This curious combination of topics was the initial title of a research festival held last July at Brathay on the edge of Lake Windermere in the Lake District. The idea was to discuss leadership, wellbeing and sustainability in a relaxed yet well-organised structure with a mixture of academic session and creative activities. This unusual blend of approaches produced a really fascinating mix of intellectual debate and free expression. Speakers from the UN rubbed shoulders with Yoga teachers and poetry writers.
The Leading Wellbeing Reunion was smaller and this time held in the University of Cumbria's Ambleside Campus with the intent of picking up on ideas raised last July and to develop them further, reestablishing links and building new contacts. Though keen to go, I was initially a little sceptical that this could work as well as the original event: it was in one building on a cool day in April with fewer people and a lower profile. Smaller all round.
Indeed, we had a slightly awkward start as people mingled and tried to network. It took a while to set up the flexible sessions. Invitations were taken from anyone who wanted to run one and we ended up with around twenty small group activities planned, ranging from empirical analysis of the housing market to music making. These had to be organised into time slots and there was some debate about the clashes. Then we had to pick the ones we wanted to go to. I still didn't know how it was going to work out. Would it be interesting? What could I contribute?
But as soon as the first session started it all fell into place. The discussion fired up quickly - we were looking at the concept of wellbeing - and I put forward my views on wealth and welfare and economic measures and how marketisation and competitive pressures had commodified things like happiness. Others talked of their concepts of wellbeing from academic and creative perspectives. We agreed, disagreed, argued and built on each others points. It was fascinating. And the day carried on like that. Every session was filled with interesting and enlightening debate with some diverse views expressed. Over lunch and in the breaks we all chatted some more.
As the sessions came to an end we went to the Beehive building, lit by tea lights and filled with music, to drink and talk some more, before we listened to poetry and heard two fabulous bands. As we parted there were handshakes and hug. And for once I felt there'd been a connection. Whatever wellbeing meant, I really felt I'd found it.