Louisa Rodriguez is a leadership coach, UN Women Delegate 2023, nature lover and poet. She joined our podcast season to talk about women in leadership. She confessed she was ‘a bit of a geek, when it comes to podcasts and reading lists’ – and has curated the list below on the books and topics she discussed during her podcast; from leadership to nature, regenerative business to self-awareness.
During her conversation with Dan, she also talked about her passion for poetry. With her permission, we are delighted to share the poem she read during her podcast following their discussion about the vulnerability of leadership.
“Strip me bare” by Louisa Rodriguez
Strip me bare right back to my bones.
Strip me bare of all I know.
I want truth, only truth, raw, unfiltered words.
I don't care if it hurts.
Give me brutality of honesty over sickness of lies.
Strip me bare of facades and superficiality for depth of soul.
Sitting under moonlight and stars.
I don't want to hear of achievements one after another.
Show me imperfections, flaws, scars, stories they tell.
Talk to me of hopes and dreams.
What lights a fire in your belly and sparks in your eyes?
I don't care for wealth or societal successes.
I care for what is behind all that we see.
Love, losses, joy in the pain, vulnerability, fragility, your humanity.
Sharing together, connection is made.
Human to human, we all bear scars.
Behind all we see we are perfectly imperfect.
Stripped bare to our bones, we see each other and all that we are.
Watch Louisa read her poem here:
Book list
- Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking – Matthew Syed
- Leading by Nature – Giles Hutchins
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- The Healing Organisation – Raj Sisodia and Michael J Gelb
- Working with Nature – Jeremy Purseglove
- Dare to Lead – Brene Brown
- Start with WHY – Simon Sinek
- From Crisis to Calling, Finding your Moral Centre in the Toughest Decisions – Sacha Chanoff and David Chanoff
Listen again
Catch up on Louisa's conversation with Dan here:
