Congratulations Denise Hartley-Wilkins: Our newest Master Elephant Rider!
We're super excited to share some extraordinary news – it has just hit a massive milestone within our Elephant Rider Community. She’s officially become a Master Elephant Rider, and that’s a big deal around here!
For the past three years, Denise has been all-in, leading over 65 ECD Workshops, heaps of ECD Meetups, and countless one-on-one ECD sessions. Her commitment and dedication to The ECD have impacted the lives of so many and helped teams and leaders unlock what they’re truly capable of.
Denise joins the ranks of a very small group of Master Elephant Riders: Lotty Roberts, Kayleigh Woodings, and Steve Hargreaves who have all cemented their places as global emotional culture leaders.
When she looks back on her ECD journey, she’s quick to share some simple but profound advice,
"Just get started. Start playing and experimenting... Practice, practice, practice. I keep a deck, in each of my bags... Get comfortable with taking a leap and hacking the deck in different ways."
One of Denise's bright spots was leading a culture program with 60+ people virtually during COVID-19. "It took heaps of planning... We got there. That was right at the beginning of my journey using The ECD, jumping into the deep end big time!" She recalls an older bloke’s revelation, “feelings, well we don’t talk about them enough and we need to.” A moment that clearly marked a significant impact.
Another milestone Denise cherishes is facilitating a conflict resolution process for people who have been at loggerheads for two years. "As they walked out at the end of the session they were chatting away together. She quietly said to herself, ‘I don’t think you need me anymore’."
Denise also highlighted working with an organisation on a workplace bullying & harassment program using The ECD, starting with the People Team and rolling the program out to over 70 leaders. This experience underscores the profound effect The ECD can have across an entire organisation.
Denise is a true leader in our Community and a guiding light for others on their ECD learning journey, Certification Pathway and beyond.
We’re all feeling super grateful for Denise’s contribution, leadership and the wisdom she brings to our community. Thanks to her, we’ve seen what’s really possible when you put your heart into your work.
Denise, you’re incredible, and we want to say a massive thank you. You inspire us every day, and we’re so lucky to have you leading the way as a Mentor in our Community. Here’s to more ECD adventures, growth, and rehumanising the places we work and live together.
The #1 game for better workplace culture. In your workplace, The Emotional Culture Deck will help you drive bottom-up change about what really matters by stimulating face-to-face conversations about culture and leadership. Learn more about our ECD Certification Pathway here >
