In this episode I discuss the book "The People Part" by Annie Hyman Pratt and its impact on transforming my business and personal life. The book focuses on seven agreements that leaders make to build teams, accelerate growth, and eliminate burnout. I specifically dives into the concept of self-leadership, which she learned from working with Annie and Barbara in Leading Edge Teams. I reflects on my previous approach of prioritising tasks over people and how it affected my team. I also shares insights from Barbara about the nature of human behaviour and our tendency to react without conscious control, especially in stressful situations. I introduce the concept of self-protection and its various manifestations, such as defensiveness, blame-shifting, avoidance, and people-pleasing. I emphasises the importance of becoming aware of these self-protective behaviours and choosing self-leadership instead. I provides practical strategies for pausing, clarifying the situation, choosing the desired impact, observing thoughts and feelings, releasing judgement, and engaging with compassion and care.

Key Learnings:

1. Choice in How We Show Up: One of the key learnings from the podcast is that individuals always have a choice in how they show up in any given situation. While we may not have control over what happens to us, we can control our reactions and choose self-leadership over self-protection.
2. Recognising Self-Protection: Self-protection manifests in various ways, such as defensiveness, blame-shifting, avoidance, and people-pleasing. By becoming aware of these behaviours, individuals can identify when they are in self-protection mode and take steps to shift towards self-leadership.
3. The CCORE Method: The podcast introduces the CCORE method as a practical framework for moving from self-protection to self-leadership. This method involves clarifying the situation, choosing the desired impact, observing thoughts and feelings, releasing judgement, and engaging with compassion and care. It provides a structured approach for handling challenging and stressful situations with greater self-awareness and intention.

Key Benefits of Listening:

1. Transforming Leadership Approach: By listening to this podcast, individuals can gain insights into transforming their leadership approach from a task-oriented focus to one that priorities people and self-leadership. The concepts discussed help leaders understand the impact of their behaviour on others and provide strategies for building stronger, more supportive teams.
2. Enhanced Self-Awareness: The podcast encourages self-reflection and self-awareness by highlighting common self-protective behaviours and their consequences. Listeners can gain a better understanding of their own tendencies and triggers, leading to improved emotional intelligence and self-management.
3. Practical Strategies for Self-Leadership: The podcast offers practical strategies, such as pausing, clarifying the situation, and engaging the CCORE method, to help individuals shift from reactive self-protection to proactive self-leadership. These strategies can be applied in various personal and professional situations, leading to better communication, decision-making, and overall well-being.

Overall, this podcast episode explores the importance of self-leadership, provides insights into self-protective behaviours, and offers practical tools for personal and professional growth. It serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking to enhance their leadership skills, improve relationships, and navigate challenging situations with greater self-awareness and intention.