I have a love/hate relationship with my navigation system. It’s like these sort of doomed relationships where one sole transgression leads to permanent trust issues. GPS is supposed to know what it’s doing – after all this is why navigation systems were invented: To help you find the way.
So, why is it that I quite often choose to think that the satellite is actually wrong? (99% of the times it’s not but I often think I am on to that one percent margin of error).
I confess. I am not good at following orders, directions, main roads, regulations and generic authority driven mandates. I am significantly better at following my heart, my gut, my hunches and with an inborn curiosity about stuff in general, it’s much more natural for me to try out the different, the alternative, the untried. While change is often uncomfortable for some people, I guess I’ve grown used to craving it.
So, when I follow directions, I feel I may be missing something wonderfully weird that may be out there for me to discover. But, sometimes labeling me as a spoiled, insolent brat who has a thing against authority is unavoidable. And while I pause and bare my soul saying how I am compelled to act the way I do, casual and plain-clothed bystanders declare I am nothing but a rebel without a cause. But I don’t mind. I am a new knowledge addict readily identified as the disobedience junkie – and if that means occasionally getting lost in spite of my GPS, it’s o.k – small price to pay for my discoveries and explorations.
After all the journey is often so much more interesting than the destination.
Leda Karabela’s career focus has been building alliances with and among institutional stakeholders, which spans 25 years of experience in international management, public affairs, strategic marketing and philanthropy. Her primary focus has been external audiences, such as opinion leaders, media, customers, and donors.
Today, she is bringing her executive experience into the field of coaching, realizing her passion for people, the ways they click and connect with each other, helping clients discover the power within them to improve their performance, effectiveness and reach. Having held responsibilities for global projects and working with virtual teams in multiple countries for Fortune 50 companies such as BP and Microsoft, she has also led the corporate relations program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and has lived in Boston, San Francisco, London, Athens and Dubai.
