “travel is my therapy”.
Anja van Beek: www.anjavanbeek.co.za
As an international, highly sought-after coach, speaker, trainer and published author, Anja has more than 20 years of experience enhancing the performance of individual executives, teams and organisations. She is an Agile Talent Strategist, Leadership & HR Expert and Executive Coach. Anja was one of the first to be authorised as an Agile People professional and facilitator. She partners with leaders and HR teams on all people-related aspects with a specific focus on integrating agile principles and practices. She is a leadership coach and an expert in supporting teams to remain relevant and thrive in the future of work. She also works for various companies as a facilitator focusing on leadership development, mentoring and change management. She's obsessed, aiming to help organisations to be more human-centric and to prioritise adaptive leadership in the new world of work. She speaks globally, but South Africa is her home.
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