Before the Industrial Revolution we mostly worked with family members and people we knew. We often performed a variety of tasks. There was no such thing as “work life balance” because life was whole. The Industrial Revolution changed that. Now many of us leave home to go to work some distance away. Job descriptions and performance metrics guide what we do. Our job and our home are separate. We’re concerned about work-life balance.

Belonging by Owen Eastwood | Hachette UK

Finally, there’s a focus on the present. Do we have a sense of identity that flows into everything we do? Do we see ourselves as an unbroken chain from our ancestors to those that follow in our footsteps? This is an area that often needs mending. And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from three years and more than 150 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.comWith the work I do now, I try and give people a sense of belonging when they're part of something special."

Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness: The Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness: The

Creating an Us story involves immersing yourself in three dimensions of an Us story: the past, present and future. Us Story: Eastwood spends significant time explaining the importance of storytelling, and particularly in creating an ‘Us story’. In other words, exploring who the group is, why they exist, and what their history is. Eastwood helps organisations and teams look at their past (ancestors, origins, legacies), then the future (where are we going, what do we need to do this) and finally the present (do we have a sense of identity that flows into everything we do). There are many examples in the book of how groups have created their own ‘us story’, but something of note is that we resonate more with everyday traits, actions, moments of synergy – ordinary people working hard to achieve excellence, rather than ‘superhero’ stories of individual brilliance. And please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts The book stresses the importance of belonging as a foundational cornerstone for creating trust. Drawing heavily upon the author’s Maori roots, it implores us to look at our history to guide and shape what we stand for.My job is really quite simple, it’s trying to help leaders create the optimal environment for their people to thrive in, and achieve the mission that they share and this is as simple as that.” In This Episode: How does he describe himself One of the wisest books about winning you’ll ever read…Powerful lessons beautifully expressed.’– James Kerr

Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness by Owen Eastwood Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness by Owen Eastwood

The sun rose in the east and shone on our first ancestor. Here is our origin story. Just as happens with each passing day, the sun slowly moves down this unbreakable chain of people. Each of us will have our time in the sun. But the sun is always moving. Moving towards the west, where it will finally settle. When the sun shines on us we are alive, we are strong. For we have had passed down to us a culture that immerses us in deep belonging. We feel safe and respected. We share beliefs and a sense of belonging. We feel safe and respected. We share beliefs and a sense of identity with those around us and this anchors us. We share a purpose with them. We share a vision of the future. We fit in here. Rituals and traditions tie us together. The experiences and wisdom of those who walked in the light before our time are passed on to us.”Working with the NATO Command Group, Eastwood invoked whakapapa to reflect on previous NATO Command Groups, looking at the challenges they faced when the sun shone on them and the legacies they ultimately left. They then previewed their own legacy as the sixteenth leadership team and articulated this in writing with a whakapapa legacy statement. The sun rose in the east and shone on our first ancestor. Here is our origin story. Just as happens with each passing day, the sun slowly moves down this unbreakable chain of people. Each of us will have our time in the sun. But the sun is always moving. Moving towards the west, where it will finally settle. When the sun shines on us we are alive, we are strong. For we have had passed down to us a culture that immerses us in deep belonging. We feel safe and respected. We share beliefs and a sense of identity with those around us and this anchors us. We share a purpose with them. We share a vision of the future. We fit in here. Rituals and traditions tie us together. The experiences and wisdom of those who walked in the light before our time are passed on to us. Initially a navigator’s strength came from their ability to simultaneously carry in their hands both a grand vision and an intimate understanding of the detail. For Eastwood’s ancestors the grand vision was new land, and the intimate understanding of the detail was the sun, the stars, and the constellations - all of which were used to navigate at the time. Why I read it: I recently connected with Rebecca Levett, a brilliant sports psychologist who also happens to be a distant relative, as we put together some thoughts for an event. During the conversation, Rebecca recommended Belonging; 3 minutes later, it was in my basket, and 48 hours later, it was perched atop my reading pile. Throughout my reading and thinking about teams, I’m most drawn to the sense of belonging, trust, and unity that can be galvanised in a group or workplace. I often wonder if it’s being adopted that sharpens that knife for me, or whether it’s just a natural curiosity; but what could be more important when establishing a team, than making sure it is a safe place that welcomes and looks after all in its care? Eastwood lets slip for a moment, gets personal about Southgate. “Yup, no question, I think he’s an outstanding leader. What happens on Sunday, I think people will regard Gareth as a very very talented leader.”