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Ruth is a recent graduate of Dance Inc Studio Centre and has been teaching hip-hop, commercial, contemporary and jazz classes to children and adults in schools and community settings across Livingston, Glasgow and Edinburgh for a number of years. She has worked with YDance Scotland and Scottish Ballet on multiple projects including Project Y, Generation Dance Festival and HotHouse. She has also recently worked with One Dance UK as a Dance Ambassador, advocating for dance in all its forms and assisting with regional and national dance events and projects.

Since graduating, Ruth is in the early stages of her freelance creative career. She is particularly interested in pursuing choreography further and is in the early stages of exploring her love of storytelling through movement. Stories have played a huge role in Ruth's life, either through films, books or theatre, and she is keen to understand how you can reach, engage and connect with different audiences when a narrative is communicated through dance. She is interested in both adapting existing stories in a new way and creating her own.

Email: ruth.walker@sky.com

Instagram: @ruthwalkerdance

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Cordelia is a fundraising consultant based in Bristol, working with Achates; a consultancy providing strategic support to arts and cultural organisations across the UK. Cordelia's career to date has focused on supporting a range of multi-disciplinary arts organisations to secure essential funding to deliver highly ambitious and diverse creative programmes. Previous clients include Talawa Theatre, Eclipse Theatre, Protein Dance, UD and MAYK. Cordelia’s expertise includes bid writing, fundraising strategy development, case for support creation, theory of change, and evaluation best practices, as well as advising on project proposals with freelance artists and creatives. Previous roles include Patrons Executive at Serpentine Galleries and Development Manager at WOW - Women of the World. Before joining Achates, Cordelia was a Relationship Manager at Arts Council England.

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Evelina Dzimanaviciute is a behavioural neuroscientist, workplace design consultant and executive coach. As a founder and CEO of Elite Mind, Evelina is on a mission to create healthy workplaces that enables every person to thrive and fulfil their potential.

Evelina’s work is inspired by her personal journey, from starting a new life in a foreign country without speaking the language, to her recovery from tumour and burnout, as well as entrepreneurial startup struggles building a business as a single mother. Evelina’s story is filled with change, uncertainty, identity crisis, search for meaning and purpose, and finding creative ways to make a difference in the world. Today Evelina shares her lessons on stages as well as in private therapy and coaching, to help individuals reclaim their own health journey, discover values and purpose, define success on their own terms, and achieve career goals without personal sacrifices.

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Max Percy is an award-winning theatre artist creating ambitious experiences across dance, theatre, technology and accessibility. Recent work includes I Dream in Colour (Bloosmbury Festival 23), Baklá (Best Show - Asian Arts Awards 2023), This is Not a Show about Hong Kong (Underbelly & New Diorama’s Untapped Award Winner & Scotsman's Fringe First 2022). His research “Technology to make Dance more Accessible for Blind and Partially Sighted” was commissioned by East London Dance and the London College of Fashion, and was published by the International Conference of Movement and Computing, Chicago 2022. He is resident artist at BOLD Theatre and Mediale. He trained at the London Russian Ballet School and East15 Acting School.

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Diandra is an Arts Producer passionate about creating provocative and engaging arts experiences, especially for young people along with underrepresented and socially disadvantaged communities. A musician and former teacher, Diandra recently was Lead Producer of the Birmingham 2022 Neighbourhood Festival Sites. She currently works for Birmingham Opera Company as Creative Producer, where she supports the artist development and leads on participation, collaboration and attendance among local communities and stakeholders.

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Lara is an award-winning marketer with an extensive background in digital, production, and marketing across diverse sectors that includes the arts, corporate, and TV. She has contributed her expertise to high-profile TV and marketing campaigns, and has been part of BAFTA and Emmy award-winning production teams and worked with renowned companies such as Channel 4, the BBC and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Her passion for accessibility and inclusion drives her commitment to making the arts more accessible through both traditional and innovative means. She currently serves on the board of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

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Zoë Robinson is a Creative Producer currently at Headlong Theatre leading on productions playing across the UK. Currently with Headlong she is lead producer on A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, playing now at the Rose Theatre, Kingston. And recently, with the Barbican, she led produced A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction by Miranda Rose Hall - a bold experiment in eco theatre making which took the climate crisis head on in process, content and form.

Prior to Headlong she was the Senior Producer for Polka Theatre dedicated to producing work for young audiences whilst also freelancing as Project Lead on the Let’s Do London call out with Battersea Arts Centre and Mayor’s Office seeing over 300 London based artists supported post pandemic.

Previously she has produced for Punchdrunk Enrichment, Bill Kenwright Ltd, CBBC, performance artists Paula Varjack, Haley McGee and storyteller Jan Blake, consulted for ERA 50:50 and was Early Years Associate at Lyric, Hammersmith.

From 2013 - 2020 Zoë ran new writing company Rive Productions presenting The UK premiere of The Dog, the Night and the Knife by Marius Von Mayenberg, The World Premiere of Klippies by Jessica Sian and Skin a Cat by Isley Lynn.

zoe.r@headlong.co.uk

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Nicolette Wilson-Clarke is the founder of The Creative Genius - a psychotherapy, coaching, mediation, facilitation and consultancy agency specialising in supporting the emotional and mental well-being of creatives.

As a Fellow member of the Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists & Hypnotherapists (FACCPH), Nicolette is an accredited psychotherapist & coach, mental health advocate, mental health/well-being lecturer & facilitator, accredited mediator, local radio broadcaster/show producer, narrator/voice over artist/audio producer, trained dancer, Senior Yoga Teacher (SYT) and experienced Pilates teacher.

She is an Advisory Board Member for Freedom Foundation who cultivate and enhance the emotional well-being of children. Nicolette consults on and facilitates with several dance organisations/dance & music artists such as East London Dance’s pioneering Producer’s House programme 2022/23, Dancer’s Career Development (DCD) supporting the career transitions of dancers, The Gold Vocal Collective, a London based contemporary a cappella vocal group led by singer/song writer Byron Gold and Body Talks Movement (BTM) giving voice to ‘the unheard’ through movement and other expressive digital art forms.

Nicolette is passionate about positively shifting negative cultures surrounding mental health within the creative industry. She intends to be a disrupter and a conduit for change promoting inclusivity and acceptance for all with the creative world.

thecreativegenius.co.uk

IG: @creativegeniuscoach

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Hello!!

I am Gemma, and I love creating spaces for people to be their best selves & communities to thrive and flourish! I do this as a producer, coach, facilitator/teacher and consultant.

At East London Dance I lead on learning& development/participation programmes, generating projects and opportunities that bring together local communities, audiences, creative practitioners, partnerships, and production events.

Some things I do:

I am Creative Associate for Jeanefer Jean-Charles, an 'Inside Out' Wellbeing Coach & Facilitator with Inner Compass, a Consultant for Storey Consulting, a Dance Lecturer & Teacher,  a Board Advisor/Member for Uchenna Dance & One Dance UK, and a Co-Chair for Dance Learning and Participation Network Group (Previously DEG)..

You can connect with me over email: gemma.griffiths@eastlondondance.org

Gemma Griffiths

Creative Producer & Community Engagement Consultant

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Soft skills to consider  - what are your strengths?

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Soft skills to consider  - what are your strengths?

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Please look at some example resources below to support your skill development.

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What is a SWOT Analysis?

The SWOT tool is a simple template that guides you through a process of analysing an organisation and its strategy. It's useful to help you step away from day-to-day operations and take a broader, more strategic view of how things are going.

Its name comes from the four elements of analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The first two are internal factors; the second two external.

In running the process the four elements are commonly laid out on a grid with four quadrants.

The idea is that by listing points under each of these categories you will be able to get a better understanding of the current situation faced by your organisation. This enables you to plan moves that take advantage of your organisation's strengths and opportunities, and implement strategies to mitigate weaknesses and threats.

When & Why to Use SWOT

SWOT is often used during the strategic planning process, as a leadership team begins the process of looking at which areas the organisation should focus on over the coming period.

SWOT serves as a useful tool for establishing top-line areas for a potential business improvement strategy to focus on, and for sourcing ideas for new strategic initiatives.

However you can use it at any time, and you can also use it at different levels, for instance to assess an individual product or division, or even a key competitor.

The process can be run by a group of people within a workshop - face-to-face or virtual - or it can be followed by an individual team member who runs the analysis before presenting it back to the wider group.

The Four Quadrants

In order to follow the acronym, SWOT is most used in the order below. However the quadrants can be focused on in any order - and, as we cover in Pitfalls to Avoid below, it may be often beneficial to mix up the order.

SWOT begins with the most satisfying element for most organisations: focusing on its Strengths. What does the organisation do particularly well? What are the unique factors that enable it to be successful? Where is it well-placed compared to its rivals?

Next, it's time to get critical and honest about the organisation's Weaknesses. Where does the organisation lack skills, resources or assets? Where does it come off worse than its competitors?

In thinking about what's next for the organisation, what are its Opportunities? What conditions or situations exist that could enable the organisation to profit?

Looking outside the organisation we can assess relevant Threats. What, outside the organisation's control, could prevent it from succeeding?

SWOT Example

Let's imagine how a world-famous organisation - Apple - might look on a SWOT Analysis:

Note: this is not intended as a comprehensive analysis of Apple's business; it is merely meant to serve as an example of how each SWOT quadrant can be used.

KEY POINT: SWOT is a simple top-line analysis tool. You may need to use additional tools to get the full strategic picture.

Running the Process

If you're running a SWOT Analysis within a workshop, draw up the four quadrants on a flipchart or whiteboard.

You can then either invite participants to each begin populating the grid with sticky notes, or act as facilitator and write up notes on their behalf as they call them out.

It's usually better to not be too picky about what goes on the board to start off with - for efficiency it can be quicker to allow everything to be posted verbatim, and then go through a process of refinement and validation afterwards.

You could invite participants to use the "Mirror Test" technique to help you think about your strengths: if your competitors could see inside your organisation, what would they feel threatened by? What would worry them? Likewise for your weaknesses - what would your competitors be glad to find out, that would give them confidence they were better placed than you?

Encourage participants to keep going even after they have posted several points each, make sure there is nothing they have missed or held back from mentioning.

Ensure that a friendly and collaborative environment is created so everyone feels confident in speaking up about any weaknesses they feel stand out.

The more complete and honest the appraisal, the more useful it will be.

Sharpening Your SWOT

When the board is populated, you can then run a process of refinement:

Remove duplicates or consolidate similar entries.

Prioritise the entries and remove those of a low priority. Focus on quality not quantity.

Be specific: there is little value in writing down vague points, for example listing "poor sales" under weaknesses - look for the underlying or root causes.

Validate entries against bias - make sure you are not looking through rose-tinted glasses when identifying strengths, and that you are being sufficiently critical with your weaknesses.

Check against external elements, for example if you have listed as a strength something that a competitor does just as well as, or better than you, you should remove it.

Use an evidence-based approach to support your findings as far as possible - for example unbiased client feedback.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Consider looking at the quadrants in a different order - for example you might find that participants spend lots of time looking at strengths, and then lose energy as they begin to look at weaknesses. Another approach is to use the order TOWS, which reverses the process to focus on external factors first. Make sure you are spending equal effort and time on each segment.

Avoid restricting your analysis to senior management and directors only - this could limit your opportunity to gain a realistic overall picture. Invite a variety of people from all levels and departments of your organisation to participate and contribute.

The SWOT Analysis is only a surface-level analysis of your organisation, designed for use in the preliminary stages of decision-making. To gain a true picture of each area, and to inform thorough strategic decision making, it may be necessary to look much more closely at some of the individual elements identified in the exercise.

TOP TIP: You could use the results of other external analysis exercises such as PEST Analysis to help you with opportunities and threats.

Using Your SWOT Results

You may find there are takeaways from the SWOT that require immediate action - for example taking steps to mitigate your organisation's weaknesses in certain areas. Usually however the process is used to inform subsequent strategic planning activities.

When analysing and using the results, consider the following:

Verify the results: check your opinions against reality, by asking your customers and stakeholders if they agree. Check against any relevant facts or figures. Conduct research to validate your assumptions.

Identify the why: What are the key forces that are impacting your opportunities and threats, and why are these taking place? Once you understand the causes, you can make plans for dealing with threats and taking advantage of opportunities.

Look at the connections: Are there any strategic moves you can suggest based on the results - for example are there relevant strengths that will enable you to take advantage of specific opportunities? This may be a way to achieve competitive advantage.

You could also extend the level of internal focus by using Core Competencies Analysis and add more external focus by using the PEST Analysis framework.

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The SWOT tool is a simple template that guides you through a process of analysing the various Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of your organisation.

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Upskilling - Example Apprenticeships for post graduate performers 

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Upskilling - Example Apprenticeships for post graduate performers 

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Postgraduate Apprenticeship Scheme - Tavaziva

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Project Management

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Choreographing/ making/ producing

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Teaching/ Mentoring/ coaching

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Dance School Safeguarding Working Group The Dance School Safeguarding Working Group is a collective voice promoting high standards of safeguarding in the Dance School sector in order to protect children and young adults.

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You may have seen educators or other learners use the term 'MOOC' in discussions on or about FutureLearn. Now find out exactly what it means.
What is a MOOC?

MOOC stands for 'massive open online course'. The term originated in the US in 2008 to describe free, easily accessible, completely online courses. MOOCs give you the chance to study with top universities around the world.

MOOCs don't always lead to formal qualifications, but they do mean you can gain knowledge in all sorts of areas. You might use a MOOC to develop career skills, prepare for other education, or explore a new interest.

There are usually no entry requirements for MOOCs. You can take part regardless of where you live or your financial circumstances. Because they take place online, MOOCs can grow very big. You might find yourself learning with thousands of other people - they don't call them massive for nothing.

How does a MOOC work?

MOOCs usually have a specific start and finish date, they run a couple of times a year, and last for weeks rather than the months or years that traditional university courses do.

During a MOOC, you'll use a wide range of online media and interactive tools to interact with university educators and other learners. This might include video lectures, articles, discussions, assignments and social networking.

Due to the large number of people taking MOOCs, you'll usually get support from the community of other learners, as well as educators. And your progress on a course might be assessed through peer-reviewed written assignments or computer-marked tests, rather than by tutors.

In short, MOOCs are free courses for lots of learners that take place completely online.

Now you know what MOOCs are, find out why FutureLearn is different to other MOOC providers.

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What is a MOOC? How do MOOCs work? - FutureLearn Blog

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What is a MOOC? In this post find out what a MOOC (massive online open course) is and learn more about free online courses on FutureLearn.

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'All dancers need to come to EVOLVE, it doesn't matter what stage you're at in your career, it's important to start thinking about who else you are, outside of dance'

Rachael Nanyonjo,
Independent dance artist

RECONNECT with yourself

REFRAME your mind-set for opportunity

be supported and INSPIRED by your peers
EVOLVE is a free workshop exploring your life-long career with your whole self in mind.

Work with an accredited Coach on reflection tools and tasks to explore your future

Hear from a guest speaker's stories on their career insights and reflections

Learn from others perspectives and be empowered by your shared connection as dancers

EVOLVE workshops are open to all dancers from final year students to retired dancers. No matter what stage of your career, you are welcome at EVOLVE.

EVOLVE can support you to feel prepared for your long term future, even if career transition feels far away.

Dancers and graduating students from ALL genres are welcome, including (but not limited to): Musical Theatre, Commercial, Hip Hop, Jazz, Dance of the African Diaspora, Tap, Contemporary, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, South Asian Dance forms, Folk Dance, Ballet and everything in between.

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'All dancers need to come to EVOLVE, it doesn't matter what stage you're at in your career, it's important to start thinking about who else you are, outside of dance' Rachael Nanyonjo, Independent dance artist RECONNECT with yourself REFRAME your mind-set for opportunity be supported and INSPIRED by your peers EVOLVE is a free workshop exploring your life-long career with your whole self in mind.

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Every organization wants to build their future on digital technologies, but what does it take to make it all happen? To get a better sense of the skills and talents that will be in demand, I recently reached out to experts and entrepreneurs across the landscape to get their views on what it takes to build a career in this new world. This is the first report in an ongoing series.
Because of the Covid crisis, the year 2025 arrived early, at least as far as digital transformation goes. The contactless enterprise, with its contactless workplace and contactless customer transactions became an overnight necessity. This has had an impact on career prospects, as well - and not all on the technology side. Companies desperately need people with the skills to build and maintain digital environments, but also people who know how to convert these digital capabilities into customer experiences and business growth.

This means career opportunities across the board, with a hard lean to appreciating the power of technology, while understanding that it is not a be-all and end-all in itself. Professionals in all areas may be losing something if they focus too much on technology skills. "'Can you code?' 'Do you Slack or Teams?' 'Have you developed an app?,' 'Can you build a website?' I hear these questions from the entrepreneurs as they speak to potential employees," says Dr. Michele Migliuolo, executive director of the Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship at Duquesne University. "'What have you sold?' has been replaced with 'How many followers do you have?' Similarly, 'How big is your Rolodex?' has been made obsolete by 'How many influencers are in touch with?' Our tech-enabled society is losing sight of the most important skill necessary to succeed at anything: customer relations. Young professionals unknowingly offend their clients by being too informal, by assuming they know what the client is thinking, and by not knowing what the client needs. In other words, they are not trained to listen to the client."

Emerging job titles are blending business and technology skills. For instance, one role on the rise is a "head of innovation enablement," who will "concentrate on identifying the technologies and services prime for innovation and charts the path to achieve those innovations at scale," observes John Mullen, president of Capgemini North America. Another potential job is "head of AI governance," who recognizes that "rather than being housed either in IT or business operations, AI becomes its own focus area within an organization - allowing data scientists to maximize their full potential."

Many emerging jobs also "will likely be deeply integrated with social media, content and the continued acceleration of the use of voice activation and IoT," predicts Kayla Eggenberg, director of PR and content strategy at Smith Kroeger. "The types of paths that will lead the way for the next generation of digital careers will be able to integrate paid and organic content to drive a more impactful result to the bottom line. Businesses in which the digital team is directly tied to sales teams and customers so they're able to learn will be the first to notice new trends and be able to adapt as the digital economy expands."

In terms of technology skills, the Covid crisis "showed a clear need for businesses to balance agility and resiliency - with the ability to scale operations in a secure and connected way," says Mullen. "As the digital economy expands, I expect to see careers in cloud, cybersecurity services, product engineering, service innovation and digital technology flourish over the next five years. In addition, as businesses enhance their capabilities through technologies like 5G and analytics/AI, those who have careers specializing in these technologies should continue to see enormous growth."

Non-technical careers such as financial, marketing, sales, or HR also "lean on automation, AI, data trending, predictive analytics, and many more digital capabilities," Mullen points out. "For non-technical professionals, my advice is: don't hesitate. Take the steps to gain the necessary knowledge and learn the skills to be able to function successfully in a tech-centric world. Understanding how to leverage technology to do your job efficiently and being well-versed in your organization's own technology capabilities will be essential."

Even at this moment, "there are jobs out there that we never could have fathomed five years ago, such as AI social media story filter designers and TikTok viral dance choreographers - who are working behind the scenes to keep social media users interested and engaged on social platforms," says Eggenberg. "Other emerging job titles still relatively unknown are often hybrid roles that combine varied levels of experience with multiple digital capabilities, like SEO, content and social selling. Those who have diversified skills within the digital realm will see more opportunities, as opposed to people who specialize in narrow areas, especially as businesses discover they may not have understood the diversity needed in digital capabilities to the extent that they need today - someone who can build websites isn't necessarily the same person who is adept at UX or database configuration but can be if you hire right or develop them professionally."

Still, in the coming months and years, tried-and-true business skills will be just as vital as ever. "We must not lose sight of the basics, and we must teach old-fashioned skills that made the American economy the biggest in the world: hit the bricks, say 'how may I help you?' and deliver the right product, right the first time, on time, and on budget," says Migliuolo. "Yes, when we think about pursuing careers as entrepreneurs, we think of being committed and determined, courageous, obsessed with opportunity, tolerant of risk, creative, self-reliant, adaptive, motivated to excel, quick thinking, endlessly patient, empathetic, and resilient. Let us not forget, as we build our businesses using money from our piggybanks, from our friends, and from our investor shareholders, that our families are supported first by monies coming from our customers."

Diversify your digital skill set, "speak up and don't be afraid to lead," Eggenberg urges. "There are many courses, certifications and webinars that are available to pick up new skills to make ourselves more valuable to our companies and that can expedite career progression." In addition, "digital technologies like social media management software, influencer databases and CRM tools are also playing a huge role in launching new enterprises and streamlining processes within existing companies, especially in agencies when there are multiple teams touching projects at the same time. Being able to analyze results of your digital strategies and having the freedom to pivot or change course could be the difference between a successful customer interaction and a negative experience."

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Tomorrow's Digital Careers: Technologists Need Business Skills, Businesspeople Need Technology Skills

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'How big is your Rolodex?' has been made obsolete by 'How many influencers are in touch with?'

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"Take a moment to think about yourself. What ideas do you have that you haven't dared to act upon until today? What is the first thing you can do to set your wheels in motion?

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TEDx speaker, author, former attorney, executive speech coach and co-founder of Positive Chutzpah International. 1. Intuition
In December 2020, I received the honor of giving the commencement speech alongside my partner at Tel Aviv University's graduation ceremony. We actually both happen to be TAU alumni, so you can imagine how excited we were to be granted this opportunity.

In our speech, we highlighted the key skills that every successful "new world" leader harnesses. These skills are the key components that permit entrepreneurs to bring their goals and vision to fruition. I wanted to share with you the three skills that, in my opinion, are the most critical in stepping into your mission as a new world leader.

Have you ever had a moment when some part of you consciously felt that something is right or wrong for you but could not explain it logically? Intuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. It's what we sometimes call "gut instinct" or an inner voice, sixth sense or, as Albert Einstein liked to say, a "sacred gift." Usually, it's quick and spontaneous and does not always make much sense.

As part of their Global CEO Outlook report, KPMG found that 67% of CEOs tend to rely on their intuition more than information and data as a decision-making tool when they contradict each other. Studies have also demonstrated that intuition can guide us through life, enable us to make better decisions, make faster decisions and feel more confident in our choices. The more we use our intuition, the stronger it gets - just like a muscle.

The question is: how do we develop our intuition "muscle"? Don't worry. It does not require any heavy lifting or protein powder. Here are three things you can do based on the habits of outstanding entrepreneurs who follow their intuition:

* Prioritize your inner voice. Take breaks from your hectic lives and connect to your inner self through activities such as breathwork and meditation.
2. Creative Thinking
* Observe your inner voice and act upon it.

* Practice mindful exercises to connect to the present moment and align with your intuition.

The ability to think creatively is one of the critical skills every successful entrepreneur needs to harness to make it big in this new world. The more technological our world becomes, the more we are pushed to develop interpersonal skills like creativity, problem-solving and attentiveness.
3. Audacity
The World Economic Forum's The Future of Jobs Report lists the top fifteen skills that will be required in the next five years. Only two directly relate to technology. The rest involve critical and analytical thinking, creativity and resilience. A global study conducted by Adobe found that companies that invest in creativity are more likely to have increased employee productivity, more satisfied customers, better innovation and are more likely to be financially successful.

Today's organizations understand more than ever before that the "fuel" for growing their business ventures is creative thinking. Whether you love writing, drawing, dancing, sketching, photography, design, music or any other "dormant" skills, now is the time to align with your talents to think more creatively and awaken your potential.

We often come up with amazing ideas that have the potential to become successful businesses but may lack the courage to dip our feet in the water and take the first step toward our new business venture. We may approach things this way due to our fear of failure or the unknown.

Having studied the mindsets of successful international entrepreneurs and top performers, I have discovered that one of the cornerstones of their success is their boldness. It's the willingness to "take the plunge" and go from the idea stage to putting things into practice. Successful entrepreneurs don't wait for things to happen to them - they make things happen for them. They are proactive. They figure out what needs to be done to make a difference and they act on it.

Audacity is also linked to our attitude toward new opportunities. It's important to check in with ourselves and see: Are we open to receiving new opportunities or are we hopelessly waiting for the "perfect moment" we have designed in our minds?

In our seminars, we often tell our clients, "When opportunity knocks, open the door. Even if you're naked." Sometimes we are just a few steps away from the jackpot. Our next meeting could make all the difference. Our next customer. Our next idea. Our next step. Anything can bring us to the next turning point in our journey. But the question is: Are we willing to play the game with what we already have? Do we believe that what we have is enough to win?

In a time of chaos and uncertainty, reality evolves at a dizzying pace, so it can be intimidating for us to take the plunge. However, risk-taking is our true nature as human beings. We are born with a very high propensity for trial and error. When we were children and learned how to walk, it was second nature to risk and fall. As the years went by, we shied away from our true nature and started playing it safe, staying within our comfort zone. We sometimes like to think we can predict the future and control for all outcomes, but - to quote Dr. Margie Warrell - "the truth is that certainty is an illusion and uncertainty is the status quo." To succeed in this new age, we must re-embrace our childlike nature of risk-taking and taking the plunge even in uncertain conditions.

Is it scary? It depends on how you view it. Boldness in business is not a state of fearlessness. It's the agreement to move forward, despite our fear. As Mark Twain is often credited with saying, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."

Take a moment to think about yourself. What ideas do you have that you haven't dared to act upon until today? What is the first thing you can do to set your wheels in motion?

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

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Council Post: Three Skills Every Successful Entrepreneur Should Cultivate In 2021

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These skills are the key components that permit entrepreneurs to bring their goals and vision to fruition.

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One Dance UK is the national support organisation leading the way to a stronger, more vibrant, and more diverse dance sector.

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https://www.onedanceuk.org/

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One Dance UK Supporting Dance rubine logo