Our Approach
Engaging the Whole of You
Who You Are
Being an inspiring leader is about you emerging into the fullness and uniqueness of who you are. Trying to live up to a perfect ideal will never be fulfilling.
Together we discover what is driving your motivations and behaviors. We know how to bring forward all the parts of you—those you are proud of and those you wish were different—into your mature beneficial expression.
We find it helpful to look at four basic directions. We will support you to use your fear to become more aware, your shame to become more confident, your sadness to become more connected and your anger to become more powerful.
AWARE
An aware leader reveals the gift in every challenge. To see opportunities and threats more clearly, we need to explore our fears. Indulging fear shows up as calculating: detached, overthinking, controlling and trying to be too safe. Avoiding fear shows up as naïve: low perspective, disliking analysis, impulsive and trying to make things too simple.
To transform either the calculating or naive shadow into awareness, we the use Inquire Tool. To develop awareness, we recommend the Feedback Practice.
CONFIDENT
A confident leader exemplifies the vision people are inspired to follow. To optimize the impact each of us make, we need to identify and value our unique gift. Expressing our greatness also brings up our shame. Indulging shame shows up as shy: self-deprecating, demotivating, playing small and believing we don’t have what it takes. Avoiding shame shows up as superior: self-promoting, arrogant, trying to be more than we are and believing we can do anything.
To transform either the shy or the superior shadow into confidence, we use the Support Tool. To develop confidence, we recommend the Empowerment Practice.
CONNECTED
A connected leader engages with passionate love for life. To relate more deeply and openly with people, we need to feel our own emotions, both joyful and sad. Indulging sadness shows up as sensitive: tender, tearful, overwhelmed, needing relationship and making things too emotional. Avoiding sadness shows up as stoic: cold, unfeeling, disliking pain or drama, needing stability and trying to make things too objective.
To transform either the sensitive or stoic shadow into connection, we use the Empathize Tool. To develop connection, we recommend the Being Open Practice.
POWERFUL
A powerful leader focuses effort with total commitment to purpose. To achieve our goals, we make and keep clear agreements. The power to confront resistance and distraction is the right use of anger. Indulging anger shows up as pushy: over-committing, being aggressive, always needing to win and crossing boundaries. Avoiding anger shows up as passive: non-committal, flakey, avoiding goals and limits and having poor boundaries.
To transform either the pushy or passive shadow into power, we use the Challenge Tool. To develop power, we recommend the Clearing the Air Practice.