Year End Reflections to Start 2021 as the CEO of Your Life

December 9, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Coaching de vie, Leadership/by Melissa Dawn

2020… What a year! Some of us have really struggled with the upheaval and challenges. Others have found joy and growth through being forced out of comfort zones (or discovering new, more meaningful ones). Still more of us have probably had a mix of the two, with good doses of fear and anxiety thrown in. One thing is for sure: life looks a lot different today than it did a year ago.

For many years I’ve committed to sending off the old year with deep reflections on what I’ve accomplished and what can improve, and welcoming the new year with intention. This year, I feel that practice is more important than ever. It matters that we recognize the ways we’ve thrived through difficulty, that we fully accept where we need to grow, and that we create things to look forward to.

One thing the craziness of 2020 has given us is the opportunity to not just “go back to normal”, but to create new normals for ourselves and our loved ones. What better time to get really intentional about that than a new year?

No matter what 2021 brings your way, you have the choice to show up for it as the CEO of your life. Taking the time to really reflect back and imagine forward will help you get on that track.

Below are the 6 questions I ask myself every December, along with my answers for this year. I hope these inspire you to ask yourself these (or similar) powerful questions and to be completely open, vulnerable and courageous with yourself in how you answer them.

Q: What do you not want to bring forward in 2021?

Emotional blockages. Emotions can become like a blocked faucet. If we don’t clear out the blockages, we can’t expect the water to run smoothly, and sometimes it ends up spraying in all different directions, making a big soggy mess.

It’s the same with our emotional well being. If we bottle up negative feelings, turn away from them, try to ignore them instead of confronting them… We get blocked. Our emotions don’t flow freely and smoothly, bringing their messages then moving on. Instead, we get overwhelmed, burnt out, and those difficult feelings we keep shoving down end up spraying out into other areas of our lives.

I’ve experienced a few blockages this year that I’ve worked hard to clear. Difficult feelings are part of life and part of our wholeness. They don’t have to cause blockages. This year, I commit to using mindfulness techniques to continually bring myself into the present, noticing what’s coming up for me, without judgment, so that I can confront it, move through it, grow from it, let it go, whatever I need to do to keep that faucet running.

If you’ve been struggling with emotional blockages, one technique I find really powerful is a fire ceremony to literally burn those emotions as a way of working through them. If you’re looking for something unique to do this New Year’s eve without leaving the house, a fire ceremony might be the perfect new tradition :)

Q: What lessons did you learn?

To create from everything. From chaos, from disappointment, even from nothing. Seeing people come up with all kinds of unique ways to connect with each other, discovering new hobbies, reimagining their business models, helping each other succeed… It has inspired me in countless ways.

In my own life, I’ve had to get creative and flexible in how I connect with clients and run my business. At home, I’ve been dealing with stalled kitchen renovations that have us washing dishes in our bathtub. Life is different in so many ways and it has taught me that I really can create from anything, if I’m intentional about it and conscious about aligning with my values and purpose.

I’ve also started learning about oneness and grounding techniques – the deep impact of purposefully reconnecting with the Earth and the Universe in times of chaos. When the world around me seems to be spinning out of control, practicing grounding literally brings me “down to earth” in a way that calms me from the inside out.

Finally, I’ve learned that the more I accept what is, the more things can change. For example, if your partner is messy and you’re always complaining about the mess, chances are small that they’ll change their habits. But, if you accept their messiness – fully and without judgement – the energy of that acceptance can be powerful enough to allow them to change their habits on their own. The tricky part is completely letting go of the outcome. Maybe they will change, maybe they won’t. That’s not in your control. What will change and what is in your control is how you use your energy.

Full acceptance of ‘what is’ gives us back all that energy we waste on things we really can’t control. That’s when change happens.

Q: What were you most proud of and grateful for this year?

Getting certified as a Conscious Business Coach and completing half of the Co-Active Coaching Leadership Program (the second half has been delayed by Covid, but that will give me more time to fully reflect on what I’ve learned and experienced so far).

I have learned so much through these trainings, primarily in terms of self-acceptance and what it really means to accept ALL parts of myself – the good, the bad, the messy…

I’ve also developed my self-authority, which I’m discovering is powerfully fueled by radical self-acceptance. I’m stepping into myself, my uniqueness, and my woo woo more and more.

Q: What do you need to forgive yourself or others for?

I need to forgive myself for all the times I wasn’t at my best during this pandemic. There is no guidebook for this kind of thing and we’ve all had to find our own ways through. There were times when I gave in to discouragement and sadness. But all of that is simply human and it’s important to forgive, accept, and celebrate the humanness of ourselves.

In a similar vein, I need to forgive others for simply being themselves. Let’s face it, people being true to themselves might trigger us. And that’s okay. Honour the human in them and in you. See their gifts, their needs, challenges, objectives… accept that there are things you simply can’t see or know. As for what they triggered in you, see it as a roadmap for what you need to heal – a gift of growth.

Q: What are your intentions for 2021?

To own my woo woo, fully. I am currently studying and by next summer will add Energy Medicine Practitioner and Health Coach to my toolkit.

This is a part of myself I’ve hesitated to bring forward in the past. I know there are a lot of conflicting opinions out there. But it’s part of who I am and stepping into my wholeness with courage and vulnerability means bringing all of me forward.

Fully embracing and growing this part of me will really create an even more holistic approach to my coaching as I will be able to work at all levels: emotional, physical, mental and spiritual.

Q: What word will be your 2021 theme?

Oneness.

Dr. Alberto Villoldo is a medical anthropologist who studied healing practices in the Amazon with the Andean shamans. He said, “Until you glimpse non-ordinary, invisible reality, your brain will remain biased toward doubting ‘what’s out there.’ But, when you experience Oneness, the sense of separation dissolves, as you perceive yourself to be an inextricable part of the larger whole.”

My theme word this year is intended to remind myself to lean into the Divine through meditation, grounding, and trusting that the Universe has our backs and what is meant to be will be. The more I lean into this, the more at peace I feel within, the more alert I feel to the possibilities outside, and the more confident I feel in helping others uncover their own paths and step into their wholeness. I’m excited to discover what a year of oneness will bring.

Are you ready to become the CEO of your life in 2021?

Connect with me ;-)

Wishing you joy-filled holidays!!

How to Set Healthy Boundaries in Difficult (and all) Times

November 16, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Business Coaching, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Leadership, Life Coaching, Uncategorized/by Melissa Dawn

Boundaries are always important. Especially now. With many people now working from home, many clients have told me they need their own space. I’ve seen everything from meetings in closets, to spaces within spaces, to reimagined furniture. These physical and visual boundaries are great, AND can be helped along by healthy personal boundaries.

What are Healthy Boundaries?

“Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.”
~Prentis Hemphill

When you feel safe and free within a space, that’s when you know you have healthy personal boundaries. This is true in a physical space, but what I’m talking about here are emotional, mental and spiritual spaces.

Whenever we feel that our personal “space” – our inner wellbeing – is threatened, crowded, jumbled up, or otherwise not secure, that’s an indicator that we don’t have healthy boundaries in place. This can feel like you’re doing everything to please others, or just to “stay afloat”, like your life force is being sucked out, or like you’re just functioning in survival mode.

The pandemic has shifted so many of our “walls” – our physical spaces, interactions with others, the role of media in our lives, even how we prepare to leave the house – meaning we have to tap into our flexibility to reimagine what healthy boundaries look like for us, then put them into practice.

Boundaries & Fear

Many people are afraid to set boundaries that empower self-love. We’re afraid of rejection or upsetting someone. Afraid of love or affection being withdrawn. Afraid of getting fired. Afraid of being criticized, called selfish or accused of being a bad parent, spouse, friend or child. We fear the loss of whatever carrot is dangled in front of us.

It took me a long time to realize this.

Let me tell you, when you live your life afraid to set boundaries, people just seep right in there with all their ideas, opinions and demands… and it is quite hard to change.

So, if that is where you are starting from, you are not alone. If you’ve set boundaries before, but find they aren’t serving you in your new normal, you aren’t alone in that either.

Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

If you truly want to end the draining, people pleasing cycle, you need boundaries. You have to put walls up against situations and people that cause you to feel less than whole.

In some cases, those walls will build stronger, more vibrant relationships with deeper connection through understanding. In other cases, those walls will be protective, keeping toxic people or situations at bay.

And let’s be clear: Protecting yourself is not selfish! It’s a vital form of self-care.

My Journey

As a child, I was stopped and reprimanded whenever I tried to explore or question, so that I essentially had no voice.

Because I was not allowed to explore, not taught to say NO when I was uncomfortable, always expected to respect adults unconditionally, I never developed self-confidence.

Instead, I grew up believing that my thoughts and feelings were wrong, and that it was up to authority figures to tell me what to think, feel and do.

Not having this confidence created many issues in my life.

My experience was at the extreme (though sadly not uncommon) end of what can happen when a child is denied the right to set boundaries. I didn’t know to speak up when something wasn’t right and the wrong people took advantage of that. I later learned that people who mistreated me went on to do this to others as well, never facing the consequences for what they had done.

There are many ways we can end up abused or taken advantage of when we are not empowered to set our own boundaries – when we are taught that pleasing others matters more than respecting ourselves.

Learning to set boundaries as an adult, I learned that healthy boundaries aren’t just about protecting ourselves from the bad, but also about creating the good things we want. As they guide us away from what isn’t right for us, they guide us towards the relationships, opportunities and pursuits that fuel us from the inside, creating a domino effect within our lives and those of the people around us.

How to Set and Maintain Healthy Boundaries

Like I said, setting boundaries is easier said than done. Especially if the people around you are resistant and/or dealing with their own struggles. Remember to put your own oxygen mask on first. If you’re holding others up without caring for yourself, you aren’t being strong. You’re being used. Eventually, you’ll get used up and that’s when burnout sets in.

Here are 12 tips and best practices to strengthen yourself within through holding up your boundaries:

1. Identify where you need to set or adapt boundaries.

If boundaries are the distance at which you can love yourself and the other person simultaneously, where is this missing for you? For this exercise, let’s use the word “love” not in a romantic sense, but a human one – that point at which you can fully love and accept the humanness of yourself, and fully acknowledge and respect the humanness of the other person.

2. Accept the reality of the situation.

You may think, “If I just change this or that, if I just do a little more, if I just do this one thing…” Or you might think, “If they just change this or that …”

In a healthy relationship – personal or professional – no one should have to compromise their values, overextend themselves, put up a false front, or employ any other inauthentic tactic to make things work. That isn’t love, acceptance, or respect. Accept what is and what isn’t.

3. Let go of what they can’t give you.

You could spend your whole life trying to get approval and acceptance from others and never get it. Trust me, I did this a lot. I depleted myself again and again to keep the peace or to gain love. It only ever ended in me burning out.

Whatever you fear losing – that person or their love – face it. Burn those limiting feelings if you have to. Just let it go.

4. Prepare for resistance.

Change can be difficult. The person you’re setting boundaries with may resist the change at first. Prepare yourself to handle this with compassion, but also with confidence and consistency in holding the boundaries you need.

With toxic people, they will likely react negatively. Your boundaries prevent them from continuing on as they want to. That is not your wound to heal.

Remember our definition of boundaries. No part of that says that the other person has to love you. That’s not something you can control. Find the place where you can love yourself and see the humanity of the other person, then stand firm in that place. Where they choose to stand is outside your circle of control and responsibility.

5. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this.

When someone reacts poorly to our boundaries, we’re often tempted to revert back to pre-boundary terms. This is normal. Remind yourself why you started this journey, and that you cannot change others, only yourself. Talk it through with your support person. You need to stick with your new boundaries and having people to support you is essential.

6. Stay alert to red flags.

The person you’re setting boundaries with might try to guilt trip you, call you selfish or inconsiderate, play themselves as victims, gaslight you… They know how to make you feel guilty and how to break down your confidence. They will play on that to try to maintain the status quo.

Be aware of these tactics, stay alert to them, and don’t engage with them.

7. Be conscious of levels of awareness.

When you choose to be intentional about setting healthy boundaries, you’re choosing to act from your highest level of awareness. The person you’re setting boundaries with may be operating from a lower level. In showing up at a higher level, they may be inspired to bring themselves up as well. Or not. It isn’t your responsibility (or within your power) to bring them up. Be open to them rising, but stay firm in not getting pulled down.

8. Always remember that if you want something different, you need to do something different.

Whether setting boundaries is new for you, or you’re adapting boundaries to work in your new reality, changing the way you show up is how you create change in your life. Healthy, intentional, conscious boundaries are one of the most important parts of putting self-acceptance into action; of truly becoming the CEO of your life.

9. If you are a parent, healthy boundaries matter x2.

Setting healthy boundaries with others sets a solid example for your children. Setting healthy boundaries with your children teaches them that boundaries are part of love, not a limit to love. This means also respecting your child’s boundaries. As parents, we can do this by aiming to be their guide, not their dictator. Let them explore, discover and build a solid sense of self. Let them say no. Let them make choices. Show them that boundaries are meant to be respected in a loving relationship by respecting theirs. Of course we can’t let them play in traffic, never take a bath, or forego school, but there are so many boundaries we can respect.

10. Start small.

Some people are so eager for change that they start setting all their boundaries at once and the situation gets crazy. From my experience, both personally and in working with coachees, I recommend setting (or adapting) 1-2 boundaries at a time, before gradually adding more. Give the other person time to swallow and adjust, and yourself the time and clarity to be really intentional in holding your boundaries respectfully.

Yes, it can suck not to do it all at once, and that is the cost of not having set them sooner. Moving forward, remember that this is why it’s so important to have authentic conversations when situations arise. Doing so naturally builds healthy boundaries into the relationship so that there isn’t a jarring or burnout situation down the road.

11. Be mindful of your words.

The way you say it is really important in establishing boundaries. If you are lashing out, for sure that will get a negative reaction. Speak from a heart of peace, not a heart of war (taken from the book, The Anatomy of Peace).

Choose to see the humanity on the other side – a person with needs, wants, fears, desires and struggles just like you. Get curious about what is going on with them. Even if you are “at war”, you can show up with compassion. When you do so, others are more likely to treat you the same way, increasing the likelihood of peace.

12. Know the difference between compassion and capitulation.

Having compassion for someone else’s discomfort is not the same as giving in. Here’s an example of the difference when someone resists your boundaries:

Capitulation: “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Maybe we can find a compromise.”

Compassion: “This is hard. I can see you’re upset and I get it. Change can be difficult. This boundary is important for me and I need to stand firm.”

See the difference? Healthy boundaries – the ones we need in order to love ourselves fully – cannot be up for negotiation. Your happiness can’t depend on anyone else’s choices, just as someone else’s happiness can’t depend on yours. Compassion is acknowledging and accepting another person’s discomfort, not taking responsibility for it.

Let’s face it. If setting healthy boundaries were easy, we wouldn’t be facing the burnout epidemic that was rising long before we’d ever heard of Covid. It’s hard, and many of us simply weren’t raised to have confidence in our own inner experience. This isn’t necessarily a failing of previous generations, but an evolution in our understanding of what children need to become healthy adults.

As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better::, do better.”

Be the person today that your child-self needed. Be that person for yourself and for those around you. This is how we create better lives for ourselves that ripple out into a better world. With the pandemic, we have the choice not to “go back to normal” but instead to create an even better normal. So now that we know better for ourselves, let’s do better for ourselves.

If you need help getting clear on your boundaries and putting them in place – either personally or professionally – please connect with me. Let’s make this happen.

Additional resource: 10 Tips for Setting Healthy Boundaries

How to Create Calm and Connection in a Time of Disconnection

October 27, 2020/in Blog, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Leadership, Life Coaching, Uncategorized/by Melissa Dawn

Adaptation. It seems to be the name of the game these days. With so many moving parts, continuous change, and a constant stream of unsettling headlines, not to mention the daily ins and outs of managing life during these times… you’ve no doubt felt the impact either physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually or all of the above.

I know I’ve felt overwhelmed in many moments, and have found myself continuously needing to adapt, again and again. From the ups and downs of my son’s new school norms, to adapting my business and clients to the new reality, to embarking on much needed home renovations all at the same time… It’s been a lot. On the flip side of that, I also know that for many people it’s the endless days of “sameness”, without the usual activities, social engagements and changes of scenery that has led to a sense of overwhelm.

The Value of a Morning Routine

Even before Covid, my morning routine was sacred, and it’s something I always advise clients to create for themselves. Just as a cell phone needs to be charged up at the start of the day, we also do better when we begin our day fully charged.

By prioritising this “charging up” time before emails, social media, text messages, the day’s headlines or even the weather report, we are practicing intentionality – choosing, before anything else is able to influence us, how we will show up and respond throughout the day.

My morning routine consists of meditations, visualization, stretching, journaling and reading, and involves me waking up at 5 AM. It’s a highly personalized practice that I’ve built and tweaked over several years. When I coach clients, I don’t simply give them the routine that works for me. Instead, I advise them to start with at least 5 minutes of fueling themselves every morning in a way that makes sense for them, and it’s a good way for you to start as well.

Those 5 minutes are for you and you alone. Whether it’s 5 minutes of standing outside or at an open window, 5 minutes of music you love, 5 minutes of reading your favourite quotes, 5 minutes of meditation, 5 minutes of running as fast as you can… make it YOU.

Over time, start increasing the amount of time you spend fueling yourself, and seeing what genuinely fuels you.

Staying Calm During the Chaos of COVID

Once COVID set in and our new (but temporary) conditions persisted, I found that my carefully and self-lovingly cultivated morning routine was not enough to calm my overwhelm. I needed more to fuel myself and to be able to support my clients and those around me.

I started also doing 1-2 minute stretching exercises during the day. I would put my feet on my chair and lay my back on the floor. Try it. It’s amazing what this pose can do in between Zoom calls!

I would also take a few moments during the day to sit on my meditation pillow, close my eyes, put my hands over my heart and take some deep breaths. I also worked to continuously create from what was happening.

All of this helped… but it wasn’t enough.

The overwhelm, anxiety and fatigue kept coming up. I had taken on too much. True, I was saying no to a lot of things and trying to be conscious of my decision making, but there was always something unexpected and outside my control to throw me off.

All of my appliances broke down over the summer. My washing machine spun out of control, smashed into a wall and burst open due to a manufacturers defect. The Ikea kitchen I had ordered was delayed by two weeks, which they only told me about AFTER gutting my existing kitchen… it just seemed to go on and on.

Getting Help

I turned to my guide. Yes, even coaches seek coaching and healing in times of disconnection. After all, how can we coach and heal others unless we are continuously working on becoming the best version of ourselves?

My guide told me, “Melissa, you mastered meditation and tuning into the higher levels of your being. Now you need to master tuning in from the lower levels. You need to connect to Mother Earth more from your root chakra. Your default programming is that you need to do everything on your own, that you can’t depend on anyone. You are taking on too much, not connecting to the earth and not allowing the Universe to support you.” She is one wise sacred woman.

Trusting the invisible

It’s true that I’ve never felt that I could fully lean on someone without being disappointed. And it’s true that this is part of programming, going way back to how I was raised. It’s why I feel the need to not only do things on my own, but to get it “perfect.”

It is an exhausting pattern and not an easy one to change. It takes continual work and support. Asking for help was a step in the right direction, and it pointed me to the next step I needed to take (isn’t it wonderful how when we do the thing we feel in our heart is right for us, that it so naturally brings us to the next right thing?). I needed to truly trust the Universe to support me. That meant getting out of my mind and trusting the invisible.

Needs of Safety and Security

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the lower levels – the most basic needs of the human being – are physiological and safety needs. If these needs are not met, you can’t reach up to those deeper needs of love, esteem and self-actualization.

There’s a common misconception that once you get those bottom levels sorted out, it’s “all uphill from there” and that isn’t always the case. Life and circumstances are constantly changing, which means shifts can be experienced at all levels of our needs. It’s completely normal, especially in times of chaos and uncertainty, to need to go back to those basic needs. In fact, anytime you experience a sense of overwhelm or turmoil, it can help to look back at those needs, especially that of safety and a feeling of being secure, to see what you need to connect with and strengthen.

For me, it was a sense of disconnection from the earth and the Universe that was at the root of my overwhelm. I was feeling unsupported.

Grounding

My guide’s advice to me was, “Sit down on the earth, your perineum to the ground, for at least 10 minutes a day, weather permitting. Mother Earth is a generator. When your circuitry isn’t plugged into the earth you are not recharging it.”

This is a practice called grounding. According to healthine “Grounding or earthing is a therapeutic technique that focuses on realigning your electrical energy by reconnecting to the earth.”

People practice grounding in different ways. My guide’s advice to me was a particular strategy involving the root chakra, but grounding can also be practiced by simply walking barefoot on the earth, or laying down in the grass with your arms, legs and head in direct contact with the earth. Theories about how it works range from the electrical energy in the earth, to simply the mindfulness of being in direct physical contact with nature.

Oneness

I started following my guide’s advice and felt such a difference. I started to feel a stronger connection with earth. Practicing it daily has helped me trust more, feel more supported, and feel less overwhelmed. I have literally felt more secure in my attachment to the earth.

Grounding helps us connect to the invisible and to feel a sense of Oneness – a feeling of being connected to everything and, therefore, disconnected from nothing.

If we only work at the level of the mind, we start to lose our mind. We need to trust and lean into the mythic. As Dr. Villodo says, we always need to keep one foot in the physical world and one foot in the spiritual world. To me, this means leaving no stone unturned at a physical and mental level, leaning into the divine, and trusting that my efforts will bear fruit.

Once I got this, I realized that more than half of my clients were going through similar situations, and that it was showing up in their personal and professional lives. I shared my learnings with them and started receiving pictures of them grounding in all kinds of different ways and sceneries. What a powerful way to create connection during such a disconnected time!

Reflections and Moving Forward

My new motto is, “Get your ass sitting on the grass.” This is what’s working for me today. I know I’ll have to modify my practice as the weather changes, but I also know that I’m strengthening my core self right now, which will help me continue to adapt and thrive through whatever the future brings.

As Fred Kofman, leadership development advisor for Google and founder of the Conscious Business Center International, says, “Instead of saying “Oh shit, why is this happening to me?” Try, “Oh fertilizer! How can this make me grow?”

For me, the fertilizer in all of this chaos, and all the ups and downs, was learning how to stay calm during a continuous, seemingly unending storm.

Let’s face it. It’s easy to stay calm when meditating in nature. It’s easy to stay calm when the world around is calm. For some, it can even be easy to stay calm in chaos, so long as you can see the way through. But, how do you bring that calm into the daily chaos, uncertainty and disconnection of life today?

For me, the answer is grounding, feeling Oneness, practicing an energizing morning routine, and healthy eating that nourishes and fuels me. This is how I hold myself in a state of connection and security, empowering me to continually work towards greater self-actualization, always creating from what’s happening around me.

Everyone’s path to connection is unique to them, but there are frameworks that can be used by anyone to create that unique path. These are things like a good morning routine, healthy habits that work for your lifestyle, and mindfulness practices that align with the energy you want to create.

If you need guidance on how to connect with the best parts of you – despite what’s happening around you, and even using what’s happening around you – please connect with me.

How Authentic Are Your Business Conversations?

September 25, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Business Coaching, Career Coaching, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Heart Based Business Coaching, Human Resources, Leadership, Talent Management, Uncategorized/by Melissa Dawn

Something I hear over and over again from different clients is that they keep leaving business conversations without having said what they really wanted to say, without getting the answers they needed to move forward, and without getting commitments to put things into action.

This is a struggle I know well – not just because a huge part of coaching focuses on having better conversations, but because I lived that struggle for many years myself.

So… why do so many of us struggle to get anything meaningful out of conversations?

I’ve worked with people all over the world, and this struggle seems to transcend culture. Across the globe, people are afraid to speak what is on their mind. They are afraid to have authentic business conversations either because they fear the other person’s reaction or opinion, fear being rejected or their ideas not being important, or they fear the other person’s position and how they might handle the information.

The bottom line is fear. And let me tell you, fear is a powerful feeling.

But, let me ask you… how authentic are your business conversations? How much do you leave unsaid? How is that serving you?

The Co-Active Training Institute says, “A leader is one who is responsible for their world.”

As someone who is responsible for their world, you have it within your control to change the course of your conversations. You have the capability to enter conversations with authenticity and leave them feeling more fulfilled.

How can you do that? It’s all in how you choose to show up.

Here are 14 ways you can optimize how you show up in order to create authentic business conversations that genuinely move things forward:

1. Take control of your mindset and attitude going into the conversation.

You feel like every conversation you have goes the same way. So why assume the next one will be any different? Well, one thing that absolutely can be different is the mindset and attitude you adopt going in.

Connect with your higher self, the Universe, your purpose before going into the conversation. Connect with your values.

Set the intention to speak from your heart and with the utmost respect.

Look for the connection point and latch onto that. Even if there is just 1% you like or respect in the other person, focus on that 1%. What you focus on, expands. It’s where growth happens.

Don’t go in as a tyrant. Make a commitment, here and now, to abandon the “I am right, you are wrong” mindset. Go in with curiosity, treating the other person as naturally creative, resourceful and whole, with the mindset that perhaps they can contribute to the situation something that you can’t.

Attitude is everything. You are responsible for the energy you bring into the conversation. Don’t be toxic or attempt to make someone feel powerless or in the wrong. Go into it with the intention to resolve, not win.

2. Own your part of it.

As Fred Kofman, PhD, Google’s leadership development advisor, and author of the book Conscious Business says, “Our goal is to explore each other’s reasoning, to understand why we think what we think. We need to assume that we have contributed to the current situation and explore our role in it.”

Yes, it might be hard to admit, and you might not see it right away, but you have contributed to the situation in some way. The sooner you are ready to see and accept that, the sooner you can open up a new way of looking at the situation and new possibilities can emerge.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility. Blame lives in the past. Responsibility strives to move forward.

3. Know your BATNA.

“How do I feel about this? What is important to me? In a perfect world, what would my ideal end result look like? What am I willing to settle for?”

This is your BATNA, or Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement.

Get clear on your best alternative before going in. By knowing your BATNA beforehand, you are able to go in with clarity on what you will or will not agree to.

When we leave a conversation feeling that nothing was accomplished or that we compromised on something we shouldn’t have, it’s usually because we lacked this clarity.

When you are confident in your BATNA in advance, you know where you need to stand firm and are free to be flexible in other areas.

4. Explore the other side; be curious!

Truly listen. Summarize what was said. Acknowledge their concerns. Confirm and validate them. Show empathy and convey that you care.

Always talk from your heart. “I hear you… I respect you… your demands are reasonable… here is what is happening and what is possible at this moment… “

Above all, stay curious. When someone speaks, assume you have no idea what they’re about to say (instead of assuming you know exactly what they’ll say, which so many do out of habit) and truly listen.

5. Practice “level 3 listening”.

Listening is more than just hearing words. It’s about building connection.

Level 1 listening is extremely common. This is where we’re maybe hearing the words of the other person, but our main focus is on our own opinions, judgements, what we’ll say next and so on.

At level 2, we turn our focus onto the other person more fully, hearing not just their words, but also noticing their body language, tone of voice, energy, direction of their gaze, everything.

At level 3, we’re still tuned into all the level 2 listening cues, but we now add in our intuition and mirror back what we’re seeing, hearing and intuiting. All without judgement or investment in the outcome – purely from a curiosity mindset. That may sound something like this: “I hear your concerns and I see where you’re coming from. I feel like you’re holding back something you want to say. What’s up?”

It’s a really strong skill that helps people open up and be themselves. Even if they aren’t ready to open up, having you show up in that way helps them feel seen and truly heard, which is where true connection is formed and progress can begin.

6. Ask powerful questions to start excavating.

Imagine yourself as a conversational archeologist. You want to uncover what’s way beneath the surface but to do that, you have to gently start clearing away what’s at the surface. You can do this by asking open questions that really get people thinking.

You might try questions like, “What is most important to you? What does that look like to you? If you could have any role, what would that be?”

Ask questions to get the person thinking about what is going on and what they want to create, not to just repeat stories they can tell to anyone. Amazing things can surface in this way.

7. Do your part and initiate the authenticity.

Whether the other person is being authentic or not, choose to take responsibility for your part and be authentic. It’s very common that we tend to move ourselves to the level of the person we’re interacting with. Instead of being the one doing the moving, harness that phenomenon by being the one to set the tone of authenticity. This keeps you at your highest level and gives the other person the opening to rise to your level. Whether or not they take that opening is up to them.

Committing to the level of authenticity brings good karma as you are treating people the way you would like to be treated. It isn’t easy to be authentic, but what is the cost of not being authentic? If we don’t speak our truth, we stay in the same place. Don’t let that be an option.

Either the person or the issue is important to you. Do your part by speaking up.

Remember, leaders have opinions. Bring energy to your point and don’t let it get shut down. Yes, in previous tips I’ve encouraged you to acknowledge and accept the other person’s point of view. But acceptance is not acquiescence! It’s respecting the diversity of perspectives and experiences, and being open to alternative points of view. It does not mean compromising your values.

You can impact the energy in a conversation. Choose to be a leader in the conversation rather than a victim.

8. Be mindful of the words you say (and don’t say).

Speak from your point of view using open ended phrases. For example, try “The way I see it… The way I feel…” and so on vs. “We should do this… This is how it is going to be…” You want to co-create, not dictate.

Avoid attacking, blaming or taking a superior tone. Treat others as equal co-creators and believe that they truly can be equal co-creators.

Avoid phrases like, “You did this,” or “You should… ”. These phrases are loaded with judgment – intended or not – and tend to put people on the defensive.

Instead, try phrases like, “I would like…”, “It would help if…” or “I feel we would both benefit from…”

Don’t punish by withdrawing if you don’t get what you want. Remember that this is about resolving the problem to everyone’s benefit. Stay open. Keep asking, “What else is possible?” Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. It might be uncomfortable speaking authentically, but better to be uncomfortable than to hold in anger and resentment, which will only spill over into other areas of your life. As Brene Brown, American professor, lecturer, author and podcast host says, “Discomfort over resentment.”

9. Bring out the left-hand column.

What’s the left-hand column? The LHC (or left-hand column) refers to everything going on in your head during a conversation that you choose NOT to share.

We hold back our LHC either because it’s toxic, (“Is this person crazy? Are they smoking something?”), or it could be gratitude and admiration you hold back because it’s uncomfortable, or maybe you don’t feel comfortable sharing your unique thoughts out of fear (“What will people think? What if I upset someone?”).

Try this:

Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle of it.
In the right-hand column, write out a conversation you recently had with someone.
In the left-hand column, write out what you wanted to say at each step of the conversation, but you did not say, or what you were thinking or feeling during the conversation, but kept to yourself.

When we do this exercise, that LHC often comes out a lot longer than the right hand column. In an authentic conversation, however, that LHC would significantly decrease.

If you have a lengthy LHC, chances are high the other person does too. Start being open about yours in a professional way and chances are you will open up the space for the other person to be upfront about theirs as well. So much more is possible from this place!

Going into a meeting, be aware of what might be on your LHC ahead of time and set the intention to try to bring as much of that forward as possible. How would sharing your LHC impact the conversation, your relationship, or how you feel in the conversation? What is the impact of not sharing it?

There are facts, feelings, expectations and assumptions we each have that the other person might not be aware of, which will contribute to a better conversation.

Acknowledge the LHC. Make room for it at the table, whether it’s in a one-on-one conversation, with your team, or even your family.

Of course, some things should stay on the LHC. I’ve yet to ask someone, mid-conversation, “Are you smoking something??” And I think I’ll keep it that way ;)

10. Choose how you will respond.

If you get triggered, notice where you are triggered. It’s an indication of what you need to heal and not necessarily connected to the moment. This is where respond vs. react comes into play. When we aren’t fully aware of our triggers and their source, we’re more likely to react when something comes up. When we have that awareness, we’re able to interact responsively, rather than reactively.

Be alert to what makes you shut down and what makes you open up so that you can be intentional in choosing how you will respond.

11. Align around a common purpose.

“Are our values aligned? Is there a common purpose? Is there a mutually beneficial agreement?”

A common purpose gives people something to continually work towards, together. It can also move conversations away from battleground-style conditions and towards an “us together” mindset where co-creation is possible.

Keep aligning on what you can agree on and grow from there.

12. Check in on how others are feeling during the conversation.

It’s important to acknowledge others’ feelings as it helps you have more authentic conversations and assures the people you’re connecting with that they are a valued part of this interaction.

Ask questions like: “How do you feel about what I said? What comes up when I say that? How do you see things? Have I addressed your concerns?”

13. Keep in mind where your responsibility ends and someone else’s begins.

There really is so much within our control and a great deal of responsibility that we can take on in a progressive way. However, it’s equally important to be aware of those boundaries where your responsibility ends and someone else’s begins. That’s as much about caring for yourself as it is about respecting another person’s areas of self-authority, regardless of what they choose to do with them.

For instance, if someone is dead set on getting a deliverable from you, but delivering on that date would mean compromising a higher priority item, say something like: “If I don’t get this high priority item out, what will I say during my presentation to the team? I will have nothing to report and our schedule will be off track.”

Put yourself in their shoes and understand their concern (remember, acceptance and acknowledgement are not acquiescence). Remind them of the priorities of the organization as a whole and where you have to put your efforts and priorities to align with those of the organization. As for their deadlines, have compassion for them and encourage them to have authentic conversations with their teams as to why certain things can’t be met at certain deadlines and what is possible instead.

For many of us, maintaining these clear boundaries can bring feelings of guilt. That’s a trigger that needs your inward exploration, not your external capitulation. When you make decisions that align with organizational priorities, personal values, a common purpose, etc., someone may feel let down in the moment, but that feeling is theirs to explore. Ultimately, you have done the opposite of let anyone down. You’ve embraced the discomfort necessary to continually move in the right direction. That’s leadership.

14. Don’t leave the conversation without moving forward.

Try not to let a conversation end until:

You have fully expressed your thoughts;
You’ve gained needed clarity on a situation;
Your questions have been answered, or commitments (with a set date) have been made to follow up with answers;
Or next steps have been determined.

Never leave a conversation without feeling it has moved forward in some way. If there is a time constraint, set a firm date and time for when you’ll pick the conversation up again.

When you are not authentic, people feel it, instinctively. And it backfires. When you are being you, you shine. You are happier and freer. You are also more productive, most likely because it’s exhausting trying to keep up being someone that is not authentically you. When you choose to sit in discomfort rather than leave things to fester, you are actively doing the hard work of leadership. When you take down the walls, the LHCs, you become energized. People around you feel more comfortable and inspired to do the same.

Just imagine what a company full of authentic, engaged, openly communicating employees can achieve!

Authenticity always brings more authenticity and can shift any situation or conversation. Choose to set that tone.

If you need some coaching around having better conversations at work or in your personal life to help move you forward, connect with me.

How to Refresh the Energy of Your Space

August 14, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Leadership, Life Coaching/by Melissa Dawn

Tell me… have you ever felt like the energy in your space needed a refresh?

Maybe it’s your home, workplace, a community gathering place, or even a single room.

Sometimes the energy just feels stagnant. Even when you work really hard at being intentional in your impact and bringing the best of yourself forward, you still feel it in your mind, body and spirit… something isn’t right!

You may notice this stagnant energy in yourself or the people around you (or both) and it definitely seems to be connected to a particular space.

What if I told you that the energy in a physical space really can become stagnant, and that there is a way to clear out that stale energy while calling in fresh, positive energy that infuses the space – and the people who move within it – with a renewed sense of possibility?

What is smudging?

Smudging is the practice of burning organic elements to cleanse the energy of a space, opening it up to the positive elements we want to draw in.

Smudging is practiced across different cultures and traditions around the world and throughout human history. The general idea is that the smoke acts to cleanse the negative or stagnant energies of a space, while the person performing the ritual invites positive energies into the newly cleared environment.

However, there’s more to the ritual than just burning a bunch of leaves. From start to finish – from the moment you begin gathering materials, to the moment you’re putting them away – each step is meaningful and meant to be carried out with deep intention.

Why smudge?

Smudging is like bringing a new beginning into a space. As you go, you visualize anything negative or stagnant being chased out of every little pocket of the room, opening the space up for good things to come in.

Smudging can be done:

Whenever you feel a space needs to be refreshed
When you move into a new home or office space
As a seasonal ritual to clear out the old and welcome in the new
When you notice a lag in energy within a space
When you’ve had a recent change or upheaval such as a break up, a job change, an argument with a loved one, a setback at work and so on

In fact, with the ongoing pandemic, you may find that energy is becoming stagnant in your home, office or both on a regular basis!

There are many reasons to smudge. Some people even do it during or after an illness. Much like opening a window to refresh the air, smudging opens an energetic window to refresh the energy. Depending on the organic materials you use, there can be many additional benefits beyond energy. Sage, for example, is a commonly used smudging herb and has been shown to reduce bacteria in the air, reduce stress and anxiety, help you better connect with your intuition and even repel bugs. My personal favourite is palo santo sticks. The scent is light and fresh and is believed to promote creativity while calming the nervous system, making it ideal in many areas of life, especially in workspaces.

Smudging may be totally your thing, or you may be thinking… “You want me to do what?”

If you’re in the latter group, that’s ok. Some things will work for us, others won’t and it’s part of our journey to discover how we best navigate the world. I will ask you to open your mind for a moment though and just consider the possibilities. After all, if you want something different in life, it starts with doing something different ;)

How to Perform a Smudging Ceremony

What you’ll need:

What do you need for a smudging Ceremony?

Palo santo sticks, bundled cedar clippings, bundled dried sage, or other bundled herbs (all nature is considered sacred and different herbs and plants can be used for smudging – there’s a great list here of the meaning, benefits and purpose behind different smudging materials)
Candle with safe and stable holder
Matches or lighter
Ceramic bowl or other heat proof container filled with sand (for extinguishing the herbs or stick)
Fireproof dish such as a shell (abalone shells are a traditional choice) or small clay pot or bowl (you’ll use this to hold under your burning herbs or sticks to catch any falling ashes)

Your materials should be stored together respectfully and only used for smudging ceremonies. For example, you should ideally have a pack of matches and a candle that are just for smudging.

Getting started:

How to perform a smudging ceremony?

Prepare yourself and your environment. Make sure there are no distractions and that you’ve set aside enough time to perform the ritual fully, without rushing. Prepare yourself through meditation, deep breathing, or playing calming music. Think about your intention for the ceremony and try to clear everything else out of your mind.
Take your time to gather and set out your materials, beginning at the main entrance of the room or building. If you’re smudging a whole building or multi-leveled unit, start with the main entrance of the main floor. Remember that each step is a meaningful part of the ceremony and should be done with reverence and intention. This includes gathering and setting out each item.
Call in your higher power (for you this may mean God, guides, the Universe, angels, power animals… whatever you connect best with) to be with you while you perform this ritual.
Light the candle with your matches or lighter and let the candle burn for about a minute. Then use the candle to light the end of your dried herb bundle or palo santo stick. You may need to occasionally relight it as you go along, so keep the candle lit (in a safe space and holder, of course) and easily accessible.
Start with yourself, moving the stick or leaves safely around your body, clearing any negative energy that may be clinging to you. Start with underneath your feet, bring the stick or herbs up over both legs, swirling it in clockwise circles while moving up. Bring it over your torso, then stretch out your arms, moving it along each arm, up your head and finally, a little over the crown of your head. Then move to the main entrance of the building or room. Always hold your shell or fireproof dish under the herbs or stick to catch any falling ash.
Work in a clockwise direction, ensuring the smoke reaches every nook and cranny – corners of walls and ceilings, bookshelf corners, kitchen cabinets, light fixtures, closets, those spaces between walls and appliances, the space behind your television – every single corner!
What about stairs? If you are only smudging the room, go up or down the stairs when you reach them, then back again, smudging as you go, and resume your clockwise journey. If you’re smudging the whole building, go up the stairs when you reach them and smudge the next level in a clockwise direction. When you get back to the stairs, travel back up or down them and continue your clockwise journey around the main floor.
As you smudge the space, be present with your intention for the ritual. Either out loud, or silently in your mind, invite in the positive energy you want to bring. It may be peace, healing, generosity, harmony, creativity, abundance… whatever you envision for the space and the people who occupy it. Many traditional practitioners recite a prayer or chant as they go. That may work for you, or you can simply hold your intention in your body, mind and spirit as you go along.
When you arrive back at your starting point, carefully smudge yourself again to clear off any negative energies you might have taken on during the process, then take a moment to visualize the space being filled with the positive energy you’ve invited in. You may see that energy as a particular colour or as a glowing light. However you visualize it, hold that image in your mind and repeat your intention into the space.
To end the ceremony, extinguish your herbs or stick in the bowl of sand, or you may want to leave it in the shell or fireproof dish to extinguish on its own. If you do, make sure not to leave it unattended. As the herbs or stick are extinguished, thank your higher powers for accompanying you in this ritual.
When the herbs or sticks have fully extinguished, choose a spot outside to bury them along with any ashes that you collected along the way. I like to bury them in a garden or some area of lush growth, signifying good things growing out of challenges.
Finally, take as much care in packing away and storing your materials as you did in setting them out.

Whenever we want to change something in our lives, invite in something new, or give ourselves a fresh start, it can be really powerful to try something outside our own personal box. Anytime we try something new, we open our minds up to new ways of thinking and new possibilities in the environment around us.

Smudging is a great way to clear out the negative and invite in the positive, but it only works if we are clear in our intentions and what we want to create. If that’s something you struggle with and would like help refreshing your energy or the energy of your leaders, team or organization, I invite you to connect with me to discuss the many possibilities open to you, of which smudging is just one. My approach is to work collaboratively, creating solutions and practices that work with the individual or group, including conscious leadership tools, high performance team building strategies, effective communication guidance and so on.

5 Ways to Lead Through Chaos and Uncertainty

July 30, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Career Coaching, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Leadership/by Melissa Dawn

Tell me… do you ever feel like you’re a spectator in your own life? Or like things are just happening around you while you can only watch, wait and scramble to keep up?

What if I told you this was because you aren’t tuning into your WHOLE self?

Let me backtrack for a moment. Let’s start with the brain. Most of us think of our brain as that wrinkly grey mass in our heads that does all our thinking. But the brain is just one part of your overall nervous system. And that whole system is complex, knowledgeable and full of information for you!

Your nervous system reaches every corner of your body and behaves in ways we’re only just starting to understand. In fact, it was just 10 years ago that scientists discovered cells in the gut that could send messages to your brain in 100 milliseconds!

Here’s what we know: our entire bodies are collecting information about the world around us every second of every day.

So… why do we put so much energy into ignoring it?

So many of us focus on what we can think through, logically, inside that grey matter, and push away the wealth of information our bodies are trying to give us. For a lot of people, we’ve been conditioned throughout our lives to hone in on our logic, pushing everything else aside.

We ignore gut feelings, shake off that prickly feeling on the back of our necks, use deprecating language for our intuition such as “nagging doubt”, “cold feet” or “nervous tummy”.

When I say we aren’t tuning into our whole selves, what I mean is that we aren’t taking advantage of all the information being registered throughout our bodies – our full nervous systems – making it difficult to clearly see our own big picture.

This is why you feel like a spectator.

When you watch a movie, you only see what the camera shows you. When you only view the world through your logical brain, you’re missing the bigger picture your whole brain is trying to show you.

That’s why you feel disconnected. It’s why you keep making the same choices over and over again. It’s why you can’t seem to get out of your rut. It’s why times of chaos and uncertainty can throw you so out of whack.

Learning to lead through chaos and uncertainty (especially during a chaotically uncertain time like now) is a powerful way of not only thriving through the chaos, but also to start tapping into your whole self- your full experience of the world around you.

Here are 5 Ways to Lead Through Chaos and Uncertainty:

1 – Start from you.

Mastering leadership starts with mastering leadership of yourself.

Tune into your inner experience and face it – fully. What you refuse to face ends up running your life, instead of you being firmly in that CEO seat.

When you tap into the wholeness of your inner experience, you’re able to see more clearly where you are in the moment and the next best steps forward. You’re able to make decisions that move you in the direction you want to go, be intentional in your impact, and approach chaos and uncertainty from a responsive – not reactive – mindset.

The more you work on yourself, the more you can then support others. Tune into what scares you, angers you, is coming up for you.

2 – Mindset.

Fred Kofman, leadership development advisor for Google and founder of the Conscious Business Center International, has a great approach to mindset. Instead of saying, “Oh shit”, he suggests, “Oh fertilizer!”

It’s a victim vs. player mentality. Instead of saying, “Oh shit, why is this happening to me?” Try, “Oh fertilizer! How can this make me grow?”

In times of chaos, “Oh shit” mentality is common and even understandable. The problem is that it gets you stuck in a mindset of things just happening to you and you can’t do anything about it. By continually asking yourself – in chaotic times and peaceful ones – how you can grow from what’s happening, you keep yourself in a mindset of forward, positive movement.

3 – Create from whatever is happening.

Singing opera on balconies, playing tennis through windows, doing Zumba on rooftops… if the current pandemic has taught us anything it’s that humanity is bursting with creativity.

One awesome leader, noticing her team seemed unmotivated and lethargic on their weekly Zoom status call, made a simple, but powerful change. They now hold a weekly “walking meeting” with no video, just voice. Although the 5 team members are dispersed between 3 countries, they all take a walk together on their headsets to share how they’re doing and any setbacks they’ve encountered. The result has been higher energy, a greater sense of connection and stronger engagement within the team!

Keep asking, “What else is possible?” Even tiny steps outside the box can create meaningful results.

4 – Embrace aggressive transparency.

People remember how you respond or do not respond. Show that you put people first, even when the path is difficult, not just when it’s easy.

Acknowledge updates immediately. Get on a group call and bring it out in the open. Don’t let anything fester.

If you don’t know the answer to something, or you’re feeling anxious, or you’ve noticed a problem within the team, but don’t have a ready solution… bring it out anyway! As humans, we are so perceptive. Even if we can’t clearly identify “he’s scared of something” or “she’s holding back”, we notice changes in mood, energy, tone of voice and so on.

When you can name something, you take away its power. Be fully transparent.

5 – Tune into your body.

We often think about the brain sending information to the body. But it’s actually more of a two-way street with our bodies sending about 11 million pieces of information per second to our brains for processing. What’s more, certain parts of our bodies have larger clusters of neurons sending even more information. The heart, for example, has about 40,000 neurons and sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart! In the video linked above, the HeartMath Institute explains that our emotional experiences are reflected in our heart rhythms, which send information to the emotional center of the brain, and can come out as feelings of joy, anger, fear, and so on. And that’s just one example of how what’s happening in your body can (and does!) impact how you show up.

Whether it’s your heart, your gut, or some other part of your body, your body is speaking to you, and a critical part of self-leadership is tapping into its messages. The problem is, while your body may be sending millions of bits of information, the human brain is only capable of consciously processing a few dozen of those bits. So, when it comes to noticing your body’s messages and understanding how to use them in partnership with your logical brain, tuning in with intention is critical.

The wisdom in your body is your bridge to life around you, and living in your head cuts you off from that wisdom. When you tune into your body, you’re able to feel your next best move; to show up with authenticity, leading from the best parts of yourself, and face your own anxieties with vulnerability and courage; and to fully appreciate and accept the humanity in yourself and those around you, giving you a huge advantage in understanding – intuitively – how best to help put others at ease, recognize and encourage their strengths, and inspire them towards a path of continuous personal and professional growth.

How do you tune into your body? A regular meditation practice strengthens your mind-body connection, which primes you to tune into your body as you go about your day. You can also set reminders for yourself to count to 5. Just 5 seconds of deep, intentional breathing can turn your mind inward, empowering a meaningful moment of connection.

There’s no question this is an uncertain time. The way we show up now will have an impact way beyond this crisis.

Interested in further leadership coaching? A leadership coach helps you tap into your whole body to understand and integrate the messages coming in. They act as a sounding board, help you see your blind spots, where you might be stuck hold you accountable for taking real steps forward, and teach you powerful leadership tools to help you create from everything around you. Even chaos. Connect with me to discuss the possibilities.

How you show up will ALWAYS matter!

July 13, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Human Resources, Leadership, Talent Management/by Melissa Dawn

Workshops to succeed during COVID-19 and beyond.

Tell me… are you struggling with the current situation? If you’re like me, one of the many challenges is feeling like you can’t (or shouldn’t) plan for the future.

With so many unknowns and so much change and unrest to address in the present, it can seem like planning for the future is just not an option.

That can amplify stress and anxiety because at the heart of planning ahead is… hope.

As a leader, manager, business owner, or leader within (someone who may not be a leader in title, but feels the call to lead through example, compassion, courage and clarity), how do you address the difficult feelings in those around you? How can you thrive during the current pandemic, while also engaging in hope-driving future planning?

My 3 upcoming workshops (hosted online), in partnership with Concordia University, have been created to do just that. These powerful workshops are designed to help businesses, teams and individuals establish new habits that both address current struggles and ignite cultural shifts within teams and organizations that will continue to serve you in years to come.

Creating Engagement in a Time of Crisis

Upcoming dates:

Jul. 20, 2020 – 8:30AM – 12:00PM EST
Aug. 13, 2020 – 8:30AM – 12:00PM EST

Engagement is at the core of employee productivity, motivation, retention, innovation and so much more. It’s often what sets A-players apart and what can transform a good-enough team or organization into an amazing one.

Now is the time

to rethink how you drive engagement because your approach will drastically impact success right now, and take your entire organization to higher and higher levels for years to come.

Check out the workshop details for dates and to learn more about the unique challenges and opportunities of creating engagement during a crisis.

Vulnerability and Courage in the Workplace

Upcoming dates:

Jul. 22, 2020 – 8:30AM – 12:00PM EST
Aug. 21, 2020 – 8:30AM – 12:00PM EST

To be vulnerable at work… sound scary? Maybe even counterproductive or distracting, especially at a time like this?

Being vulnerable in a professional setting can take many forms, but at the core is the ability to have the difficult conversations that need to be had. This is an invaluable skill at any time, but especially during times of crisis or uncertainty when open, honest conversations, led by empathy and courage, can drive engagement on a deep and powerful level.

This workshop will guide you on how to embrace professional vulnerability as a path to creating accountability, bringing out your own unique strengths and those of others, embracing a growth mindset, and redirecting energy away from limiting thoughts and towards creating amazing things for yourself and your organization.

Check out the workshop details for dates and to learn more about what it means to embrace vulnerability and courage for professional success.

Creating Human Connection While Working from Home

Upcoming dates:

Aug. 3, 2020 – 8:30AM to 12:00PM EST

Whether remote work has long been part of your organizational structure, or you’ve been thrust into a new routine due to the pandemic, one thing is for sure: human connection matters!

Working from home can leave people feel disconnected and unmotivated, and can make productive collaboration seem even more challenging. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

One positive to come from all this is a huge boost in people finding innovative ways to connect and we can build on that to create organizational cultures that thrive, regardless of physical distance. This workshop will guide you on how to create connection among your team and within yourself to continuously take yourself and those around you to new heights.

Check out the workshop details for dates and to learn more about what it means to create connection when working from home.

There’s no question that we’re in uncharted waters right now and we don’t know for sure what the future holds. What we do know is that how we show up, and the connections we make will continue to matter in huge ways.

When you invest in strengthening yourself, your employees and/or your organizational culture, you invest in creating something that will not only see you through the challenging times, but will also empower you to emerge from them stronger than before and strategically positioned to reach new levels of success.

If you’re interested in any of the workshops for yourself, your team or your organization, please click the links above to check dates and register, or connect with me to learn more about thriving through pandemic and beyond, or how workshops can be customized for your organization.

Driving Organizational Change With Internal Coaching Programs

June 11, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Business Coaching, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Heart Based Business Coaching, Human Resources, Leadership, Life Coaching, Talent Management/by Melissa Dawn

Whether in sports or business, a coach’s role is to bring out the best in others, guide them to where their strengths create the greatest impact, and provide them with tools and strategies to continually reach greater heights. Because of this, an internal company coaching program has the power to drive real change within your organization.

The greatest strength of any organization is its people. The problem is, few people are bringing their whole selves into their work and leadership. This isn’t a failing of individuals, but rather a habit of society. We have this idea that we need to split into a “work self” and “home self”. That’s great for dressing appropriately, using business etiquette and so on, but terrible for our creativity, passion, ingenuity, problem-solving, relationship building, and all those great qualities of A-players.

A strong organizational coaching program works to strengthen your organization by strengthening the people within it, growing within them the tools to bring their best selves forward in all aspects of work and life.

What is an Organizational Coaching Program?

It’s a coaching program that focuses on broad organizational objectives, major transitions, culture shifts, developing leadership, increasing engagement and retention, or any other goal or challenge that impacts the overall business. Coaches work with both individuals and groups within the business to continually align efforts and decisions with the overall goal.

Some organizations may hire full time coaches, train existing leaders to function as coaches, or partner with an external coaching service like one of these to design and run their program. In some cases, an external coaching service will come in to run the program initially, but part of that effort will be to create a coaching culture and train leaders to take over and drive the coaching program long term.

What are the Benefits to Companies with Internal Coaching Programs?

The core of all coaching – life, leadership, executive, team performance and so on – is growth.

It’s about getting full clarity into where you are right now, uncovering strengths, talents and passions, getting real about challenges and roadblocks, and creating a vision of what you want to achieve. Once that’s in place, a strong coaching program focuses on taking real steps, every single day, towards breaking down barriers, bringing those uncovered strengths forward, and moving consistently towards that big picture vision. A good coach will act as your soundboard, helping point out blind spots and gain clarity on the next best steps. They will act as your guide and also hold you accountable for putting each step into action.

That’s how real growth happens, whether on an individual or an organizational level. In fact, the best coaching programs recognize that this growth must happen on BOTH an individual and organizational level, since it’s the individuals – the people – who actually drive change.

With that in mind, here are some of the benefits that companies with life coach programs, leadership coach programs, or other types of internal coaching programs may experience:

Increased employee engagement
Increased retention rates
Ability to bring out the full strength of every person’s unique talents
Stronger collaboration among team members
More responsive – rather than reactive – leadership
Sense of shared purpose in working towards objectives
More effective decision-making tools
People feel empowered to accept accountability
Development of high potential talent
Uncovers previously unknown blindspots
Greater creativity and motivation in identifying solutions
Ability to solve behavioural issues and conflicts at their core
Creates cultures of trust, respect and openness
Drastically improves relationships at all levels
Employees that value self-awareness, taking full responsibility for how they show up and how they can bring their best selves forward
Greater leadership adaptability and agility in dealing with constant change
A collective focus on co-creation and thinking in innovative ways
Enhanced communication skills, particularly in navigating difficult situations
The ability to build and maintain successful teams that inspires trust
Leaders who understand how to positively influence strategy and decision making while staying true to their leadership values and who they are
Cultures of growth mindset that stay open up to new possibilities and new ways of being
Employees and leaders that know how to fuel their energy tanks in positive ways

Coaching is an incredibly hands-on approach to driving change. By developing an internal program, organizations give themselves a powerful edge in sustaining the momentum of change, ensuring measurements and analysis are continual, and that strategies are constantly tweaked to create sustainable growth.

What is a CTI Organizational Coaching Program?

“CTI” stands for Co-Active Training Institute (formerly the Coaches Training Institute). Major companies that have life coach programs or other types of coaching programs typically look for certified coaching programs when looking to partner with an external coaching service.

Within the coaching industry, the Co-Active Training Institute is considered one of the top training institutions and is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Founded around 3 decades ago, it was one of the first coaching schools and has since published highly respected books including Co-Active Coaching and Co-Active Leadership. CTI not only trains and certifies coaches, but also provides leadership training programs.

One challenge within the coaching industry is that it is not (yet) a fully regulated industry, so there are a number of programs out there where someone can attend a single workshop and gain their “certification” as a coach.

CTI, however, designs intensive programs that take a huge commitment of time and effort, as well as hours in the field. Certifications from CTI are earned through performance. Simply attending the classes does not gain certification – a coach must pass stringent evaluations by top coaches and business leaders.

If you’re looking to partner with an external coaching service, look for one where coaches are held to these high standards. For example, if you go to the CEO of Your Life about page, you’ll see both the CTI and ICF logos, meaning CEO of Your Life is certified by both of these organizations.

How do I Start an Internal Coaching Program?

For most organizations, hiring an external organization is usually the best way to go. Many employees feel more comfortable talking with, and fully trusting, someone not directly employed by the organization they are in. It’s often easier to talk openly with someone who isn’t directly involved with the culture, objectives and day-to-day goings on of the business. Additionally, an external coach can be fully focused on coaching activities and not distracted by other roles and responsibilities, so that you can get the full benefits of a coaching program.

Coaching may be one of the most impactful investments your organization makes, so it’s important to choose a coach or coaching service that resonates with you and aligns with what you want to create for your organization.

Reach out to your professional network for recommendations. Read blog posts and articles by different coaches. Browse their social media pages. Spend some time on their websites. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few, set up some initial calls to talk about your goals and challenges and see if how they respond feels right to you. If possible, make that first call a video call so you can get a better feel for their approach, and if it seems like a good fit for your organization.

At the time of this writing, we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and you may be wondering if getting a coaching program off the ground during a crisis is even possible. Not only is it possible, it can also help your organization emerge from this crisis even stronger than before.

Are You Leading From Your Highest Brain?

June 5, 2020/in Being True To Yourself, Blog, Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Leadership, Life Coaching/by Melissa Dawn

Did you know your brain has different parts? Of course, you probably know that your brain has different physical parts that all work together, but did you know that you can choose which “brain” to fuel and to work from?

I didn’t know about this concept until recently and I find it fascinating. For a long time, I’ve believed that we can choose to work from our highest selves or lowest selves, but when I learned about this concept of 4 different brain parts or levels, it really helped clarify this belief for me. I’ve since found that it also helps many of my clients better understand their own motivations and choices, and how they can take a truly conscious approach to their impact and leadership.

What are the 4 brains?

Brain 1 – The Reptilian Brain

This is our most basic and life-sustaining brain. It regulates critical body functions like breathing, body temperature, reflexes, blood pressure and so on. This is the part of the brain that keeps us alive when we’re first born and can’t make conscious decisions on our own. It compels our hearts to beat, our lungs to breathe, our mouths to feed, so that we can grow and thrive.
Brain 2 – The Mammalian Brain

This brain is just above our reptilian brain and is responsible for what, in evolutionary biology, is often referred to as “The 4 F’s”: fear (or sometimes fleeing), fighting, feeding and fornication… though some biologists will use an alternative F word for that last one ;) These are known as our primal drives. Interestingly, the mammalian brain is also where our emotions are held. Think about it. These primal drives are all about survival, so they need to be directly connected to feelings of anger, fear, joy and comfort. They need to worry about scarcity, hold onto grudges, and create intense feelings of avoidance related to negative experiences. It also needs to remember where we felt safe and well fed so we can retreat back. The mammalian brain doesn’t have time for logic. It leaps from trigger to panic mode to keep you alive.
Brain 3 – The Neocortex

This is where our creativity lies. Now, most people see the word “creativity” and think art. And yes, this is where we create music, beautiful pictures, invent stories and even look at a hunk of wood and imagine what we might carve it into. But, it is also where we work through mathematical problems, dream up science experiments, design business strategies, and work through complex challenges. Essentially, this is where we imagine possibilities. Where the mammalian brain might sense a threat, the neocortex steps in to say, “Yes, and look at everything that’s possible!” (You can probably guess that we’re into the higher brains now.)The neocortex is called “neo”, meaning “new”, because in evolutionary terms, it is a fairly new addition to the human brain. It’s what has allowed us to evolve beyond a more animalistic state into the incredibly complex creatures we are today.
Brain 4 – The Prefrontal Cortex

So, if the neocortex is highly evolved, the prefrontal cortex is even more so! This brain is responsible for what we call “executive functioning”. Basically, the prefrontal cortex empowers us to control our reflexive or reactionary impulses, allowing us to focus on big picture outcomes and long term goals. This is the brain we tap into when we take the time to assess situations and make decisions that align with what we want to create. It’s what stops us from lashing out in hurt or anger, so that we can communicate with compassion, courage and clarity. It’s what helps us keep a cool head in times of stress, avoiding short-sighted behaviours and knee-jerk reactions. This brain is also sometimes called the “God Brain” and it’s able to stay active during a state of enlightenment, meaning the more you consciously work from this brain, the more dominant it will become, even when you are not intentionally tapping into it.

As you can see, it’s only those two higher brains – the neocortex and prefrontal cortex – that allow us to imagine the future and work towards it. That’s why I like to call them “The Leadership Brain”. Yes, it’s from there that we can most effectively lead others, but most importantly, it’s from our “Leadership Brain” that we lead ourselves in all aspects of our lives – both personal and professional. This is the brain that we work from when we truly become the CEOs of our lives.

How do you tap into your higher brain for stronger leadership?

We’ve all been in situations where we felt overwhelmed, stressed out, angry or afraid and we reacted too quickly, making a choice that didn’t take us down a great path.

When we react this way, we’re allowing our lower brains to take the reins. But, leadership – whether of yourself or others – isn’t about survival. It’s about growth. It’s about holding a vision for yourself or your team and continually taking steps towards bringing that vision to life.

In leadership, we must make the conscious decision to work from our higher brains; our Leadership Brains. And it’s all about what you choose to fuel. Remember, what you feed is what grows. If you consciously and consistently feed into your higher functioning, you’ll start to see it become stronger and stronger, until it is the dominant player in your brain.

5 Ways to Fuel and Work From Your Leadership Brain

Create From Everything

Instead of asking yourself, “How do I fix this?” try asking, “How can I create from this?”

It sounds simple, but by re framing something from a problem (queue the mammalian brain) into an opportunity to create, you tap into that far more complex leadership brain of yours.

The key is to be intentional. Jumping into problem or crisis mode is an ingrained habit for most of us, so we need to be purposeful in changing that habit. Set the intention, for just one week, to approach every situation with the question, “How can I create from this?” When the week is up, reflect back on how your mindset and your impact changed. Then keep going!

If you’re wondering how you can possibly create from a major setback or conflict, I assure you that even in times of crisis, you can choose to create.
Process the Present

What’s happening in the moment can easily trigger your lower brain if you aren’t in the habit of bringing your leadership brain into the present.

Our lower brain is all about reacting – fast! It’s your basic survival setting. Mindfulness practices are all about bringing your higher brain into the present moment so that you can fully process what’s happening and respond with clarity. Here are 5 practices to help you process in the present for stronger leadership.
Yes, And…

“No, but…” “We tried that and it didn’t work…” “That’s not how we do things…” “There’s no time/money/space for that…”

We’ve all said these things ourselves or heard them from others. The impact they usually have is to stop the energy flow – the creativity, the collaboration, the open mindedness. It halts them in their tracks.

The “Yes, and” technique is taken from improv. It’s a rule that improv actors must respond to everything with some form of “Yes, and” in order to create from each other, keep the narrative flowing, and uncover possibilities.

The next time an idea comes up from a colleague, family member, roommate, friend, even your own inner voice, respond with “Yes, and” and see where it goes. You may not even know what you’re going to say after, but just let it flow! “No, but” almost always shuts things down. We know this. “Yes, and” keeps you, and everyone around you, in that creative, higher brain mindset where potential lives.
Take it One Step at a Time

Your leadership brain empowers you to visualize the future and to live in the moment. So, hold your vision for yourself and/or your team. Write these visions down, make vision boards, whatever feels right to you. Then bring yourself back to the moment and take it one step at a time.

If you’re like most people, you have a to-do list a mile long. Especially in challenging times, it’s natural for stress and anxiety about the future to seep in. Avoid the temptation to ruminate on that stress, which only feeds your lower brain. Just let the feelings come in, then let them go and ask yourself, “What’s my next best move?”

Take one step towards that big picture. Then another. And another. Create each new step from that third brain of yours. Then create the next. That’s how true change happens.
Feed Your Brain… Literally

As I’m writing this, we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us are working from home and feeling the effects of anxiety, isolation, drastic change and even grief.

It is so natural to gravitate towards sugary snacks. And guess who loves sugar? Our lower brains! Of course, we need some sugar to fuel our bodies, but there are plenty of nourishing foods to get it from. Too much sugar and our brains can even struggle to connect the different parts! Imagine if that calming, logical thinking prefrontal cortex couldn’t communicate with the survival-focused mammalian brain!

It may seem like an odd leadership tool, but eating in a way that nourishes you will fuel you in a deeply impactful way. Focus on healthy fats like avocados, fish, nuts and so on. Eat whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables and opt for water or herbal tea. Literally feed (or at least eat for) your higher brain.

Make the conscious choice to fuel your higher brain – your leadership brain – so that you can work and lead from that brain. Your brain controls all parts of you and all parts of your brain are valuable and worthy of your love and acceptance. However, the different parts of your brain serve you in different ways, so it’s up to you to choose what parts you tap into and when.

Allow your two lower brains to do what they do in the background. Fuel your two higher brains so that you can act from a higher place, take control of your impact, forgive, create, respond, see beauty and uncover possibilities you never imagined before.

Taking yourself and your leadership to the next level is a highly rewarding and challenging experience. Having professional guidance – someone to help you see your blind spots, hold you accountable, gain clarity, and listen with compassion – can help you reach your highest potential and put you on a path of continual growth. If you need support getting to your next level of leadership, please connect with me.

How Leadership Coaching Can Help Leaders Handle Crisis

May 23, 2020/in Blog, Business Coaching, Human Resources, Leadership, Talent Management/by Melissa Dawn

With strong, compassionate leadership, teams and businesses have the potential to thrive during a crisis. Leadership coaching helps by keeping leaders grounded in the moment, helping them work through their own anxieties, and providing them with tools and strategies for both work and life that empower them to create from everything that’s happening.

Even the best leaders can find themselves struggling when a crisis hits. The very essence of a crisis is that it knocks everything off course, upending our reality, throwing comfort zones we didn’t even know we had all out of whack.

In times of crisis, it isn’t just the stress that challenges us. We can also find ourselves more tired than usual, losing interest in hobbies and pastimes, struggling to find moments of joy or relaxation, confronted with inner gremlins we thought we’d banished, and even butting heads with the people around us more than usual.

Whether these challenges are happening in our personal or professional spheres (or both), those struggles will spill over into all over areas. This is why leadership coaching takes a holistic approach, meaning we look at the whole picture, get clarity on everything that’s going on, ask tough questions, and work to strengthen the organization by first strengthening the people within it.

How Does Leadership Coaching Guide You Through a Crisis?

Here are 7 ways leadership coaching guides you through a crisis:

1. Creating Clarity

Crises typically bring tsunamis of urgent details that, as a leader, demand your immediate attention. It can feel impossible to see the forest for the trees. But, if you aren’t keeping your focus on the big picture, you risk knocking things off course just trying to stay on top of the daily emergencies, and that’s how companies end up face-to-face with a whole new crisis after the first one has passed – the crisis of having to recover!

A leadership coach will guide you back to clarity, keep you focused on big picture outcomes and corporate values, and arm you with strategies to ensure the urgent decisions you make today are aligned with what you want to create in the future. This is how organizations emerge from crisis even stronger, and even better placed to succeed.

2. Developing Strategic Flexibility

Crises force change. To succeed, leaders must be prepared to work with that change, not against it. This can mean adapting schedules, redirecting efforts, reorganizing teams, providing smaller or different challenges, reimagining how you communicate and so on.

A leadership coach will guide you to ask the right questions, notice everything that’s going on in the moment and, most importantly, to learn to dance with the moment.

What does it mean to dance with the moment? It means assessing the situation with calmness and clarity, being open to everything that’s possible, and making decisions that respect the moment and the people within that moment, while staying aligned with future objectives.

3. Strengthening Engagement

In times of crisis, engagement can be driven by connection and a sense of shared purpose. Especially if people are suddenly working remoting, physically distanced from the office and their teams. They need, more than ever, to feel that they are a part of something, that their contribution is valued, and that their humanity is honoured.

Creating the type of connection and purpose that truly engages people requires a whole new approach and a great deal of courage. A leadership coach will help you develop tools to better connect with people, to design new strategies, and to adjust those strategies as needed based on results so that you can build the type of engagement that doesn’t just get you through the crisis, but has your organization emerging even stronger than before.

4. Boosting Productivity by Redirecting Energy

In times of crisis, everyone can feel rattled, uncertain, nervous for the future and overwhelmed by the present. Effective leaders know to lean into that.

You can’t control how people feel anymore than you can control the circumstances around them. What you can do is get real about your own feelings and circumstances. You can speak openly about what’s going on and create a safe space for others to be open about what they’re experiencing.

When that happens, those masks of “professionalism” come down. But… don’t we want professionalism? What you want is people directing as much energy as possible into their work. Holding up a persona of professionalism takes energy on a good day. Add in a crisis and keeping that mask up becomes exhausting.

Now, you probably already know that if you just tell people they can share their feelings, they’re not going to. If you really want people to drop those masks so they can redirect their energy, you need to blaze the trail! Leadership coaching guides you through the inner work needed to build the courage and confidence to show up as your most real and vulnerable self, and the compassion to respond effectively to openness in others, so that you can all drop that massive weight.

5. Leading Yourself First

At this point, you might be asking, “These are nice ideas, but how do I actually DO all of this?”

One of the most powerful roles of leadership coaching is guiding you to lead yourself. When you truly lead yourself – on the inside, not just the stuff other people see – that self-leadership ripples out. You are able to respond, rather than react. You meet challenges head on. You’re guided by clarity. And you show up for others in a way that empowers them to lead themselves.

A leadership coach works with you to really dig deep, asking tough questions and acting as a sounding board, helping you get clarity on your blind spots and build strong inner foundations that help you weather any storm.

6. Embracing Difficult Conversations

Whether in crisis time or any time, no one likes difficult conversations. You know the ones. The ones that make you inwardly cringe just thinking about them. But it is almost always those conversations that bust open the floodgates – in a good way – allowing everything to start moving forward.

Leadership coaching teaches you how to have these conversations effectively – by honouring the humanness of the people involved, leaning into vulnerability, establishing a sense of shared purpose, and co-creating solutions. These conversations don’t just solve issues at their core, they also help create cultures of trust and respect that empower engagement, productivity and collaboration.

7. Taking Control of Your Impact

In any situation, the only thing you ever truly control is how you show up and respond. This is your impact. It’s what you impart on others and it’s the driving force of leadership.

When you are driven by fear, anxiety and frustration, that is the impact you leave on others. They may be saying the “right” things outwardly, but inwardly they’re having a much different experience.

However, when you do the work to fully accept all emotions within you, they no longer have control over your impact. That’s when you can take full control. That’s when you can truly decide how you want to show up, what you want to create, and then put those decisions into action.

Leadership coaching guides you to connect inwardly so that you build the inner strength to take full control of your impact, empowering you to lead confidently and effectively, regardless of the circumstances around you.

With the right tools, guidance and mindset, a crisis truly can be an opportunity to strengthen and grow your organization, as well as the people within it. If you’re struggling with crisis leadership, or if you like to seize the possibilities to take yourself and your team to even greater heights, I can help. Connect with me to discuss the possibilities.

Q: What do you not want to bring forward in 2021?

Q: What lessons did you learn?

Q: What were you most proud of and grateful for this year?

Q: What do you need to forgive yourself or others for?

Q: What are your intentions for 2021?

Q: What word will be your 2021 theme?

What are Healthy Boundaries?

Boundaries & Fear

Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

My Journey

How to Set and Maintain Healthy Boundaries

1. Identify where you need to set or adapt boundaries.

2. Accept the reality of the situation.

3. Let go of what they can’t give you.

4. Prepare for resistance.

5. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this.

6. Stay alert to red flags.

7. Be conscious of levels of awareness.

8. Always remember that if you want something different, you need to do something different.

9. If you are a parent, healthy boundaries matter x2.

10. Start small.

11. Be mindful of your words.

12. Know the difference between compassion and capitulation.

The Value of a Morning Routine

Staying Calm During the Chaos of COVID

Getting Help

Trusting the invisible

Needs of Safety and Security

Grounding

Oneness

Reflections and Moving Forward

Here are 14 ways you can optimize how you show up in order to create authentic business conversations that genuinely move things forward:

1. Take control of your mindset and attitude going into the conversation.

2. Own your part of it.

3. Know your BATNA.

4. Explore the other side; be curious!

5. Practice “level 3 listening”.

6. Ask powerful questions to start excavating.

7. Do your part and initiate the authenticity.

8. Be mindful of the words you say (and don’t say).

9. Bring out the left-hand column.

10. Choose how you will respond.

11. Align around a common purpose.

12. Check in on how others are feeling during the conversation.

13. Keep in mind where your responsibility ends and someone else’s begins.

14. Don’t leave the conversation without moving forward.

Tell me… have you ever felt like the energy in your space needed a refresh?

Maybe it’s your home, workplace, a community gathering place, or even a single room.

What is smudging?

Why smudge?

Smudging can be done:

How to Perform a Smudging Ceremony

What you’ll need:

What do you need for a smudging Ceremony?

Getting started:

How to perform a smudging ceremony?

What if I told you this was because you aren’t tuning into your WHOLE self?

Here’s what we know: our entire bodies are collecting information about the world around us every second of every day.

This is why you feel like a spectator.

Here are 5 Ways to Lead Through Chaos and Uncertainty:

1 – Start from you.

2 – Mindset.

3 – Create from whatever is happening.

4 – Embrace aggressive transparency.

5 – Tune into your body.

Workshops to succeed during COVID-19 and beyond.

What is an Organizational Coaching Program?

What are the Benefits to Companies with Internal Coaching Programs?

With that in mind, here are some of the benefits that companies with life coach programs, leadership coach programs, or other types of internal coaching programs may experience:

What is a CTI Organizational Coaching Program?

How do I Start an Internal Coaching Program?

What are the 4 brains?

Brain 1 – The Reptilian Brain

Brain 2 – The Mammalian Brain

Brain 3 – The Neocortex

Brain 4 – The Prefrontal Cortex

How do you tap into your higher brain for stronger leadership?

5 Ways to Fuel and Work From Your Leadership Brain

Create From Everything

Process the Present