The ABCs of Self Leadership

As a woman who leads, inspires, and aims to make an impact, if you are feeling stress and overwhelm in a world filled with uncertainty, it’s hard to show up powerfully.

At times like these it is imperative to stay strong, steady, and clearheaded — so that you can do your best work and support others.

I think of it as cultivating self-leadership. With this ability you can lead in every aspect of life and work.

When you cultivate self-leadership you will be able to stay steady with more ease.

What self-leadership looks like

As a visual thinker, I have imagined a few scenarios that you may find helpful to envision what strong self-leadership can mean for you.

Imagine feeling like you are able to stay upright on the deck of a boat in rocky seas.

Imagine feeling like you are a gyroscope, and that when you tip in the wind, or wobble under pressure, or when the sand beneath your feet starts shifting, you always come back up.

Imagine being a tall palm that is flexible and bends in the wind during a storm, and not only stays rooted, but can stand erect again when the winds subside.

Focusing on self-leadership enables you to be strong and resilient.

The A, B, and C of self-leadership

There are many ways people think about and approach “self-leadership.” In the context of attending to your own wellbeing in order to lead and support others effectively, these are the components I offer you to consider.

Action — based on Awareness and Acknowledgement

A key first step is to take stock of what you are feeling. Having tools to help you identify your emotions enables you to then acknowledge what is at play, rather than aiming to simply muscle through when you are feeling less than steady.

With that clarity you can take action to process your emotions, so those heavy emotions move through you rather than hijack you.

And taking action of all kinds is an excellent antidote to feeling disillusioned or stuck, no matter the reason.

Bolster — to show up Boldly

Effective leadership — of yourself and others — requires true belief in yourself. 

Having clarity about the emotions that were hampering you, then processing those emotions to help you step into action, you will see matters more clearly. You can bring a clear head to determining the best ways to move forward, and your confidence will naturally expand. 

And there’s a bonus when you bolster your confidence: You feel that you have agency in situations that would otherwise feel daunting.

Create!

You can create practices that support you to manage stress when it arises. You can create a mindset of curiosity, openness and consideration of new possibilities no matter what shows up. You can create expressively to open your heart.

This is your time to cultivate the creative power inside of you that is waiting to be unleashed. That’s what will make you an unstoppable leader!

Feeling wobbly? Here’s how to stay strong.

The new year is in full swing.

We have made it through more of winter than what stands between us and spring warming.

And the world around us has been changing at great speed — and in many alarming ways — since January 20.

You may be feeling wobbly. You may feel able to stay steady. You may be looking ahead with trepidation or feel determined to stand strong. You may feel committed to take action. A mixture of all of the above may be in play for you.

One thing is clear: this will be a year unlike any in our memory. The events swirling around us will impact us personally and in our professional lives.

Importantly, the creative power we are each filled with can be directed as we choose. We can focus our creative power in a singular way or in multiple ways.

What are you choosing now?

A client of mine stood strong and advocated for just policies in her institution. She inspired the president to recommit to the diversity-based values of the institution.

Another client has just published a book that I anticipate will garner significant acclaim in the business world.

Other clients are supporting local causes and donating to organizations that are mounting legal actions that support threatened populations.

One client has offered to open her home to people who need temporary respite if they are in peril, and to women who have had to come to our state for abortion care that is unavailable where they live.

In each case, these remarkable women are choosing to contribute to a better world.

And, each is also focused on bringing joy into her life each day. They create in many ways that fill their spirits. They share generously with others. They stay present and inspired.

Pessimism is paralyzing

We each have an opportunity to make our choices. And when we choose and are committed we have agency.

Should you find yourself feeling frightened, discouraged, angry or hopeless, create in a way that moves the emotion through you (as I wrote about last week), and then make the choice to take action.

Start by supporting your spirit and wellbeing and do something that makes you happy. And consider doing something joyful and uplifting with others.

Joy is an antidote to despair.

Action is an antidote to despair.

Every small action is meaningful. 

Let’s save the world together

As we stay grounded and committed we have great power. My vision is of people everywhere finding creative ways to have a positive impact. 

Both the Talmud and the Quran teach us that when you save one life you save the world.

Support yourself, then do one thing to help someone else. (Check the Creators of Change page for ideas.)

Let’s start there.