What can we learn from children’s books to help us view organizational transformations with hope and courage?
My daughter and I stumbled upon ‘Malala’s Magic Pencil’ while browsing for a book to add to her collection. The front cover caught my eye and I was excited for my daughter to add the book to her weekly read.
It turned out to be a special book, not just for my daughter. It’s a story that hits most of our hearts, especially for me: a father of two young daughters and a husband to an amazing wife. It’s written by an inspiring author, Malala Yousafzai. Malala caught our attention globally when she stood up for what she believed: for girls to have access to education and much much more.
The book immediately covers themes about courage, hope, action, education, poverty, discrimination, and shares inspiring life lessons about how our voice can be our magic pencil in times of hardship.
The photograph is a page of the book where Malala shares her motivations of why she wrote this wonderful children’s book.
Inspired by Malala, here is my small attempt to apply key parts of the story and create a few coaching questions for friends and colleagues that are involved in the world of business agility, coaching, transformations, change, leadership, and radical courage.
🔥 Build hope & step with courage 🔥
🪄 what can I do? I’m only a XYZ (I.e. manager/ agile coach/ product owner)
🪄 how are you finding your voice in your work?
🪄 what are you doing to help others find their voices?
🪄 what voices matter in your system of work? and why is that?
🪄 what voices need to be amplified or better listened to in your space? and why is that?
🪄 what drives and motivates you to be here right now?
🪄 how can you build courage? and what needs to happen next?
🪄 what steps can you take to inspire others to be courageous?
🔓 Unlock your vision & re-discover your magic pencil 🔓
🪄 what kind of magic pencil is your magic pencil? and what else?
🪄 what picture are you living and breathing in your organisation, right now?
🪄 If nothing was holding you back, what might co-creating a better future for your organisation look like? and what else?
🪄 what would helping others discover their own magic pencil look like? and what else?
💡Key Reflective Questions💡
⚡️What resonates for you when you read ‘Malala’s Magic Pencil’ story or even this inspiring excerpt from Malala’s book?
⚡️Wht questions can you think of that may relate to the world of work, inspired by other children’s books?