Women's Empowerment School

You simply cannot accomplish all of your goals by yourself. Your role as a leader involves aligning the attention of your team toward a common purpose. But how do you master the art of attention management for yourself as well as the people you lead?

Today on Women's Empowerment School, Sylvia is walking us through the third chapter of her book, 12 Leadership Powers for Successful Women, 'The Power of Your Attention.' She explains why attention is one of our most precious resources and how you can connect with others by addressing their point of focus—and then move their attention in the direction of your desire!

Sylvia discusses the two forms of attention, neutral and charged, offering insight on how we can be manipulated through either desire or repulsion to fixate our attention on someone else's intended goals. Listen in for a powerful written exercise that will help you harness your own attention and understand why you ARE where you place your attention.

Why leaders need to master the art of attention management

The definition of attention as the brain energy exuded by focus

The idea that 'you are where your attention is'

How to connect with others by addressing their point of focus

The vital leadership skill of pacing and leading

Why the brain resource of attention is so easily drained

The two forms of attention

1. Neutral – free, at our disposal
2. Charged – through desire/repulsion

How people can be manipulated through charged attention

Sylvia's powerful exercise of listing your items of fixed attention

How a strong emotional charge can fixate your attention

Why leading with free attention affords you more energy

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12 Leadership Powers for Successful Women by Sylvia Becker-Hill

WES EP004: The Power of Total Alignment

WES EP008: The Power of Purpose

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What is the difference between an effective manager and a true leader—someone who owns the culture and delivers on the purpose of the organization? What are the characteristics of an inspiring C-suite executive of the future? And how do leaders go about creating the right environment for their team to be successful?

Pat Foley is the CEO of Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico, a company that provides state-of-the-art aircraft overhauls in the Americas. At Pat's 215,000 square-foot facility, planes are inspected, repaired and tested by his staff of 400 who perform base maintenance on A319, A320 and A321 aircraft for different airlines. Pat assumed his first leadership role with Lufthansa as the Production Manager of a maintenance bay 18 years ago, and since then, he has served the company as the COO of Lufthansa Technik Budapest and Head of Production at the Puerto Rico facility—before becoming its Chief Executive Officer.

Today, Pat sits down with Sylvia to offer his take on the unique culture and beauty of the island of Puerto Rico and explain the base maintenance work they do at the Lufthansa facility there. He describes the role of a CEO, sharing his personal journey from competent manager to effective leader. Pat explores the evolution of business over the past 30 years, discussing how he adapted to key trends and the personal development work he did to grow as a leader. Listen in for Pat's practical advice for executives and learn how Hurricane Maria brought out the best in both Lufthansa Group and the people of Puerto Rico.

Pat's take on the unique culture and beauty of Puerto Rico

The aircraft base maintenance work of Lufthansa Technik

Pat's insight around the role of a CEO

• Develop strategy, deliver on purpose
• Own culture of organization

How Pat divides his day between operations and business strategy

Pat's personal journey as an ambitious leader with Lufthansa

How Pat emulated the characteristics of leaders he admired

Pat's view of what sets a leader apart from a manager

• Positive and optimistic
• Listen (nonverbal cues)
• Emotional at right time

The major trends in business and leadership in the past 30 years

1. Rise of social responsibility
2. Role of technology
3. Shift to collaborative model

How a coaching course helped Pat accept and forgive himself

How Pat let go of the gremlin that says 'you're not good enough'

Pat's practical advice for leaders

• Support system
• Separate work and home
• Take work seriously, not self
• Leverage sport as outlet
• Sufficient time to rest

Pat's experience living through the devastation of Hurricane Maria

How the employees of Lufthansa Technik worked to rebuild the facility

Pat's admiration of the way his team responded to the hurricane

How Lufthansa Group was able to send 90 tons of aid in five days

Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico

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When you come across a seemingly inspiring meme on social media, it is tempting to hit 'share' and watch the 'likes' pile up without stopping to question whether the concept or idea is truly empowering. Do these perceived truths really motivate us? Or do they create an illusion of perfection that sabotages our success?

Today on Women's Empowerment School, Sylvia addresses a listener request to discuss self-love and its impact on our relationships. She dismantles the popular meme, 'You have to love yourself first before you can love someone else,' explaining why she is taking a stand against it and how loving others first helped her develop compassion for herself.

Sylvia covers the three structures of truth, giving examples of each and describing the price we pay for sharing memes in the absence of discerning discussion. She also speaks to the illusion of connection that is nurtured by the viral spread of memes on social media. Listen in to understand the value of questioning memes and learn how to initiate thoughtful conversation when you share these 'truths' online and in the real world!

Why Sylvia is taking a stand against the 'love yourself first' meme

Sylvia's definition of a meme as a concept or idea that sounds true

How the grammatical structure of a meme creates an illusion of truth

Sylvia's insight on Gandhi's 'be the change' meme

How loving others unconditionally empowered Sylvia to love herself

How our brains are wired to make self-love more difficult

The three structures of truth

1. True in one moment, not true in different moment
2. True for one not true for all
3. True while opposite is true as well

The price we pay for unquestioned memes in terms of polarization

How sharing memes on social media creates the illusion of connection

Sylvia's invitation to question memes and initiate real discussion

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Stepping outside your comfort zone is the hallmark of a powerful leader. It is also incredibly painful! So, how do you override the brain's tendency to run away from discomfort to reach your full potential? The answer lies in developing a connection to your big WHY—a purpose or calling whose fulfillment is more joyful than the pain associated with change.

On today's episode of Women's Empowerment School, Sylvia is sharing the second chapter of her book, 12 Leadership Powers for Successful Women, 'The Power of Purpose.' She explains the significance of either discovering OR reconnecting with your purpose, discussing how a big WHY supports leaders in developing the resilience and stamina to initiate change, and she offers insight around connecting the dots of your past experiences to uncover your ultimate mission.

Sylvia describes how a clarity of purpose makes it easy to say NO and set boundaries—because you've already said YES to your true north. Listen in to understand how the WHAT and HOW unfold naturally once the WHY is established and master the Chapter 2 Power Statement: I focus on my biggest WHY at all times!

The significance of discovering OR reconnecting with your purpose

The two drivers in the human brain

1. Away from pain
2. Toward pleasure

Why external pressure to change only works in the short term

The leader's daily practice of stepping outside their comfort zone

How to override your away-from-pain tendencies with a big WHY

Sylvia's painful experience of being disconnected from purpose

How to look at your life like a treasure map that reveals purpose

• Past experience gives clues about talents, strengths
• Every moment prepares you for ultimate mission

How clarity of purpose makes it easy to set boundaries

The common epidemic of attempting to please everyone

How the WHAT and HOW unfold logically once WHY is established

The value in starting each day with a connection to your big WHY

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WES EP004: The Power of Total Alignment

You cannot NOT suffer from self-doubt. As long as you are growing and changing, you will be faced with uncomfortable situations. And because your brain is wired to protect you from the potential threat of the unfamiliar, it will trigger the uncertainty and insecurity that stems from tackling the unknown. But how do you get past the self-doubt and reach your full potential? How do you eradicate this enemy between your ears?

On today's edition of Women's Empowerment School, Sylvia is teaching us how to fight back when self-doubt threatens our confidence. She discusses the mental, emotional and physical manifestations of self-doubt, explaining how growth and transformation serves as the trigger for those feelings. Sylvia describes the way our brains are wired to alert us to potential danger and how this plays out in the form of self-doubt anytime we are faced with change.

Sylvia offers insight around the price tag for self-doubt, addressing how we pay with our confidence, our relationships and even our bank accounts! She also reveals the hidden messages of celebration, encouragement and empowerment behind our self-doubt, explaining how to turn the stop signs into guide posts that help us move forward. Listen in for the five antidotes to self-doubt and learn how to reclaim your confidence with practical physical, social, emotional, spiritual and action-based strategies.

The mental, emotional and physical manifestations of self-doubt

How change serves as the primary trigger for self-doubt

How our brains are wired for survival rather than happiness

The price tag for self-doubt

• Pay with confidence, relationships and money
• Erodes our sense of integrity

The hidden messages of encouragement behind self-doubt

How to turn the stop signs of self-doubt into guide posts

The five antidotes to self-doubt

1. Physical—sleep, movement and healthy food
2. Social—reach out to allies, revisit positive feedback
3. Emotional—feel & release, shower self with compassion
4. Spiritual—meditation, prayer and grounding exercise
5. Action—break topic into tiny micro-steps

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Why are the best and brightest women still not reaching C-Suite positions? We can blame the system or society. We can point to a lack of role models or mentors. But what if a big part of the problem is us? What if we secretly have an aversion to power? What if, deep down, we are disgusted by the lack of ethics sometimes demonstrated by top-ranked executives? What if we are really afraid of losing our femininity and becoming like 'them'?

Today, Sylvia is digging deep into the attraction/aversion dilemma of power. She offers insight around the secret disgust of power she has encountered in working with women in the female pipeline and what she calls the ping-pong of goal-pursuing, where women are consciously working toward a goal but subconsciously averse to realizing their vision.

Sylvia explains why women stuck in the aversion/attraction dilemma choose inaction, self-sabotage, or simply turn down great opportunities. Listen in for insight on conducting an honest inquiry into your own attraction and aversion to power and learn how to begin letting go of judgement and longing to access your full power—with magical ease!

Topics Covered

The corporate commitment to creating a female pipeline for executive positions

The classic reasons why women did not reach C-Suite positions

• Glass ceiling, lack of mentors/role models
• Lack of spousal support or childcare
• Poor stress resilience, hormones and mother guilt

Sylvia's insight around women's secret repulsion for power

The fear women have of losing their femininity and integrity by embracing power

Sylvia's idea of the ping pong of goal-pursuing

How the aversion/attraction dilemma shows up as inaction or self-sabotage

Why women stuck in the ambivalence of goal-pursuing turn down opportunities

How to conduct an honest inquiry of your own attraction and aversion to power

The value in recognizing how your ambivalence has played out in your career

Why we must let go of both our judgement of AND longing for power

The ultimate evolution to a true partnership between men and women

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As women, we have a lot to overcome in the process of reclaiming our power. Not only are we fighting the biases of people around us, we also have to overcome our own subconscious belief that power is inherently male. How do we go about rewiring our brains and empowering ourselves to take control of our lives?

On this episode of Women's Empowerment School, Sylvia is tackling the topic of power. She shares her expanded definition of power to include an influence over our own behavior and thinking in addition to the behavior of others. Sylvia encourages us to consider the power dynamic between the male and female adults we grew up with and the way we have been hardwired to associate power with men.

Sylvia covers powerful female figures in history, discussing how Roman historians portrayed Cleopatra and why the idea of a powerful woman as unnatural and dangerous persists to this day. Listen in for insight on what it means to be empowered and learn Sylvia's 5-step process for reclaiming your power—starting right now!

The definition of power as the capacity to direct and influence behavior/events

Sylvia's expanded definition of power to include our own behavior and thinking

How we discover the joyful experience of power as small children

The impact of observing the power distribution between our mothers and fathers

How the family power dynamic may or may not align with that of society/culture

How we are hardwired to believe that power is inherently male

Why powerful women are perceived as unnatural, dangerous and perverse

The definition of empower as giving someone the strength to control their lives

Sylvia's 5 steps to empower yourself

1. Gender neutralize concept of power
2. Declare: 'It is natural, it is safe for me to reclaim my power'
3. Collect evidence of power in writing (minimum of 30 days)
4. Set goals to expand power
5. Go for goals in supported way

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Chapter one of Sylvia's book "Instant Insights on 12 Leadership Powers for Successful Women". Power- Statement to use like an affirmation saying it out loud repeatedly: "I align my brain for success and my life with my purpose." Questions for you to journal about to start realizing where you are on your EVElutionaryTM path towards total alignment: 1. What are my conscious desires? / What goals do I choose to pursue?

1. What gets stirred up when I put my attention on my goals? Fears? Resistances?
2. What is important for me in life?
3. What red flags warn me that I am in danger of hurting myself by compromising an important value?
4. How good is my time and energy management when it comes to juggling all my different roles?
5. How clear and strong am I in setting healthy boundaries between my roles and duties? Resources: Link to buy Sylvia's international Amazon bestseller on Amazon: "Instant Insights of 12 Leadership Powers of Successful Women"

Link to the Women's Empowerment School: www.becker-hill.com

Is it possible to rise through the ranks of corporate leadership to become a high-level executive—without abandoning your femininity? And if so, how do you override the patriarchy between your own ears and show up as a strong woman who speaks her mind? Better yet, how do you leverage your strengths to build an internal network of support that helps all talented women rise?

In the last 20 years, Christa has worked in human resources departments across the globe in a number of industries, from politics to retail to pharmaceuticals to sport, building internal coaching programs and support networks to promote female executives.

Today, Christa joins Sylvia to explain why visibility is a challenge for women in the corporate world. Christa describes how passion inspires her to speak her mind and shares her strategy for preparing for a meeting by anticipating the emotional response. Christa and Sylvia discuss the impact of cultural values on the number of women in executive leadership in a given region and the value in designing a strategic plan for your career goals. Listen in for Christa's advice on embracing your femininity, creating a network of support, and maintaining a playful approach to life!

Christa's diverse HR experience across cultures and industries

Why visibility is a challenge for women in the corporate world

How passion and integrity support Christa in speaking her mind

Christa's view that women are more open to feedback

How Christa's bigger VISION helps her through difficult days

How to prepare for a meeting by anticipating the emotional response

How cultural values impact the presence of women in executive positions

Christa's insight on developing a plan around family and career

How Christa maintains work-life balance with a focus on wellness

The truth about the importance of appearance and professional dress

How male executives can provide opportunities for women to be visible

Why solidarity among women in the corporate environment is not a given

How to build an internal network of support for women in a large company

Christa's advice around taking on different roles and embracing play

Christa's philosophy for successful female corporate leadership

• Have fun, be brave, network, stay female and be authentic

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In this episode Sylvia starts the process of dismantling the patriarchy in our minds by discussing one of the 10 Patriarchal Commandments Women face around the world:

"Be quiet! Don't be heard and don't oppose, so others don't feel threatened or uncomfortable."

This is the one which cost women literally millions of money over their life-time, confidence, freedom, self-expression, relationships, leadership, sense of integrity… and the world their creativity, brilliance and solutions which only can come from women (alone or in partnership with men's voices.)

Listen to Sylvia's thoughts to be inspired to find your voice and raise it for the betterment of your life and the world around you. Follow her ritual invitation to feel safe to do so.

Take with you the EVElutionary permission slip:

"I am free and safe to share my truth. Other people's reactions to it is their business not mine."

Use this journaling questions, to start freeing up your voice: 1. Where in my life do I shut up and don't say what I think?

1. What is the emotion and the belief behind that withhold?
2. What is the price I pay for that withhold?
3. What is lacking in my life and environment because of it?
4. What do I need to stop the withhold and share my voice?
5. What would I say if I trusted to be safe?
6. How would I feel expressing myself freely?
7. What will the world gain because of my liberated voice?

9. When and where will I practice next to speak my truth? Resources: Link to the Women's Empowerment School: www.becker-hill.com