To UCL’s Institute of Child Health for Lift Yourself (A Meeting of Enquiring Minds), a one day conference organised for students and young professionals to introduce them to some of the key ideas of Vedanta, as a guest of the organisers Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) UK. The morning sessions consisted of lectures from Swami Swaroopandana, one of the spiritual leaders of the Chimaya Mission, and these were followed after lunch by discussion groups and question and answer sessions. I am always impressed by the attendance at CHYK UK events and this was no exception with an impressive turnout from a wide range of younger people. It was good to catch up with some of the organisers and as usual for this sort of event there were many other familiar faces in attendance as well.

Day three's sessions were run predominantly by David Megginson, founder of the European Coaching and Mentoring Council and Professor of Human Resource Development and Sheffield Hallam University, whose antics during yesterday’s games had already rather endeared him to the participants. The most insightful part of the day, I thought, was to watch him conduct a live and unrehearsed coaching session with a fellow participant.

The program finished at 5pm after a long thank you and goodbye. But this was not unwarranted as I think all participants must have come away from the course having made some sincere new connections and perhaps even having undergone a personal development experience themselves.

I also found it very positive that the largest faith representation of participants was from my own tradition. This is not something that would be expected in my experience from a multi faith based event. So it is particularly pleasing to deduce that there must be an extraordinarily talented and rather flourishing generation of leaders emerging from my community.

It was a thoroughly engaging three days and FiL is a programme I would not hesitate recommend to any emerging faith community leader.

Day two was similarly fully packed, indeed each day’s proceedings started at 7:30 with an opportunity for half an hour quiet time for meditation, reflection or prayer.

Lectures were by Dena Michelli a leading expert in personal transformation. In our groups we analysed our performances in yesterday’s group exercise though watching the videos that had been recorded. And Krish also led an interesting simulation on negotiation.

During dinner a gentleman by the name of Gerald Henderson who co-ordinates a project in Liverpool called Hope in the Cities joined my table. He had given a very humble speech at yesterday’s more formal dinner but speaking to him today I was humbled myself by a man who had travelled the world helping people far less fortunate than any of us and never once having taken a salary from the charities he worked for. It was his life’s mission and calling he said, but meeting people like that forces me to struggle with the materialism and attachment that permeates my own life.

The evenings activities included a series of fun and games created by the program participants but which all the program contributors took part in including the organisers, consultants, faculty and experts. These were an excellent way of interacting and getting to know other group members and as they tapered off participants naturally tended towards faith based discussions and it was inspiring to hear the level of detail into which some young people have studied their traditions.

To Liverpool Hope University – the only ecumenical college in Europe – for module one of the Faith in Leadership (FiL) course, a national leadership programme for emerging change-makers from the different faith traditions in Britain. The FiL project was put together and organised by the founders of Learn to Lead particularly their chief executive, Krish Raval, whose vision the programme realises.

There were around 30 participants on the programme who were split into four groups each facilitated by two consultants for small group activities. These were interspersed with lectures and larger group activities.

Small group activities on day one involved introductions, producing ground rules for the programme, and a videoed group exercise. Larger group activities included a conducting workshop given by Peter Hanke a leading contemporary choral music and chamber opera conductor who runs a sideline in executive leadership courses. His input was quite astonishing: he was able to ascertain subtle aspects of a person’s character from watching them conduct for only a minute or so and suggest improvements that would not only enhance their conducting skills but which could be applied to their leadership performance in wider life as well. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to conduct a chamber choir and its impact reminded me somewhat of the current BBC Series Maestro. Krish rounded up the development and learning for the day with a lecture introducing some of the salient themes in the academic study of leadership.

There was then a formal dinner in the evening during which the organisers and facilitators took on the role of waiting on the participants, supporters and special guests. This was not only a wonderful thought but was also a practical expression of the service philosophy conveyed by the charity funding the programme, Initiatives of Change, whose chair of trustees, Elisabeth Tooms, gave the keynote speech during the dinner.

To Starbucks next to Bank tube station underneath One Poultry to meet Bhavan Ramanathan who runs the Accenture Hindu Network. I have met him a few times before at various events but this was the first time we had sat down on a one-to-one basis. This is of course the best way to get to know people better and I think we are both looking forward to working together more closely going forward.

To the London offices of BDO Stoy Hayward (they have recently relocated to the old Marks & Spencer headquarters) to catch up with one of their newly made up partners. I first met him at an Indian-Jewish Association event titled ‘Giving back – philanthropy in the Indian and Jewish tradition’ hosted by the same firm at their old offices on 14 November 2007. I believe he is the first person from my community to be promoted to partner level at BDO so it was quite interesting to get his perspective on the various issues we discussed.

To London Academy in Edgware for day one of the Life Coaching Through Eastern Wisdom programme which was essentially a series of lectures given by Pujyashree Bhupendrabhai Pandya spiritual leader of the Samakti Seva Parivar. The event was organised by an old contact of mine who used to run Hindu Youth UK and it was interesting how she decided to market the event, with the extensive use of sponsors and the absence of any mention of Hinduism. This perhaps allowed it to appeal to a wider audience and it was very successful I think in attracting a range of people who would not normally attend this sort of event. The day finished off with a networking session designed to give attendees a chance to meet like minded individuals and I thought this worked well, appealing to particularly the younger professionals to whom the event was probably most targeted towards.