Saiyyidah Zaidi

A Quiet recalibration
Sometimes everyone needs space.
Even leaders.
Space to think.
Space to reflect.
Space to step back from the constant movement of decisions and expectations.
That space is not indulgent.
It is generative.
Reflection sharpens judgement.
It steadies perspective.
It allows leadership potential to be used more fully.
Over the past year I’ve taken some of that space.
Not because the work slowed - it intensified.
And the questions deepened.
Working closely with senior leaders at moments of consequence brings the deeper questions into focus.
The work beneath the work.
Identity.
Belonging.
Courage.
The quiet calibration that happens before decisive action.
Because every leader - however experienced - sometimes needs space to think clearly again.
If the interior work of leadership interests you, stay close.
Where do you find the space to think clearly when the stakes are high?

Protein breakfast to get day 4 of Quran camp started!!! I have to say without my current basic studies at and foundations with I would struggle and not be as motivated as I am to be at the camp.
Today’s reminder to get us started was basically telling us that it is an honour to be able to spend time reading and studying Quran… it really is… and this week is a luxury that I’m enjoying.

Breakfast of Kings - or Queens! On the way to day 2

A fab day yesterday at the weekend intensive. I went back to basics in my Arabic and Quran journey which is much needed after a gap of about 12 years in study!!!
… and the last slide - literally the last slide we saw ♥️
‘And thereupon the people will understand.’

The Space — fuubutsushi | seasonal change
1 September 2024

I don't know about you but September is the month where I notice the change of season the most. From Summer into Autumn, regardless of how the weather is outside. It is the change from holiday season to work, from one phase of school or education for many families, from this to that. One of the aims of The Space is to provide a reflection opportunity in the liminal space between the weekend and week, between one phase and the other.

This inflection point is ever more needed as we move from one month to another.

For me September is a month of hope, of caution, of change, of living, of gratitude, of letting go, a fresh start...

We experience this in our external environment with nature as the leaves change colour, as nature sheds, as the weather turns.

What is it that we experience within ourselves?

As I think about the four months that remain of this year I start to feel heavy with responsibility, opportunity lost and gained, expectation and hope, goals met and lost, dreams still to be lived and currently being experienced.

More importantly — for me — I feel hopeful and full of anticipation about what will emerge.

This September feels different. The summer felt different.

I have spoken to a few people in the last week or so and noticed a common theme in our conversations - the last couple of months have just been 'odd.' There is no real explination why but I sense that holidays have been different, vacations not fully living up to expectations, weather extreme, and hope lost and gained with events like the riots that took place in Britain in early August.

So how do we take all these reflections into the next month and enable something that takes advantage of the visual cues and emotional anchors that autumn offers?

Let me share some ideas...

There is something about making a decision that allows you to see autumn as much of a seasonal change as the new year. Can you see September 1st in the same way you do January 1st?

What goals would you have?

What changes would you wish to make?

What would you want to continue or do more of?

What would you leave behind?

One of the best ways that I can invite you to explore the reflection of seasonal change is to join me at The Courage to Belong virtual retreat. It is taking place on the weekends of 21/22 and 28/29 September 2024, from 2-5.30pm each day. Whilst this event is very much focused on belonging it will also create the opportunity to reflect on some of what I have shared above and enable you to settle a little more into your own reality of belonging and who you are.

Take a moment to find out more about The Courage to Belong retreat — see link in comments.

If you have already registered I can't wait to see you there.

If you have any questions or queries about it please let me know by DMing me or commenting below.

— I would love to see you there —

Remember change requires support and I am here to help you with that as you transition from weekend to week, from summer to autumn, and from here to there.

I never expected that the idea I had in 2017 would lead to a podcast with Eric Stoddart and then this article called 'The messy art of conversation in practical theology: explorations and reflections. It is Open Access (meaning anyone can read it), and I believe offers some helpful thoughts on the matters of race and religion, migrant and/or Muslim that are impacting the UK right now.

"Like all good conversations, our discussions started out without an agenda, or purpose, other than to build a connection and record a podcast. Without planning it, in our own ways, we have contributed towards subverting epistemic silencing." (Zaidi and Stoddart 2024, 13).

My tl:dr version of the article - talk to people who are different to you so you can understand them, yourself, and humanity.

This is my first published piece as a Research Associate with University of Oxford's Regent's Park College's Oxford Center for Culture and Religion.

The messy art of conversation in practical theology: explorations and reflections Using autoethnography, the authors (a Muslim woman and a Christian man) reflect on their co-creation of a podcast series, ‘Conversations in Practical Theology’, which they commenced in 2017. Locati...

A few thoughts on the challenges that are happening in the UK right now... from the perspective of being in Qahirah...

walk like an egyptian In this brief blog post Dr Saiyyidah Zaidi reflects on her time in Egypt, challenges in the UK, and how walking like an Egyptian offers some hope.

"The idea behind our work is to help leaders to show up more fully in the workplace — and in every dimension of their lives — with their identity and integrity hand in hand."

— How do we show up with more of who we are?
—How do we belong in a world that wants us to belong but doesn’t always make it easy for us to belong?
—How do I sit in the place that exists between one space where I am treated like a rockstar and another where I am vilified for who I am and how I show up?

Last week was hard...
I experienced 3 incidents of racism/islamophobia in the space of a few days. I was so riled that I ended up writing a brief note on Linkedin about it. The comments that agreed with my call for ‘systemic change’ were reassuring and gave me hope.

Last week was a blessing...
Yesterday I attended a virtual graduation for two courses that I have recently completed. I graduated from a Post Graduate Certificate in Psychosynthesis Coaching and graduated from the Embodied Supervisor training – things which add to and further hone my skills as a coach and leadership advisor. One of the founders of the program said that my papers were ‘among the best that I have read in my 10 years of examining this course.’

Last week was a reality check for me as my ability to belong and not belong was expanded at each end in the space of a week.

I feel as if I have been a little too gentle in what I am about to share with you – sometimes the foundation of this particular kind of gentleness is imposter syndrome or uncertainty… And at the same time I really want you to know.

I am running a retreat in September called ‘The Courage to Belong’
My task this week was to start to prepare the retreat slides… During that process I spent a lot of time reflecting on the words below…

It takes courage
to ask "How shall I be”
so that I can do [what?]
so the world can be
better
for all.
Leadership takes courage
and gives courage, too.
And courage takes trust.
— Shelly L. Francis

I asked myself ‘What would I do if I had more courage to belong?’ The answer to that is still emerging.

I would love you to think about what you would do if you were more able to belong in your full, amazing being?

That is most definitely a question to take away… and if you are a coach, advisor, or mentor or have ever worked with one of these then you know that often inner work done in community, with others, is even more impactful.

It is with that in mind that I extend this invitation to you to join The Courage to Belong in September 2024.

And if you are unable to attend please do share the retreat information with someone who you think may be interested… and ponder on the question ‘what would you do if you had more courage to belong?’

As ever, if you have any questions please message me.

All my best,
Saiyyidah

Todays The Space email will all be about what I am calling 'simple sentence goals.' It is a good one. Sign up here and you'll receive it at 6pm today

The Space Click here to find out more about — The Space, the weekly newsletter curated by leadership advisor, coach, and researcher Dr Saiyyidah Zaidi. Subscribe to receive a complementary, curated weekly newsletter with tips, ideas, & resources for gaining clarity, confidence & space.

I did a major boo boo in my weekly email today. The edited version came back with 'non alcoholic drinks' corrected to 'alcoholic drinks' and I sent it out without realizing...

Clearly, I am not one for alcoholic drinks so I had to quickly issue a correction... although somewhere in the world are several thousand emails that I have just sent suggesting I had alcoholic drinks. Ya salaam!!!

Oh man... what a difference 3 letters ('non') makes 😭🙄😦

My latest blog - where there is life, there is hope

dum spiro spero This week Dr Saiyyidah Zaidi shares an unexpected insight from a conversation with her 90 year old neighbor - 'where there is life there is hope.'

Getting comfortable with uncertainty... some thoughts

comfortable with uncertainty Read about how Dr Saiyyidah Zaidi explores getting comfortable with uncertainty as a result of a feldenkrais class she attended as part of a retreat in Hampshire, England. Click here to get three easy to implement ideas for how you can get comfortable with uncertainty.