I am currently satisfying my deep need to travel, which, you may recall from an earlier post, is known to enhance wellbeing. While I’m away, I leave you in the capable hands of Tabitha May-Tolub and Chris Rappold who host a fabulous podcast called The Growth Blueprint. They look at issues relating to leadership and character growth from different angles. I was honored to receive an invitation to join them as a guest for an episode and enjoyed my time with them tremendously. They’re smart, funny, empathetic and driven people who like to learn as much as they like to teach. In other words, they’re great, authentic leaders.
During the episode, I was asked about the through lines pertaining to leadership and character as they relate to my varied careers as attorney, non-profit executive, and coach. The through line is that leadership and character are within each of us. Though I recognize we tend to see leadership in terms of a role or the person who holds it, I don’t think that’s quite right. Leadership is really a set of skills and traits. The skills include communication, decision making, learning, listening, and adaptability. The traits include openness, vulnerability, integrity, empathy, and courage. To be your best self, it’s essential to connect with your inner leader and strengthen your character from within. Coaching is a supportive process that can help you do just that.
As you consider the awesome responsibility of taking on a leadership role in your own life, I hope you’ll take the time to listen to the podcast episode.
Musical Playlist While You Ponder This Post
Leader of the Pack by The Shangri-Las, Walk This Way by Aerosmith, Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg, All Star by Smash Mouth, Where You Lead by Carole King, Lead The Way by Kenny Loggins (from Caddyshack)
Thinking and Trying
Something to think about: “Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating.” – Simon Sinek
Something to try: Listen to The Growth Blueprint podcast episode on Unlocking Leadership Potential, featuring yours truly.
Join Our Tribe
I always feel smarter and stronger when I listen to and connect with wise people. My friends and fellow coaches Maria, Marguerite, and Lorin are among the wisest people I know. The four of us have joined together to bring you Four Wise Women, a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We use this space to share our thoughts, concerns, and joys relating to our journey through midlife. Whether you’re seeking guidance, validation, or simply the comfort of knowing you’re not alone, we hope you’ll tune in to be part of this community of wise women. We add new episodes on Thursdays.
Coaching Can Help
We may not all feel like leaders but we’re ultimately the key figures in our own lives and it’s worth honing our leadership skills and traits to make the most of what we have. Consider working with a coach if you’re having trouble accessing the leader within you but you want to take charge of your life. Contact me here to talk about how coaching can help you develop healthy habits that keep you feeling your best. The first session is 15 minutes over Zoom and it’s free.
Leadership, to me, depends on context. In some circumstances, people can be followers; in others, they can be leaders. It comes from confidence and familiarity with the situation, at least in my life.