I was fortunate to connect with Laura on Zoom. I have to admit, what followed was one of the most inspiring conversations I have ever had.
Her story is truly amazing.
Having spent more than 30 years successfully leading, training and elevating leaders and large teams (more than a decade of which, was spent at Harrods, London; 16 years in the Middle East), Laura believed she completely understood what engages individuals and how to get the best from them. Life was pretty good until about seven and a half years back when she met with a horrible accident. Her life was suddenly brought to a halt and her whole perspective was challenged and re-framed.
A keen runner, she was hit by a car, one morning. Thrown 30ft, she sustained serious injuries and was advised that she may never walk again. Laura was tenacious in her resolve to get back on her feet. As you can guess, the comeback has not been easy. Laura was resilient; she was determined to come out stronger on the other side. And she has. After 17 reconstructive surgeries to date and more ahead, she is slowly being rebuilt. Whilst she may not be able to run or jog, she is fully active and has learned how to thrive.
Laura has since studied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, is a Gallup Strengths Coach and Master of Resilience. Her recovery after each setback has been an inspiring journey of self-discovery based on recognising the power of leveraging personal strengths to maintain focus, regain control and flourish, despite adversity. Life has taught her that if we dig deep and draw on our inner strengths, we can achieve anything.
In her words, “You don’t need to be a superhero to survive and flourish in life. We have far more power than we realize. We have a god-given hidden reserve of strength that we need to be aware of and learn to leverage, to overcome life’s challenges. Your success in everything you undertake is a result of your mindset and the choices you make. I’ve learned that when life kicks you down, it does not have to determine the outcome of your life. No matter what the universe hurls at you, however dire your situation, you can choose optimism, find meaning, hope and happiness”.
Today Laura is a role model for people who need inspiration. She enables organisations, leaders, and business professionals to recognize what makes them uniquely powerful and leverage their strengths and resilience, to thrive in today’s business.
Laura’s story is soon going to be published in her forthcoming book, ‘Rebuilt To Last’. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. And nor should you!
Penned by Sharad Agarwal
