Article
30 January 2025, 3 min read

Finding purpose in change: reflections from Shetland

It's in uncertainty that the most meaningful change often takes root.

As January draws to a close, I'm writing from the wild and beautiful Shetland Islands during the Up Helly Aa season - a spectacular fire festival where nearly 1,000 torch-bearing guizers light up the winter darkness. This isn't just a holiday; it's a purposeful slow start to the year, a deep dive into possibility and the space to reset after saying goodbye to my beloved dog Bonnie on 3rd January.

The power of pause

Those who know me will understand the depth of this loss. Bonnie wasn't just my dog; she was my shadow, my constant companion for nearly nine years since that day she chose me, resting her head on my lap at the kennel. Despite the Rolls Royce treatment following her kidney failure diagnosis last April, her beautiful spirit finally needed to rest. She passed peacefully in my arms, at home, surrounded by love, while gazing at me with those soulful brown eyes one last time.

This loss, while deeply personal, has prompted me to think about how much our personal journeys cross over into wanting to make a real difference through the work we do. I often ask my clients ‘what do you want to be remembered for’.Because there’s an inextricable link between our personal and organisational purpose - a truth I'm experiencing profoundly as I process this past year here in Shetland, where my husband Paddy and I eloped in 2022, and where we're now exploring the possibility of a future home.

Where personal meets professional

Looking back at 2024, I realise it was truly a year of transition – both personally and professionally. While I made the big decisions in 2023 (striking off my Limited company, stepping away from marketing after 30 years, letting go of my Chartered Marketer status), 2024 has been about truly living and breathing these changes. It’s been about learning to slow down, to be present – a term which never really resonated with me before now – and to align my life and work with what matters most.

Purpose-driven change in action

This journey has reinforced something I've long believed but now understand more deeply: authentic organisational transformation begins with personal transformation. Just as I've had to question ‘the way things have always been done’ in my own life, I've had the privilege of guiding housing associations through similar processes of questioning and reframing their role in our changing world.

Working with organisations like Hebridean Housing Partnership, Bridgewater Housing Association, Whiteinch & Scotstoun Housing Association and others has shown me that the transition to a Wellbeing Economy isn't only about systems and structures – it's about people and purpose. Through my Purpose | Way | Impact™ framework, I've witnessed how personal purpose alignment creates the foundation for organisational transformation.

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.

Maya Angelou

This metaphor of renewal resonates with both personal and organisational change – the most profound developments often require us to trust the process, even when the path ahead isn't clear.

Creating space for what matters most

The space between what was and what could be isn't empty – it's fertile ground for new thinking. Just as I've established a new rhythm in my own life (converting my shed into a home gym, discovering the joy of fermentation), organisations too can find renewal in unexpected places when they dare to pause, reflect, and reimagine.

Questions for purpose-driven leaders

As we navigate this year together, I’d like you to consider:

• What aspects of your personal and organisational purpose need realignment?
• Where might slowing down actually accelerate meaningful change?
• How can your organisation uniquely contribute to a Wellbeing Economy in support of people and planet?

Just as Shetland teaches us about resilience and re-imagining, this past year has deepened my understanding of growth and renewal – both personal and organisational – and to remain open to what emerges when we create space for change.

The future belongs to organisations brave enough to reimagine their role in society. Not through grand gestures or marketing campaigns, but through aligned purpose, conscious culture, and genuine trust.

The journey ahead may be uncertain, but it's in this uncertainty that the most meaningful change often takes root.