The POSSIBILITIES Podcast: Recent Episodes
Yaja Nowakowski
Our worlds are filled with chaos - in business, in life. It's where we learn the most. There's the ordinary and the extraordinary chaos. The first one we expect: problems at work, relationship issues, economic challenges, employment shortages... the usual.
The second we least expect, the one that challenges us on a scale we never thought possible. Such as global issues. This is where we need to look at possibilities, solutions we never considered viable. This is what we'll be exploring.
It's in chaos that the best in us can emerge. it's in chaos that leaders emerge.
Many victims aren't able to stand up for themselves. Victims like those of child sex trafficking and childhood abuse. And that's why people like Lisa Jameson stand up on their behalf. Lisa has been creating awareness around this insidious and evil criminal activity for over 5 years. Having been a victim of childhood abuse, this topic struck a chord for her.
In our conversation, Lisa shares what it is that causes people to be involved in child sex trafficking, what causes them to exploit the innocent, the methods they use and some ways to ensure our children are protected from the perils of the internet and social media.
We discuss how it is that children get to that point of vulnerability, as a result of the unintentional neglect of their parents or carers. It's because these children are missing true love, care, security, stability, being listened to, that they become targets for these criminals.
This leads to what we as parents, educators, as members of democratic societies can do to ensure our children's needs are genuinely and selflessly met by those who truly care for them, to make sure we are there for them, present for them.
Here are links Lisa refers to at the end of our conversation, to assist us in furthering our being more informed and able to act in some way, to help all our children. They're U.S. based organisations. I've added ones for Australia.
U.S. based - sharedhope.org, love146.org, TheUndergroundne.org
Australia based - gozoe.org.au, a21.org
If you took some benefit from this episode, if you find it of value, please add your comment, or even email me at yaja@simplypossibilities.com. It'll help me with creating future content. And please do share.
This podcast is presented by Yaja Nowakowski of Simply Possibilities. Contact: yaja@simplypossibilities.com. Possibilities blog and podcast can be found at simplypossibilities.com
I read a LinkedIn meme that said, "If you want to build a great company, create an environment where someone can raise their hand and say "I disagree" without any fear of victimization or termination". [link to the post - https://bit.ly/3s31YUg]
This isn't the first time I'm hearing/reading such a statement. Whenever we don't speak up, i.e. say we disagree or agree, then basically we're choosing to lie. Even if it's in fear of being victimized or losing our job or not fitting in.
What we're doing is creating a habit of lying and more than likely, we're teaching others, including our kids at home, or team mates at work, to do the same - lie.
One small lie creates a snowball effect. We've heard so many lies these past years from our politicians and from the media. This cycle of deception has to stop. It won't with them, so it must with us. We have to take responsibility to make the small personal changes, because it's these changes that will create the changes on a global scale. But it must start with us first.
If you took some benefit from this episode, if you find it of value, please add your comment, or even email me at yaja@simplypossibilities.com. It'll help me with creating future content. And please do share.
This podcast is presented by Yaja Nowakowski of Simply Possibilities. Contact: yaja@simplypossibilities.com. Possibilities blog and podcast can be found at simplypossibilities.com
What a year 2020 has been! And isn't it time we had more conversations around values? Did you know that the more we have genuine discussions around values, not only do you get to understand them more, but you begin to take them on, which in turn adds to creating a stronger and healthier workplace culture. It also means that when the unexpected, the uncertain and, like with last year, a crisis may strike, we're much more equipped to handle those times more effectively and with more joy, less stress. So in the first part of this year, that's what we'll be focusing on.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, educating and empowering leaders. Because when these leaders are empowered, they'll empower others to lead. empoweringleaders.online
In this podcast where Alex interviews Jeffery Wang, you'll hear statements like "We're living in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity" "Here in Australia, a perfect storm is brewing. We need great leadership to get us out of the most difficult time since the Great Depression", and of course, that "Australia has long been known as the lucky country." However, Jeffery says that this isn't a compliment. "We've been asleep at the wheel". We've been driving on blind luck and "drinking to delay the inevitable hangover".
Listen to this incredible episode to find out what this all means to those of us living in the "lucky" country.
Jeffery proudly founded the Professional Development Forum (PDF) so as to help diverse young professionals reach their full potential in the modern Australian workplace. Find out more here - http://professionaldevelopmentforum.org/. You can also connect with Jeffery on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferycwang/
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
What truly incredible stories you'll hear in this episode. Alex discusses her 'time' in prisons, the challenges of managing call centres, the difficulties of fitting in as a child in a new country, of soiled pants in kindy, and so much more. These experiences have each influenced where and who she is now as an expert in communication, connection and influence.
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Book in Your FREE 30 Minute Discovery Session on How You Can Level Up Your Mentoring - https://calendly.com/alexandraegan.
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"How to Build Stronger Relationships and Master the Art of Connection Online" program on 12th September, 10am to 2pm.
Here's how you can connect with Alex Email: alex@thedominoeffect-ak.com. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedominoeffectconsulting/
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Ever been in this predicament where you're about to give someone feedback and you can tell by their reaction that they're probably thinking, "I've done nothing wrong, so why do I need feedback?" We know that feedback is a tool we all need to use and not just to help someone 'fix' something. In this episode, Alex and I discuss the incredible value that there is in giving, and taking, feedback.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
During our online summit, Alex and I dive into the importance of empowering leaders, especially during times of crisis. I share how my business, Empowering Leaders speakers bureau and events came about, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
During our online Summit, Alex and I discuss one of her all time favourite topics around communication - the barriers that get in the way of great communication. What are the causes? What are the solutions?
Tune in to Alex Egan's FREE weekly lunchtime webinars on "How to Build Trust and Mutual Understanding Through Mentoring". Head to https://www.empoweringleaderssummit.com/els-events to find out when.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Bronwyn Armstrong is a heart leader. During our online Summit, Alex discussed with her, how she inspires those she leads to take action. They become empowered. Bronwyn has been a leader and mentor of hundreds of startups and she helps these new business owners connect with what's most important to them - the treasure that's within them - so they can lead from the inside, out.
Here's how you can connect with Bronwyn - sacredheartofspirit@gmail.com
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Martin Stark continues his conversation, this time with Alex, during our online summit. Martin's passion for diversity and inclusion within the corporate environment and beyond - is contagious, his determination unstoppable and his courage in the face of resistance is humbling. https://systemicdiversity.org
Martin also shares his related passion - the World Gay Boxing Championship. https://worldgayboxingchampionships.org
You can connect with Martin on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/martin-stark-8a3807179
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
During our recent event, Robyn Adair discusses her extraordinary career in the property/real estable profession. Her ability to build teams, sustain them and have people wanting to stay on with her long after she's gone, is a testimony of her incredible ability to lead well and lead successfully.
Here's how you can connect with Robyn: robyn@restrategic.com.au | www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-adair
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Once again, Nick Bendel brings to the table his genuine curiosity for discovering people's stories while embarking on this adventure of a lifetime - 500 lunches with strangers in 5 years. He discusses the 7 steps he follows to building his valuable network of extraordinary people. He also shares the impact this has had on him as a leader of his team at his business, Hunter & Scribe.
Here's how you can get in touch with Nick - nick@hunterandscribe.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bendel | https://hunterandscribe.com | https://www.500lunches.net
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
In this episode, we discuss how once trust is established, leaders and mentors can then help people take action.
Join Alex for weekly one-hour webinars on developing mentoring skills. https://www.empoweringleaderssummit.com/els-events
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
In this episode, Alex and Yaja explore what it means to be a mentor and leader and the importance of trust. Whether we're leaders by title or not, each person can be a mentor. However, as leaders, we're being watched and assessed. And our people act on what they see, hear and sense from us, whether we're ready or not.
Join Alex over the next few weeks for weekly one-hour webinars, focusing especially on developing the art of mentoring. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/how-to-build-trust-and-mutual-understanding-through-mentoring-tickets-115821548369
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
During our event, Alex discusses with Claire Seppings' extraordinary Churchill Fellowship project which focuses on positive reform in the criminal justice system, as a result of her extensive professional and lived experience.
Explore/download Claire's Fellowship resources at these links: https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/fellow/?id=PR0014153 | https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/project/?id=PR0014153 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Z8iFGQAGo
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
During our Empowering Leaders Summit event, Alex Egan chats with Nick Bendel, owner of Hunter & Scribe. Nick shares his five year 500 Lunches with Strangers project. https://www.500lunches.net
Nick business is a content marketing agency that specialises in writing blogs, social media posts, ebooks, emails and website copy for small businesses. If you need help with copywriting, contact Nick on 0404 638 781 or nick@hunterandscribe.com
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
When it comes to empowering others and sometimes even ourselves, there are some things that might seem insignificant to us, but are truly important to others. Today we're discussing overwhelm and introducing a few ideas and some solutions to help us and others create a sense of focus and calm.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Validating our people is crucial to building a culture of trust. Today we share some typical examples we see frequently in the workplace where through the art of validation, a more trusting culture is built. And then, the not so typical ones, such as Alex's experiences working with prisoners, where with genuine validation she was able to build trust and naturally persuade, because of the authentic significance they experienced.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
This is a revealing conversation around how leaders handle those tough conversations that can appear challenging.
- Why do some shrink at the thought?
- Why would others see them as opportunities?
We explore why people respond the way they do and how they can create new ways of responding and communicating.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
This is a conversation not to be missed. Karen Ferris is my special guest, where we talk frankly about the way leaders are revealed during times of crisis. Usually in the most unexpected ways and resilience is key. We discuss how Resilience can be developed by both individuals (inner leadership) and leaders (when leading others).
Karen, originally from the UK and now based in Melbourne, Australia, is a self-professed service management and organisational change management rebel with a cause. And her passion shows. We get to discuss Karen's most recent books - “Unleash the Resiliator within – Resilience: A Handbook for Individuals” and “Unleash the Resiliator within – Resilience: A Handbook for Leaders”. These can be purchased directly from Karen's online store - https://karenferris.com/store - or on amazon and other online outlets.
Like to find out more about Karen? Here's how: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenferris/ | https://karenferris.com/
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
In this episode I speak with Martin Stark who lives in Sydney and works as a senior IT Strategic Procurement Leader. Martin is a Courage Champion, Inclusion Practitioner and is passionate about Diversity, Social Justice and Fairness. Martin is an advocate of health and fitness and was diagnosed with Addison’s disease in 2006 shortly after surviving having a tracheotomy and being placed in an induced coma. Martin is the Founder of the World Gay Boxing Championships and LGBTQI inclusive and “straight friendly” boxing event to be held in Sydney in 2023.
Our conversation is around the courage that leaders need to make real and authentic change around inclusion and diversity. “We are experiencing social change with leaders forced to respond to employees, customers, shareholders and the public demanding radical changes to the way we approach and resolve major issues such as racism and homophobia” Martin Stark.
Martin can be found here on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/martin-stark-8a3807179
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Beliefs can be a powerful ally for a leader. Beliefs can also interfere with a leader's effectiveness. Beliefs influence positively or negatively our own and others' productivity, relationships, team spirit, organisation culture, By changing just one belief, can make a huge impact on our results.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Alex has an indepth conversation with Glenn Cooper, the Founder of "That's the Thing About Fishing", which helps troubled youths, people with disabilities and mental health issues, gain greater perspectives of their lives through the unexpected art of fishing. Glenn himself has lived through extraordinary times - childhood abuse, served hard time in prison, shot and stabbed multiple times. His story takes us on a journey from decades as a victim of the 'system', to a life where he now, as a leader, helps many young people better their lives. His story is about forgiveness, courage, disruption and speaking out.
For more about Glenn and the wonderful work he and his team get involved in for the community, visit...
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http://thatsthethingaboutfishing.org.au/
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https://www.facebook.com/TTTAF/
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https://www.facebook.com/Frankston-Community-Connect-105463124310401/
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Our conversation starts with the steps to building a flea circus. You might wonder what the purpose of this is, in terms of empowering leaders. In this podcast we discus disruption and compliance and the pros and cons of both, together with how we can positively improve and innovate, so as to bring about success in any organisation.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
"Can you do something about my staff?" We've heard this time and again, so what can be done? In this episode we discuss the importance of responsibility and accountability.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Today we talk about our language - whatever our nationality. The words we choose to use will determine how well we connect. Think about what we've been hearing in the media, from our political leaders, from within our communities, during the current global pandemic. Words like "lockdown", "self-isolation", "must wear", "mustn't do", and so on. How do they make you feel? What thoughts and emotions do they trigger? We discuss options, that we can choose our words, and equally choose what words mean to us, to others. Changing just one word can help us create even better connections.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
This model and this conversation, could easily change your world. A simple checklist to help change how you think as a leader and equally so you can help your team members do so as well.
Below is the brief description of this model, that you can copy and paste for your own use.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
THE FOUR LEVELS OF THINKING
RESOURCEFUL
LEVEL 1
It feels good
AND…
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It’s good for me
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It’s good for others
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It’s good for the greater good (work, home, community, planet)
You’re doing great, so keep at it.
LEVEL 2
It doesn’t feel good
BUT…
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It’s good for me
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It’s good for others
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It’s good for the greater good (work, home, community, planet)
You’re doing great, so keep at it.
UNRESOURCEFUL
LEVEL 3
It feels good
BUT…
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It isn’t good for me
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It isn’t good for others
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It isn’t good for the greater good (work, home, community, planet)
You’re at a point where you can make a change easily, by moving to LEVEL 2. Or, if you continue at this level, you’ll end up in LEVEL 4.
LEVEL 4
It doesn’t feel good
AND…
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It isn’t good for me
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It isn’t good for others
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It isn’t good for the greater good (work, home, community, planet)
Here change is difficult and may seem impossible. Often the best solution is to simply move away from it. Eg. if you’re in an unhealthy relationship, a job that’s not helping you progress. Simply by taking the plunge puts you immediately into LEVEL 2. It will be uncomfortable, you won’t feel good, BUT it’s good for you, others, and the greater good.
In this episode, Alex goes solo. Alex is also the founder of The Domino Effect Consulting, and today she dives into the benefits of and another layer of The Hierarchy of Language to more effective communication. The Hierarchy questions Alex refers to are shown below. You can connect direct with Alex here - alex@thedominoeffect-ak.com | www.dominoeffectconsulting.com.au
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Big chunk questions (inductive thinking)
Used when people are bogged down in the HOW, the specifics, and you want them to think bigger picture or consider other options. It helps remove overwhelm and procrastination.
· For what purpose?
· Why is this important to you?
· What is the intention?
· What outcome are you look for?
· What is the endgame?
· What would all that give you?
· What’s the highest intention?
· What is this an example of?
· What will it mean if you have it?
· What will it give you?
· What would it mean to you?
· What are the possibilities?
· What is this part of?
Small Chunk Questions (deductive thinking)
Used when people are more into the WHAT – ideas, big picture, vision – yet are unfamiliar with the specifics needed to achieve. This strategy simply won’t get actual results.
· Why specifically?
· How will you do that, specifically?
· When will this get done? (date/time)
· Who will be involved? (commitment/accountability)
· Tell me one thing
· What else?
· What part of (eg. this diagram, engine, recipe)
· What else do I need to include?
· What does this mean?
· What will this mean in practice?
Lateral Chunk Questions
Used when people think there are no other choices. They get stuck and can also end up procrastinating. Lateral thinking helps discover options.
· What else?
· What’s the evidence of this?
· What’s another example?
· And then?
· What’s another way?
· How else? Where else? What else? Who else?
It's very likely you're a big picture thinker. You've ideas, consider possibilities, have great vision. As a leader, you connect with your team members who more often than not, think in specifics - the parts of the project, the details and segments. You may as well all be from different planets. In this episode we introduce the hierarchy of language so that you and each of your team can speak the same language.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Many people think that having online meetings is easier than when in person. This thinking couldn't be farther from the truth. In this episode we look at why it's even more important to develop an even greater awareness for engaging with our people online. We share tips to help leaders progressively develop some skills to engage well online.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
The need for significance is there for both team members and leaders. Why is it important? How do we meet this need in ourselves as leaders as well as in our people? These questions and more are our focus for this episode. So do tune in, then share your feedback in the reviews. We value all feedback.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
The benefits of understanding how we and those we lead learn are great. Firstly, we become more patient and understanding. We become more effective communicators... We recognize who is ready for more responsibility... We mentor and guide more appropriately... We build on our own and others' creative thinking...
Then together, we get to disrupt, innovate, strategize, plan, play, design, work... in ways we never thought possible. Simply because we've understood the 4 stages of learning. Listen in to this podcast as we explore these stages and how they matter.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
We can easily be surprised by unexpected events, regardless of their intensity. How well and how quickly we're able to respond, determines the quality of leadership we offer our people. In this episode we discuss how one simple tool can help you as the leader and those you lead, handle each event easily.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
It's so easy to forget that the people we lead do need our support in more ways than simply telling them what has to be done. They also need our acknowledgement of a job well done, being validated for who they are, the progress they're making, their behaviour and so much more. Yet, if we don't do this for ourselves, we're less likely to do so with others. And this is what we're exploring in this episode.
No doubt you'll have your own thoughts on this topic, so please share them in your review.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Today Alex and Yaja discuss the importance of modelling as a means of empowering leaders. Whenever there's a gap in a leaders ability to lead, for example in influencing their team, this can be developed by finding another leader who excels in that particular area and then, model them. The more aware a leader is of their gaps and is able to model others' strengths, the greater the opportunity for change, and in the end, both the leader and their people, are empowered.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
As leaders, we need to manage our own emotions so that the people we lead can manage theirs. How can we do this? When we understand the difference between above and below the line thinking, and work on bringing our thinking above the line, we begin to see what's possible.
It means we can then empathize when others are below the line and, in turn, help them bring their thinking above the line. This will influence their thinking and emotions will be less likely to impact on their actions. This saves time, keeps everyone calm and more able to find solutions and know what action to take next.
In this podcast we explore the what, why and how we can make this a practical reality.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Certainty is a need everyone has. It means something different to us all. Security, safety, comfort, clarity, the feeling of knowing what's next, or that a solution is possible. It's up to leaders to help those they lead be assured we can help them have that certainty, even if we might not feel it. They won't have certainty if they don't trust their leaders. In this episode we explore what it takes to create that trust and what we can do to give that certainty to our people.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
Today Alex discusses her experience dealing with a medical emergency on behalf of her husband. She shares how the customer service was almost non-existent as she negotiates with medical staff to get her husband the help he desperately needed and should have gotten. In this case the consequences of the appalling communication from hospital staff and leaders, could have cost her husband his life. Both Alex's intense worry for her husband, together with her years of honing her communication skills, meant in the end, Alex was able to get a successful outcome.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online
In this episode we're exploring redefining what leadership means to us. How did we perceive leadership before, what leadership means to us now and what it is we expect in our leaders in future. We all want to progress toward our personal and professional successes together. And when our leaders are empowered, they empower other leaders.
Brought to you by Empowering Leaders online, committed to celebrating, valuing and empowering leaders. Because empowered leaders, empower others to lead.
https://empoweringleaders.online