As we head into the holidays and the last month of 2021, you may be struggling to connect, find joy, peace and purpose during these turbulent times. I too am using all my tools to remain optimistic and find contentment during this year-end holiday stretch. The onslaught of the new variant coupled with omnipresent uncertainty during what is supposed to be a joyous occasion can be draining to your mental strength, and wreak havoc on your overall wellbeing.
The topic for this month’s LinkedIn article is near and dear to my heart. I write this with great adoration, gratitude and reverence. November is National Inspirational Role Models Month. This is a month for you to appreciate and celebrate the people in your life that set a positive example for you, that motivate you, that encourage you to follow your dreams and take risks, and that you aspire to emulate. Who inspires and teaches you? Who is your mentor? This is the month to show them a little love, and thank them for their guiding light. In 2005, it was Darlene House, House of Communications Owner/Chief Communications Specialist who first designated National Inspirational Role Models Month.
I hope this newsletter finds you happy, healthy and well. If you live in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and the weather cooler: how are you feeling about the seasonal shift? I am loving this cozy time of year. In last month’s newsletter I asked you to join me in a 21-Day Gratitude Challenge. How did you feel practicing gratitude? Did you notice any positive changes in your emotions, mindset and wellbeing? For November, I want to piggyback off of last month’s gratitude high, and get laser-focused on further unlocking your potential using holistic Leadership Development tools.
What do I mean by holistic? I mean bridging the gap between mind, body and spirit AND bringing all of your centers of intelligence head, heart and body to work. I invite you to take a holistic approach to your leadership growth and development, and strike a balance between your sense of self, your purpose and your community in the workplace so that you can amplify your impact.
Developing Self Awareness
Self-awareness is the first step to becoming a holistic leader. Leaders need to be aware of how their behaviors impact those they lead. Leadership isn’t just about bringing a set of skills to the table, it’s also about bringing Emotional Intelligence (EI) as well. In order to make lasting, positive change as a leader you need to first look inside yourself. Are you willing to invest in YOU, and do what is often uncomfortable, introspective work to become more self-aware? This inner work can help you connect the dots between mind, body and spirit AND active all your centers of intelligence head, heart, and body. If you take a holistic approach to your own personal development you will be on a continuous journey of enlightenment, learning and transformation thus helping you actualize your greatest potential, and amplifying your impact as a leader.
According to Indeed, “The Importance of Self Awareness in Leadership,” the characteristics of self-awareness in leadership are as follows:
Reflective: A large part of self-awareness comes from reflecting on your own thoughts, words and actions as you communicate with others.
Observant: Self-aware leaders pay attention to what’s happening around them by following cues from their environment.
Empathetic: Understanding the needs of others helps self-aware leaders relate to those they lead.
Perceptive: Anticipating the outcome of a situation is another important trait of self-aware leadership.
Responsive: Leaders who are self-aware are active listeners. They can adapt based on the reaction of others.
Humble: Self-aware leaders are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and work to correct any shortcomings that can get in the way of their leadership.
Self-controlled: Leaders who are self-aware have the ability to manage their own words and actions.
Discerning: Self-awareness comes from making wise choices about how you will handle a situation.
Adaptable: Self-aware leaders assess a situation and respond by changing their behaviors.
Honing in on your life’s purpose is the second step to unlocking your potential in a holistic manner. A leader who knows their purpose tends to have a greater impact on their employees, their work and their overall life. Their actions, decisions and thoughts are usually clear, focused and meaningful because they are purpose-driven. Having a sense of purpose ignites your soul to add value and make a difference in all areas of your life including work.
According to Forbes, “Leading With Purpose: How To Engage Others With Passion And Focus,” these are the seven characteristics of purpose-driven leaders:
Passion for seeing the business succeed
Attack work with a healthy sense of urgency
Create a productive atmosphere
Have a personal direction or focus
Keep purpose front and center as they make daily decisions
Can visualize the impact they want to have on their organization and on others
Successfully overcome obstacles in striving to achieve long-term, sustainable results
To read the full Forbes article click here. I am here to help you cultivate and channel your purpose. Let me be your guide to identify high-leverage areas of growth while finding greater meaning in your life. To learn more about my Leadership Coaching techniques, and to work with me click here.
Create Community & Connect in Your Workplace
The third tool to help you in your quest to become a holistic leader is the ability to connect and create community in the workplace. At our core human beings have an innate need to connect and feel a sense of belonging. A holistic leader creates a sense of community in their organization and a culture of inclusiveness. While this can be challenging in our current climate as many of you are still working remotely, there are transformative technologies that can connect us even remotely. I recently wrote a LinkedIn article about how emerging technologies are transforming Leadership Coaching and connecting us. They are transforming the way we connect virtually in the workplace.
As Leadership Coaching continues to metamorphize we cannot forget just how important the human element of it is. Holistic Leadership Development is about connecting the mind, body and spirit and utilizing our centers of intelligence head, heart, and body. Through self-awareness, a sense of purpose and connective community you can unlock your true potential and develop a set of integrative skills that will create a positive and lasting impact in the way you lead and live your life.
Emerging technologies are pioneering creative paths forward in Executive and Leadership Coaching. Have you ever tried an app or online program that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR)? What did you think? Did it elevate your experience, and engage you in a deeper manner? These transformative technologies are paving the way for future coaching, and are rapidly evolving the current landscape. The use of these advanced capabilities in conjunction with present methods will revolutionize Leadership Coaching. Not to mention, coaching has undergone a metamorphosis with the convergence of Covid-19, high-tech, video teleconferencing and web-based learning.
I hope this newsletter finds you healthy and well. Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere is right around the corner. How are you feeling about the change of seasons? Are you excited, or holding onto the summer months forever? For many, seasonal changes can affect their mental health, mood, outlook and overall wellbeing. Personally, I love the change of seasons, and I feel my best in Autumn. I view the change of seasons as a golden opportunity for rebirth and transformation. As the air gets crisper, pumpkin spice lattes appear, and a kaleidoscope of amber and crimson illuminate our trees. I feel it is the perfect time to focus on the glorious gift of gratitude. What better way to count our blessings, and give thanks than to practice gratitude daily? With so many challenges in our daily lives and larger world, now more than ever we need to shift our mind’s focus to the abundance that exists right here and now, don’t you agree?
With an appreciation for renewal in our hearts, I hope you will join me in participating in a 21-Day Gratitude Challenge. Let’s make a commitment, and together cultivate gratitude for the next three weeks. I bet you’ll be surprised at how life-altering the practice of gratitude can be!
The Benefits of Gratitude
I practice gratitude on a daily basis in the form of noticing in numerous moment throughout the day what I am thankful for, an ingrained practice that began 20+ years ago with first reading about, journaling about, and talking with others about the practice of gratitude.
Scientific evidence is well documented to support that consciously practicing gratitude will benefit you and your mood, so why not try it or resume or strengthen your existing practice? A shift in your perspective to focus on the positive rather than the negative, and to focus on what you have rather than what you do not have will dramatically create a positive paradigm shift in your life.
Positive Psychology compiled findings from multiple studies to highlight 28 benefits of practicing gratitude. You can read the full article, and review the fascinating finding by clicking on the link here.
The benefits are split into five key categories listed below:
EMOTIONAL benefits of practicing gratitude:
1. Make us happier
2. Increase psychological well-being
3. Enhance our positive emotions
4. Increase our self-esteem
5. Keep suicidal thoughts and attempts at bay
SOCIAL benefits of practicing gratitude:
6. Make people like us
7. Improve our romantic relationships
8. Improve our friendships
9. Increase social support
10. Strengthen family relationships in times of stress
PERSONALITY benefits of practicing gratitude:
11. Make us more optimistic
12. Increase our spiritualism
13. Make us more giving
14. Indicate reduced materialism
15. Enhance optimism
CAREER benefits of practicing gratitude:
16. Make us more effective managers
17. Reduce impatience and improve decision-making
18. Help us find meaning in our work
19. Contribute to reduced turnover
20. Improve work-related mental health and reduce stress
HEALTH benefits of practicing gratitude:
21. Reduce depressive symptoms
22. Reduce your blood pressure
23. Improve your sleep
24. Increase your frequency of exercise
25. Improve your overall physical health
26. Help people recover from substance misuse
27. Enhance recovery from coronary health events
28. Facilitate the recovery of people with depression
21-Day Challenge
Now that you know all of the transformative benefits of gratitude, let’s begin the challenge. I am so excited to do this with you! There is no right or wrong way to practice gratitude. The key is to practice it daily and make it a priority. Give thanks to experiences, people, moments, simple pleasures in life: whatever it is that you are grateful for. Listed below are some ways in which you can practice gratitude during the next three weeks:
Gratitude Meditation – This is one of my team’s favorite ten-minute meditations. My colleague Stacie likes to do it before she gets out of bed, and it starts her day off on a positive note. Click the link https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ2coj1fFec to try it.
Gratitude Journal – This is such a simple yet effective way to practice gratitude. Start your morning off by writing down three to five things you are grateful for you. Notice how you start your day in such a happier manner.
Gratitude Affirmations – Practice gratitude affirmations such as “I am grateful for this day”, or “I am grateful for my family”. These are simple sayings that can boost your mood and make you feel happier.
Acts of love & kindness – Practice gratitude by engaging in acts of love and kindness. These do not need to be big gestures, they can be as simple as telling your family you love them, or telling a friend you appreciate them. I notice my team members light up when I express my gratitude for their diligence or attention to detail or graciousness expressed in an email to a client, and in return I too receive a surge of joy in seeing them light up.
Smile – As William Arthur Ward once said, “A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” Smiling helps release cortisol and endorphins thus boosting your mood. It is the easiest act we can do.
There are so many more ways in which you can practice gratitude. Switch it up each day during our challenge. I invite you to make the commitment to cultivate and embrace gratitude each day in your life and join me for this 21-day practice of gratitude.
I have been mindfully practicing gratitude for years. The positive benefits are truly extraordinary, and will change your life for the better. I would love to hear from if you are committed to start this challenge, and then again once you complete the challenge. Perhaps you put a reminder each morning on your calendar and again an hour before your bedtime to keep you focused and on track?
As you move through these 21 days, let me know: how do you feel? what supports you in continuing? Let me know if you notice a positive difference in your heart, mood and spirit. I hope you will continue past the 21-day mark, and turn the practice of gratitude into a daily habit that feeds your soul.
Transitioning back to school is often a stressful time for both children and parents but never more so than this unprecedented year. After more than a year of virtual learning, the majority of schools are resuming in-person learning evoking a range of emotions for families. Parents and their kids are filled with anxiety, excitement and trepidation. For many, the uncertainty of on-going pandemic conditions and the impact on learning is causing additional stress.
