In an exclusive interview with Platform Africa, international coach, trainer and author Saira Easton shares her perspective on the power of conscious leadership for a new era, as the subject of her book “Evolve”, to be launched at Hennessy Park Hotel on 11 May.
The key aim and theme of the book is to help the reader discover who they really are, why they are here and how to make and fulfil a new promise to themselves to lead a more thriving purpose-led life.
Saira will be joined by journalist Finlay Salesse as the MC for the book launch, which will also include a live guided group mediation to be led by Saira.
Saira, you are the author of a book called “Evolve – Conscious Leadership for a new era”, and you are also working as a coach and trainer. Can you tell us more about yourself and your activities?
Sure, my name is Saira Easton. I was born and raised in the UK to two Mauritian parents but always felt a strong affinity to the motherland. Three years ago I uprooted and emigrated with my husband and two little girls to start our new chapter in Mauritius.
Previously I had a corporate career working as the Global Head of Talent for technologists at Thomson Reuters, working and living in London, Geneva and Beijing. In 2012 I had an unexpected turn of life events and fell near-critically ill on a round the world career break. Against all medical odds I survived and went on to discover profound healing and personal transformation techniques. Defying all medical odds, I had 2 children and later pursued my passion and purpose to share my tools through my book, coaching, training, talks and consulting work with corporates in Mauritius.
The core of my work in Mauritius focuses on raising talent in organisations to reconnect with their passion, potential and purpose – something I call the ‘PPP Blueprint’. I work with organisations that have an aspiration and open mind to pilot a new way to retain and develop talent, support high potential talent and lift women in leadership to impactful positions of influence. The first activity for most organisations starts with what I call ‘hitting the pause button’. I use deep relaxation and meditation techniques to get still enough to listen to our inner voice and make life changing discoveries that greatly enhance our life and accelerate our career. I believe it’s a great way to synergise business strategy with L&D, HR, Talent, Wellness and Sustainability, to build more coherent, powerful and robust people strategies for 2023 onwards.
What inspired you to write this book? Who is it for?
In 2013 I hit a rock bottom on my healing journey. I had learnt to meditate, follow my intuition, build incredible visions of my future self but I kept reaching a block until one day it hit me. Deep in meditation my heart burst open and I wept with a profound realisation that deep down – I didn’t feel worthy of healing. On a mind level I thought that I did but in my heart, I still felt some level of unworthiness and like I wasn’t enough unless I had accolades and achievements to stand behind. At that point, I wasn’t standing behind anything. I was alone in my living room whilst all my peers went onto have families and lead colourful lives I told myself. I then realised that I wasn’t alone in this belief. I realised that all the people pleasing, perfectionists, rescuers of the world were also hiding behind this lack centred limiting belief. In doing so, we were burning out, feeling like an imposter in our jobs, stretched beyond capacity and leading unfulfilled lives that relegated our deepest needs and desires.
It was time to change that. That same connection to my vulnerability became the same depth of power that rose up. I felt powerful for no reason, I felt compassion for all and felt ready to welcome true healing into my life with all the gifts and callings that went along with it.
At that point of decision making – EVERYTHING CHANGED.
Combining all the experiences together, I could see there was a universal need to make the process for personal change easier. I hadn’t expected to write a book but one day when I sat to mediate to start my business, I asked myself – what am I here to do in Mauritius? Over many months sipping café lattes at Illico café in So Flo, this book became the answer to the question. The book is a self-guided process for anyone who wishes to let go of any latent fears that are holding them back, raise their natural confidence and seek to succeed in work and life in a more aligned and authentic way.
Can you explain some of the main themes of the book? Are there three main messages or takeaways that readers would learn from it? What does the book tell us about leadership?
The key aim and theme of the book is to help the reader discover; who they really are, why they are here and how to make and fulfil a new promise to themselves to lead a more thriving purpose-led life.
Three main messages would be:
You are much more than you think
Marianne William said ‘our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure’. Vulnerability is our new super power, and leading authentic lives and that embrace the whole of us allows us to lock the most incredible gifts, talents, and desires to have to manifest more fulfilling lives. We are all unique, we all matter, and we are all needed in this new era to help shift all that’s been done in the past and no longer works, to shape a more long lasting rich future for ourselves and future generations.
Profound Happiness comes from Giving
The more we take off the layers of who we are not and discover who we are, the more we tap into a natural desire to give, serve, and help with whatever natural gifts and talents that were given to us. That alignment unlocks so much energy, joy, contentment and finally answers that question of who am I, what I am I born to do, and opens us up to natural abundant flow of life.
In the end – love conquers all
Division is born of scarcity and lack but the tides are changing worldwide. People are waking up to a new reality where love is a stronger currency than any other force field and can create changes of unimaginable kinds. The earth, our businesses, our families, our health, are all calling for a deeper heart centred approach, and with it I know we will be more successful and prosper.
In terms of leadership – It is as much about self-leadership as it is leading others in any capacity. In self-leadership I hope the book will activate a more conscious chosen mindful path to making decisions that shape our life, and hope that it will lead the reader on a connection to a level of self-healing and love that ignites a more compassionate way to lead life and work.
You are a great believer in meditation, which features strongly in the book, and which has become widely practised in Mauritius for health and spiritual reasons. How would you describe the power of meditation and what it brings?
I would label it as essential as eating, and drinking for our survival, although it really doesn’t have to be in the form of the classic monk in a cave image we have! For me mediation is:
- to witness the thoughts of our mind, and to become empowered to choose who we really are and what we want to think
- to challenge the deeply conditioned beliefs of lack and change the course of our day by choosing thoughts that empower and are kind to ourselves and others
- to become still enough that we shift from instinct, to intellect and then even into intuition – that’s where the magic starts to happen and where we can shape our lives outside of their normal boundaries and imagine and manifest a far more ideal reality.
- sometimes mediation is just to finally take the first deep breath you’ve taken all day!
- It comes in all forms, moments and shapes, but it’s essentially a tool we can learn formally and then use everywhere in any moment. The impact is an entire shift in our life outlook and lifestyle for more balance and harmonious living and working.
You will be launching your book at Hennessy Park Hotel on 11 May. Can you tell us more about your plans for the launch event?
Absolutely! I’m so excited for the official launch and opportunity to gather so many like minds together in the same space who share this similar interest of personal transformation.
I recently had the chance to record a live interview on the book for the lovely Finlay Salesse for his Dimanche Culture show on Radio One, and he will also be the MC at our launch event, where we will also be offering a unique chance to engage in a live guided group mediation held by myself. It’s a meditation I’ve written for this event and am very excited to be sharing it on the day.
If anything you’ve read resonates with you, please feel free to reach out on saira@the-cla.com, join the live book launch event on the 11th at the Hennessy Park Hotel at 6.30pm, or let me know if you have any organisational needs that you’d to try a new approach to.
