Vicki Freestone

I am a blogging virgin. I’ve never blogged and have never tweeted before. I’m not even on Facebook, so when asked to write a leadership blog I didn’t know where to start.

My Google search advised me to write about what I know. So instead of giving you my week’s schedule, varied and interesting though it is, I’m going to share something which has had and is still having a big impact on my life, surviving cancer.

I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma last September. As you might imagine, as a healthy thirtysomething, being diagnosed with skin cancer was a huge shock. In just four months, I have made it through surgery, have convalesced and have received the all clear. With the support of my family, friends, colleagues and clients I am now back at my desk in Leeds albeit two lymph nodes lighter and with an impressive looking scar.

So what has this got to do with leadership? And surely it’s just business as usual now? Well not quite. Whilst the tasks remain the same (developing business, negotiating applications and appeals, coaching, managing and mentoring colleagues – all in a day’s work for an Associate Director), my perspective on life has changed. Everything feels a bit different and I’m in the process of figuring out the future that I want. Believe it or not, my well thumbed copy of “Leadership, Plain and Simple” is proving very useful at the moment in all sorts of ways!

Well I don’t have the answers yet but suspect that being a little more mindful, thinking about what’s important and continuing to build relationships will help me through the pressures of this week. So my advice to you is to take a breather, go for a walk at lunchtime, have that coffee with that contact you’ve been planning for ages but haven’t got round to. Build strong relationships. You never know when you might need them.

By Vicki Freestone

vfreestone@turleyassociates.co.uk