The vine’s predominant growth formation is in the shape of the spiral, which has long been considered a sacred symbol for consciousnesses, development, renewal and growth. This powerful symbolism underpins the principles that inform our approach to leadership development:

• Developing yourself as a leader involves making a conscious choice to learn, to grow and to develop. It involves becoming more conscious and aware of who you are, the values, beliefs and paradigms that influence your actions, behaviour and decisions daily. It is about being more aware of how you operate and the impact that your words and actions have on others and the results that you achieve personally and professionally. A real, authentic journey of leadership development starts within and involves a process of personal mastery, and then moves outward.


• A journey of real growth often entails a renewal of the mind and learning new patterns of behaviour. At the core of our being, are beliefs that we have about ourselves, the world, the organization and others. These beliefs may be conscious or unconscious, they may be enabling us to act more effectively or they may limit our effectiveness. The process of renewal may entail identifying limiting beliefs and embracing beliefs that will enable expansion and branching off in new directions. Shifting or changing beliefs does not happen in one magical moment, it takes time, conscious energy and effort, and a willingness to embrace the discomfort that accompanies any real change. Vines display an amazing ability to grow in the hardiest environments by digging in wherever feasible in order to gain a strong foothold to assure its own growth. In order for any behaviour change to be sustainable, the new behaviour must be rooted in strong enabling beliefs.


• Leadership development is not a singular event or workshop; it is about making a commitment to developing yourself on an ongoing basis, a commitment to continuing a journey of renewal. It is tough to break old patterns and consciously adopt a new way of engaging with others, a new way of working with others to achieve results. Real, sustainable change in behaviour often involves more than just one singular leadership intervention or workshop. It entails implementing daily practices that will help you to apply the learning in a practical way and may also involve introducing structures or systems that will prevent you from getting stuck and returning to more familiar ways of doing things.