The Intermediary –- May 2026 - Flipbook - Page 90
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
The story
of you
M
y life is built on
other people’s
stories. Each
new client brings
a world that is
entirely their
own, and assumptions are not just
unhelpful – they are misleading. My
task is to draw out their narrative:
who they are, how they have become
that person, what has shaped them,
and what they hope for next.
Confidentiality means I cannot
share specifics, but I can say this: every
story is compelling. No two are the
same, even when they share familiar
paerns or originate from the same
family. Human experience refuses to
be standardised.
This year, for Bookheath – the book
festival I have launched in Blackheath,
where I live – the theme is Blackheath
Lives. I am inviting people to write
their stories for an anthology of
everyday lives, to be published in
support of charity.
Some contributions will be quiet,
domestic accounts of individuals
living through periods of profound
historical change. These are the stories
we oen overlook – the ones children
don’t fully listen to until it is too late
to ask the questions. I carry that regret
myself. I never properly recorded the
stories my actress mother-in-law told
of working with extraordinary figures
such as Margot Fonteyn, Laurence
Olivier and Vivien Leigh.
Similarly, my own parents lived
through the Clydebank Blitz, yet
I never asked them what it truly
felt like. So much lived experience
disappears simply because it is
never captured.
Inevitably, the anthology will
reveal moments of drama, courage
and adventure – stories of risktaking, resilience, and lives shaped
by shiing social landscapes. But just
as important will be the accounts
that appear, on the surface, entirely
ordinary. Because no life is truly
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The Intermediary | May 2026
ordinary when examined closely;
each contains its own meaning, its
own turning points, its own quiet acts
of endurance.
The aim of Blackheath Lives is to
create a lasting record of community
memory – a snapshot of life in this
part of London at this moment in
time. In an era of rapid social and
technological change, preserving
lived experience feels both culturally
significant and deeply human. It
is, ultimately, about legacy: leaving
something of yourself behind
for family, friends, and future
generations.
More than a tale
This idea extends beyond community
into the world of work. Every
individual in a business environment
carries a personal narrative that
shapes how they lead, decide, and
relate to others.
Understanding these stories helps
explain behaviour and opens the
door to more effective, respectful and
productive relationships.
Organisations themselves are
built on stories, too: the mythology
of the founding, the struggle of the
early years, the defining moments
of growth or crisis. These narratives
– oen unspoken – continue to
influence culture, decision-making
and identity long aer the events
themselves have passed. When shared
consciously, they become a powerful
tool for connection, alignment and
development.
In coaching, we sometimes use a
‘legacy exercise’, asking clients to
imagine their life story told from the
perspective of a grandchild. What
would that future voice say? What
would they notice, value, or question?
It is not a morbid exercise – rather, it
creates distance and clarity.
When people review what that
imagined narrative might contain,
certain questions emerge:
Do those closest to you really
AVERIL LEIMON
is co-founder
at White Water Group
understand what you have done
with your life?
Have you shared what maers most
to you?
Are there passions or interests that
remain invisible?
What feels missing from the story?
And importantly, do you still have
time to shape it?
For many of our clients, particularly
those transitioning from highpowered roles into the next phase of
life, this reflection becomes pivotal.
By examining the story so far, they
are able to celebrate achievements,
recognise enduring values and
strengths, and begin to design the next
chapter with intention.
The question shis from ‘What have
I done so far?’ to ‘What do I want the
rest of my story to be?’
If this resonates, you might begin by
mapping your own narrative in simple
terms. Draw a line representing your
life or career, marking the highs and
lows along the way. No two people will
draw the same line.
Then interrogate it:
What made the high points
meaningful?
What caused the dips?
When one door closed, how long did
it take for another to open?
How did you feel at each stage?
What sustained you during the
more difficult periods?
Paerns will begin to emerge – about
resilience, motivation, relationships
and choice. Within those paerns lies
something powerful: the ability to
move from being a passive subject of
your story to an active author of what
comes next. Because, in the end, the
story of you is still being wrien. ●
