Welcome to another insightful episode of Inside Conversations!

Our guest today is Alexander Lazarov, a Senior Engineering Manager at LEGO.

In this interview, we delve deep into the vital role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, specifically within the dynamic world of Software Engineering.

In this interview, you will learn:

* The significance of emotional intelligence in leadership.

* Practical insights and personal experiences.

* Strategies for developing self-awareness and managing emotions in a fast-paced environment.

* The impact of emotional intelligence on team dynamics and conflict resolution.

Key Quotes:

* "Emotional intelligence is about being self-aware, understanding your emotions, and how they influence your reactions and interactions."

* "In the fast-paced world of software engineering, emotional intelligence is crucial for effective leadership and team cohesion."

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About Alexander Lazarov:

Reverse engineering enthusiast, debugging life in production. Love rebuilding meals by taste and fixing things around the house. Tinkering with my bikes included! Constantly fascinated by how the mind-body-soul puzzle works. I read, write and train for self-awareness and peace of mind daily. 

As an Engineering Manager, I work with individuals and teams to deliver while excelling on their own path. A firm believer that everyone deserves to live a happy and fulfilling life. I am also just another human being.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anlazarov/

Gratitude is something that we are missing today.

We take so many things for granted and we don't appreciate the little things in life anymore.

In this video, I explain a very simple and quick practice that will literally transform your life - believe me, I'm still doing it :)

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Spiros

https://CoachingUnderTheTree.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

https://www.instagram.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

Are you struggling with negative emotions and you only want to change them?

If yes, then this podcast is definitely for you!

Today, I explain how everything we consider as opposites are actually connected - they are connected in a much deeper sense than we can perceive.

And this is the idea behind Yin and Yang!

What is also related to all opposites is the inevitability of change.

So, I also talk about change and I'm sure you will enjoy the short story of "That too shall pass" that I mention.

This is a story that has helped me so many times to remind myself that change is inevitable - hopefully this will help you too.

Do you take for granted your home, medical care, be treated well, your health, see your children grow older?

Do you believe you are entitled to them?

The thing is, all these are transient and we keep on forgetting it, so we neglect what is important!

In this podcast, I talk about Negative Visualisation - a technique that ancient Stoics (eg. Seneca, Aurelius) were practising to develop gratitude and appreciation in their lives.

The realisations through Negative Visualisation can be insightful and extremely helpful.

It's very common to go through times where we feel uncertain, lost or unsure of our life and the path we are currently on.

Discovering our own values is crucial, as they give us direction, they can motivate us in difficult times, and remind us of what is important to us.

In this talk, I explore what values may look like, how they differ from goals, and why it's important to understand our own moral compass.

At the end of this podcast, you will find a guided visualisation, that I use with my coaching clients - it will help you discover and get deeply in touch with your own set of values.

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Spiros

https://CoachingUnderTheTree.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

https://www.instagram.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

"Who Am I?" - this is a crucial question that we all have to ask ourselves! Because behind this question lies our true self, lies our authentic self.

It seems that nowadays, we wear masks and we don't show to other people, but most importantly to ourselves, who we truly are.

So, in this podcast, I am explaining how the labels we have put on us, how the roles we play, how the language we use affects massively the way we define ourselves, in personal but also in social level.

And at the end of the podcast, I will describe a couple of techniques to realise and to step closer to your true self - so make sure you listen till the end.

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Spiros

https://CoachingUnderTheTree.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

https://www.instagram.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

Usually, we don't consider smartphones, comfort, or even the constant pursuit of happiness as an addiction, are they though?

In this podcast, I share my perspective on addiction through personal experiences, and I provide some interesting and different ways to look at it.

And at the end, awaits a task and a challenge to test ourselves.

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Spiros

https://CoachingUnderTheTree.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

https://www.instagram.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

Today, I am interviewing Monika Kozlowska and our topic is on finding fulfilment and how we can rediscover our meaning in our lives through adversities.

Interesting Show Points

-Cancer can help us realise and see what is important for us.

-Facing death, we realise how limited is our time.

-What do I want to be remembered for?

-Fulfilment is the state where we are clear on who we are.

-Nobody is going to tell you who you are, you have to discover it yourself.

-Being grateful and knowing our values is important in our life.

-I have checked all the boxes, I "SHOULD" be happy!

-It's ok to have bad days, it's part of the journey.

-Time is now because forever is not guaranteed.

Show Sections

0:00 Intro.

2:00 Monika's story.

4:10 What fulfilment means to you?

6:12 How fulfilled were you feeling before cancer?

11:10 Facing death makes you see things differently.

14:30 What were your thoughts when you found out that you had cancer?

16:30 What was your scariest and darkest moment through cancer?

19:26 Gratitude and Doing vs Being.

23:40 How the modern way of living affects us in our everyday life?

29:44 What do you do when you feel unmotivated?

34:20 How do you help other women to create the life they want?

36:40 How can we start having a more fulfilled life right now?

39:39 Monika's contact information.

40:38 Ending.

About Monika Kozlowska

Monika is one of those women who love helping others create more fulfilment. She used to live her life by the book and do everything society wanted her to – one day she realised she was very unhappy despite having all those fantastic things that were meant to make her very fulfilled.

Eventually, she decided to find out why the recipe for fulfilment she followed didn’t work for her and that’s what led her to coaching – and changing her own life.

Fast forward to today, as an International Fulfilment & Business coach & NLP practitioner she helps women who are sick and tired of ticking the boxes to find the courage to create a life they love – because she believes there are a lot of women out there who simply deserve better.

In the beginning of 2020 she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer that initially turned her life upside down…yet she still claims she’s never been more happier and fulfilled in her life before.

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You can find out more about Monika Kozlowska on her website:

https://monikakozlowska.com/

You can also book a free discovery call with her:

https://monikakozlowska.as.me/schedule.php

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Spiros

https://CoachingUnderTheTree.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

https://www.instagram.com/CoachingUnderTheTree/

It is so easy to get trapped, nowadays, in our personal way of perceiving situations and events.

But as Epictetus says, people are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.

It is only when we zoom out, when we elevate our point of view, that we can see what the whole picture represents. Only then, we can see how our individuality merges with everything else.

This is a short talk about changing perspective. It is so crucial nowadays to see things through other angles, and this podcast will tell you how.

Today, I am interviewing Mike Wilson and our topic is around mental health and how we can use creativity for recovery and for enhancing our wellbeing.

Interesting points by Mike

"Its been a privilege to live a mental breakdown"

"It's the motivation to recover that unlocks the creativity"

"Don't be too hard on yourself"

"Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about willing to dance in the rain"

Interview Notes

01:40 - Mike's story

13:17 - Connection between lockdown and COVID-19 and mental health problems.

15:38 - Mental health and modern way of living.

17:53 - Mike explains the taboos around mental health.

20:07 - First steps for recovery.

25:12 - Using our mental health challenges to grow and move forward.

28:20 - Mike's creative ways to tackle mental health problems.

39:13 - Other ways to enhance our mental health.

43:10 - What Mike has learned during his growth.

47:30 - Mike's read his poem "Strange times we’re in"

RECOVERY acrostics - by Mike Wilson

Responsibly

Engage in

Current

Opportunities which are

Varied

Enjoyable and

Reflect in

You

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You can contact Mike Wilson and ask him about his work at the email address:

[email protected]

About Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson had his first mental breakdown more than two decades ago when he started hearing voices and having suicidal thoughts. In the past, he has suffered from depression, paranoia, and recurring nightmares, which had affected his life massively.

However, all these adversities have made him the person he currently is!

Ever since he can remember, he has had an inert desire to help people, so he used his mental health experience and his creative side to educate and motivate himself and others.

Now, Mike is a trainer in various organisations (Recovery Academy, Mhist, Bolton YMCA, AGE UK, just to name a few), where he facilitates self-help groups and teach people around mental health, using creative ways.