REPORT OF FREEMIND LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR ASHOKA FELLOWS IN NIGERIA

Ashoka Fellows and staff at the Freemind Training held at IITA Ibadan from 13th – 15th Oct. 2008

As part of our goal in building the capacity of the Fellows in Nigeria, ASHOKA Nigeria’s Fellowship Program recently organized a 3-day Everyday leadership training to enhance their leadership potentials through self discovery, developing a positive attitude and improving how their inner mind works. This experience was sponsored by Maneesh Garg, the President of the Nigerian Chapter of the Young President Organization (YPO) and our very first Ashoka Support Network Member in Africa. Ashoka Nigeria partnered with Freemind Projects UK, an organization that is passionate about helping people by providing them with tools which they can use to easily create positive changes in their lives and get excited about living with more freedom, love and happiness.

This amazing experience which took place from the 13th – 15th of October 2008 at the eco-friendly IITA Resort in Ibadan, Nigeria provided a space for Ashoka Fellows and Staff to be part an interactive and immersive learning environment to discover their own innate acceptance of themselves and others, use empowering language patterns that brings out the best in them and others, use advanced performance psychology to accelerate their growth and improve their performance, overcome the challenges of corruption and find honor in bringing light into darkness and discover greater levels of happiness and confidence inside themselves. The techniques used include mind programming, Relaxation exercises, Team building principles, Self acceptance techniques and Motivational techniques.

The training sessions started immediately after Lesley Agams, the Country Representative in Nigeria welcomed the Fellows and encouraged them to allow themselves to be fully involved in the process. For 3 days Tom Fortes Mayer and David Leckenby from Freemind Projects used music, sounds, dancing, experience sharing sessions, group work, brainstorming exercises as methodologies in helping everyone present feel relaxed, exploring the power of the mind, learning more about themselves and appreciate the power of being positive. Ashoka Fellows enjoyed themselves during these exercises

Some of the learning points during the sessions include;
- We have on the average 60,000 thoughts a day but 95% of these thoughts are the same thoughts that we had the day before. However this can change depending on how we choose to see ourselves and how we interact with the world. We get what we focus on and create what we believe.
- As leaders, we must be true to our word and be someone who is more likely to do what you want as most people will look up to you and respect you. Create the life you want NOW. Not next week, next month or next year. It is NOW.
- Because our inner mind listens to the words we use, it believes them and makes them true hence it is important to learn to use strong positive language with statements that must be TRUE.

- In the session to guide participants to change their hearts through transformation of negative experiences or pasts into a positive feelings, the lessons learnt was that it is not what happens to us that matters. It is what we do with what happens to us that counts. The facilitator helped participants see nightmares as signposts through turning them into the best gifts.
- Depression and Anxiety are systems designed by the inner mind to stop us from going forward therefore we should take depression as a pause and Anxiety as a brake as these are powerful invites to change.
- Our energies should not be focused on trying to change people as this is almost impossible, rather we should guide them to learn and provide them with skills to help them make informed choices for themselves. Leading by example helps in encouraging positive change.

Impact on the Fellows
During the process of the training and from the evaluation from the Fellows at the end of the training, we observed that the training had significantly contributed in enhancing the leadership capacity of the Fellows. The first success recorded during the sessions, when Fellows gave their word to be on time, or carry out any responsibility, they were consciously making efforts to keep their word and their apt attention during the training and interest in participating in all activities showed they valued the training and were eager to be part of the transformation intended to help them become better individuals and better leaders.
Secondly, the statements made by some of the Fellows during the training showed they were inspired and determined to be better. Some of the strong languages used were
“Each and everyday, I am feeling more and more confident that I can change Nigeria”
“Each and everyday, I believe that I am more responsible and being a better leader”
“Each and everyday I am being more and more tolerant and able to accept people’s diversity”

From the evaluation of the Fellows, the training was a rewarding, relaxing and energizing experience.
- For Ashoka Fellow Kingsley Bangwell, “the training was necessary and relevant for his work and elevation of project idea at different levels”.
- For Ashoka Fellow Ebunola Anozie, the training helped her to gain a better focus of her goals and helped her to make a commitment to be more patient, determined and be a better leader than she is.
- Ashoka Fellow Pricess Olufemi Kayode’s opinion is that it the training was very innovative as she has never experienced training as this and it has helped her in understanding how the mind operates and how she can reprogramme her mind to maximize her achievements.
- Ashoka Fellow Joeseph Adelegan, who had attended a similar training shared that he still found this course more useful and practical as it has exposed him to skills that will enable him confront his fears rather than running away from them.
- Ashoka Fellow Dorothy Aken’Ova felt connected to everyone during the training and the force of knowing that she has such peace is strengthening
- Ashoka Fellow Josephine Nzerem enjoyed the togetherness and that oneness made her feel that as Fellows, they are more united and carrying the world
- Other Fellows were happy to be part of the training that has provided them a space to learn new and life changing techniques to make them work better appreciate themselves and others more and more.

Impact on ASHOKA Staff.
Aside our succcess in organizing the training which was very beneficial to our Fellows, our presence and participation helped us as a team s to make commitments to do our best, go the extra mile, be honest and to be accountable and to hold each other accountable.
This training has helped us reaffirm our commitment as a team to our vision and mission to build an institution that reflects our values that motivates us, Build a citizen sector and Fellowship that reflects those values.

Meeting with Maneesh Garg
We also had the presence of Maneesh Garg, our ASN member at the Fellows training and he had the opportunity of talking with the Fellows. I am also working with him on the possibility of mentoring some of the Fellows he was interested in. In his words, "It was a great opportunity for him and he is inspired by Fellows he met and looks forward to working with them".