You are more powerful than you know

* Our stories are changeable
* A simple shift in perspective can change everything
* Our focus determines our outcome

1. If your story is not serving you, change it
2. Everything can serve you in some way
3. Keeping our eye on where we want to go is the surest way to get there

When you think of someone who loves you as you are, what is it that you feel? What descriptors go through your head about them and your relationship?

Here’s a few that come to mind for me,

Warmth
Like I’ve been hugged
Thankful
Grateful
Strengthened
At home
At peace
Believed in

Effective leaders LOVE their people.  They love them as they are, where they are and how they are. They work towards growing their strengths and accepting their limitations.

Transformational leaders make sure their team FEELS LOVED.  They know how each person feels will determine how engaged and excited they are in their job and company.

Share your heart! Let them FEEL your love and care.  Let them feel your warmth and hug. Strengthen them.  Believe in them. Care for them.

Your expression of love and care doesn’t have to be all mushy gushy, it needs to be heartfelt.  You must have an honest desire to make decisions and take actions that serve each person on your team.

When we make the effort from Day One to do the relatively simple acts of showing genuine Care for the whole person; creating deep Connections between people, purpose and possibilities; and generating opportunities for people to Contribute to meaningful work by leveraging their unique gifts you can make the hard, day-to-day work and big, lofty goals so much more enjoyable and achievable because you've unlocked the best in people and created a shared sense of commitment and accountability. In the midst of the hard stuff, your people will be much more creative, engaged and at their best, because you've already given them YOUR best with the "soft" stuff as a prelude.

1. Show genuine Care - For the development and wellbeing of the whole person. Daily.
2. Build Connections - With your people; Between your people; And between them, where they find
meaning in their work and how that feeds into team or organizational goals and purpose.
(Made possible because you've already proven to them in Step 1 that you care about them - and learned
what THEY care about.)
3. Create a sense of Contribution - Empower people to use their unique gifts in pursuit of work that's
meaningful to them, the team and the organization. Consistently recognize them for how they matter and
why their work makes a difference.
(This builds on Steps 1 & 2 because you've Cared enough to learn their individual gifts, goals and purpose
and you've hopefully made the Connection for them between those things and desired work outcomes.)

Filling up your own tank is IMPORTANT!

Self-care is VITAL to sustaining your enthusiasm and energy level.

Here's a checklist, see how you're doing in these areas...

SLEEP

NUTRITION/EXERCISE

WATER

READ

LISTEN

If the gardener is unable to tend the garden, it becomes over grown, full of weeds and chaos is the result.

THE GARDEN NEEDS THE GARDENER IN ORDER TO THRIVE!

Your team needs you, a healthy you, in order to grow and thrive

Falguni helps us understand why Radical Self-Awareness coupled with Inspired Action is a vital foundation of leadership

L - Listen to Learn
E - Exemplify your message. Walk the talk
A - Appreciate and Acknowledge others
D - Develop others, do not be a roadblock

#BEINTERESTED

It's where you start

INTEREST is a must in order to reach CARING and Caring is where the magic happens.

Here are a few words that flesh out Interest and that I discuss on this episode.

Attentive
Fascinated
Captivated
Intrigued
Inquiring
Inquisitive
Curious
Earnest

Sharing your perspective and view of the world is important.  

Your team needs to hear from you and your openness to hearing their voice is vital to a productive, inclusive and happy team.

Maybe use some of these terms to help get a sense and embrace your voice.

Viewpoint
Standpoint
Outlook
Frame of Reference
Stance
Angle
Slant
Interpretation

Commit to speaking up and finding your voice.  There's always a way to do it respectfully.

It takes practice so start today!

It is the leader’s responsibility to be close to the team and to promote actions that create a sense of belonging, it doesn’t matter if it is at the same office or remotely.

Here are your 3 Simple Actionable Leadership steps!

1- Set recurring meetings to connect with your direct staff and with overall team.

2- Dedicate time to mindful listen during one to one conversations, listening is caring.

3- Leverage technology to share your vision, good news, pictures, everything!

Mary is a passionate advocate for all humanity to know themselves, be themselves and embrace themselves and their uniqueness.

Understand what you look like in your natural state of being. Who are you? What do you stand for?

Become the expert in ONE thing! Become the specialist.

Her 3 steps...

Understand your gifts and how to bring these into action every day
Understand your values and stand by them
Understand your specialization to position yourself as the 'go to' person