A Love Letter To You, Dear Reader

I want to write you a love letter.

Not the mushy, romantic sort that I was fond of penning when I was 14 and in love with my first boyfriend Nick (I’ve still got the letters I wrote to him but never posted – THANK GOD).

No, this love letter is of the more professional, subdued, “I’m super grateful for you” kind.

Why am I sending you a love letter? Let's be honest, who couldn't do with a little love letter at this time of year.

Let me back up the truck a bit to 2012 to give you some context.

I was at a Christmas party. My very dear friend – but at the time very new friend – Amy, after a glass or two of champagne, suggested I write a blog. I didn’t even know what a blog was, but because I had a massive girly crush on her, I just nodded enthusiastically and mumbled through a mouthful of asparagus tart that, “yes, starting a blog was a fabulous idea and f##k it, let’s do it.” (kind of like when you first start going out with someone and you pretend to be into whatever they are, even when you’re not – bodybuilding, heavy metal, dungarees for instance. And yes, guilty of all three.)

And so that’s how The Leader’s Digest was born. Little did I know that this blog would become one of the biggest loves of my professional life. It’s become a vehicle for learning all about leadership (and hopefully that learning has rubbed off a little on you too). It’s provided an outlet for my love of writing and it’s become a platform to help more people circumnavigate the inspiring, lonely, awesome, tough, and all-round demanding role of being a leader.

And all because you showed up and read it. You shared, pressed the little heart shaped ‘like’ button, and commented on The Leader’s Digest at some point or another. You showed up when I did. And I’m so incredibly grateful that you did. If this is the first time you’ve read a Leader’s Digest post, and you’re now saying to yourself, “what the heck is this woman on about?” then welcome! You can feel the love too if you click here and sign up. :)

It’s been so cool to see The Leader’s Digest go from strength to strength and the readership grow so much since the time I nervously pressed “go” on that first post.

I can’t wait to bring you along for the ride in 2018. We’ve got some super exciting things planned for The Leader’s Digest next year, including more video interviews with inspiring leaders and leadership experts, an online leadership programme, giveaways that will boost your leadership into the stratosphere, and loads more leadership goodies.

And in case you missed them, here are some of the most popular blogs from this year:

• How to Calm The Farm: 8 Tips For Responding To An Overwrought Work Colleague

• Dear Boss: Here’s What You Need To Change in 2017

• Meet One of the Biggest Villains in Leadership (and Five Antidotes to its Poison)

• A Room Reveal of a Different Kind

So yeah, this is my love letter to you. This is me saying a humungous TY, kia ora, ¡Muchas gracias!, merci beaucoup and go you good thing. Have a magnificent Christmas, be kind to yourself and to others, and see you in 2018!

Lots and lots of leadership love,

Suzi xx