How Your Happiness Transforms Organisations

Rethinking how we work: The change starts with you

At Glastonbury Festival in 2015, I had the privilege of seeing the Dalai Lama in the Peace Garden. It was pouring with rain as we sang him Happy Birthday, and he shared a message that has stayed with me ever since:

"You may be wondering how, as one individual, you can make a difference in the world. It is very simple. You be happy. Then you will have a happy family, and they will go on to have a happy family. And like this, you can change the world."

Wow. So simple. So profound.

It all starts with us. We can’t pour from an empty cup. If we’re burnt out, overwhelmed, or stuck in outdated ways of working, how can we show up for others—let alone change the world?

And yet, in recent years, there’s been growing recognition that the traditional ways we run organisations are fundamentally flawed:
🔹 Over 90% of strategic plans are never implemented
🔹 Over 70% of change projects fail
🔹 The average lifespan of companies continues to plummet—now just 12.5 years in Europe

The systems we rely on are under stress. The way we work together isn’t working. We need a new paradigm.

At Kholo, we help organisations navigate this shift—starting with where you are, where you want to be, and the small, meaningful steps that will get you there. No overwhelm. No rigid frameworks. Just clarity, purpose, and a human-centred approach.

Because the ripples of change start with us. With self-care, with how we treat each other, and with the courage to lead differently.

As Gandhi said: “We have to be the change we wish to see in the world.”

Are you ready? Let’s create the future, together.

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Thank you Ben Davies for the conversation today that helped me to shape some of what I wrote here! One conversation at time... change happens slowly... and then it accelerates!

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