Two weeks ago, the ITLP 2010 cohort came to Boston for their 2^nd session of the IT Leaders Program. This offered another opportunity for me to sit in on the sessions, to connect with another group of leaders, and to walk away with my own learning’s after just a few productive days of discussing change and the importance of the three lenses.

My biggest take-away from the session, however, was the notion that every lesson in our lives – personal, professional, educational – stems from the trials and errors of our past. And it is through these trials and errors that we grow into who we are meant to be.

The leadership journey exercise, in my opinion, is one of the most influential and purposeful exercises MOR encourages ITLP participants to engage in. Off all the journeys I’ve heard, and from my own that I’ve mapped, life lessons have emerged – lessons in leadership that have shaped who we are and have provided a framework for where we stand.

Whether you’re responsible for teaching your mother to read and write at a young age, or you spent your early years in the principal’s office and today, stand as a leader, manager and mentor in your role, you’ve picked up on the pieces of your past and set your sights on the future you want.

These lessons, lessons in truth about who we are (and why), are encouraging testimonials. For all the journeys that have been shared, and for those still to be shared, thank you. Know that when you stand in front of the room and reveal an honesty about your past, present, and foreseeable future, people are listening and are truly affected by your story.