16.08.19

The Accidental Leader – How to lead from behind, with Kerrie Atherton

Stories of Hope Australia!

Have you ever hit rock bottom, have you ever struggled with a mental illness, an addiction, an abusive relationship, considered suicide … Kerrie Atherton has done all of those … and is now sharing her story, and others, in the form of Stories of Hope!

Kerrie was good enough to take some time out of her day, to talk me through what Stories of Hope is about, why it is important to her, and how it is changing the world.

You can listen to the podcast on our podcast page on this website! And, you can pick up a copy of her book at www.storiesofhope.com.au

Accidental Leader

Before I tell you about some of Kerrie’s key messages, what struck me was how humble she is, how unassuming she is and how she doesn’t really talk about her own leadership ability. Kerrie believes she is an accidental leader, and credits her team for her success, which in my professional experience, is a trait of successful leaders.

Kerrie has enlisted the support of some high profile people, who like her, are both dedicated to, and passionate about, making sure that people who are struggling in life know that there is someone out there that is ready, willing and able to listen.

Her thoughts on leadership are that, if you are passionate enough, others will be inspired, and will follow you. And, that is absolutely true. And, for all intents and purposes, Kerrie is a living breathing example of passion inspired leadership.

“Together is Better”

This is one of the key messages that Kerrie shared with me, during our chat.

We are all in this together, and just “don’t do it alone”.

And, we are all just emotions in skin …

Regardless of whether you are the Prime Minister or the Mechanic, we are all human, we all have similar emotional experiences, and we all need someone to talk to at some stage of our lives.

Thousands of AA meetings

Kerrie first picked up a drink in her teens, and ‘was an instant alcoholic’. Her parents, and other family members, were alcoholics, and she had seen their journey through AA. Finally, one night, at the age of 18, instead of taking her own life, like she was going to, she turned to the AA support network.

Doing 7 AA meetings per week, for years, gave Kerrie an insight into the addiction counselling process, and the fact that most of the attendees at AA meetings were men. And, helping men open up and share their feelings has become somewhat of a gift for Kerrie.

Keep up the great work, girl, you are truly an inspiration – and certainly not an accidental leader…

And please click the image below if you’d like to chat about what leadership means to you.

If you would like to learn more about Anton or The Guinea Group, please click hereto book into Anton’s calendar, to:

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About Anton

Anton has dedicated his working life to helping leaders to upgrade their mindset, upskill their leadership, and uplift their teams! With a focus on helps leaders to better lead under pressure. Anton is an entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, bestselling author and founder of The Guinea Group. Over the past 19 years, Anton has worked with over 175+ global organisations, he has inspired workplace leadership, safety, and cultural change. He’s achieved this by combining his corporate expertise, education (Bachelor of HR and Psychology), and infectious energy levels.
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