The leadership blog for successful women

Waking up in the morning and reaching for the phone is really easy. Even easier to quickly check the e-mails and being immediately sucked in by all the demand coming from right, left and center.

Or reading something that immediately could ruin my day.

Been there, done that.

I used to stumble into my days like that.

Of course I planned and (almost) always had my "to-do" lists and made an effort to work through them. Most days though it did not work out. Too many distractions, too many things to do anyway.

Leaving me exhausted and dissatisfied….mostly with myself.

The rare days where everything went smoothly were great but the exception.

So I asked myself the question: What if more days could be smoother, go in the direction I'd like them to go and feel great at the end of it?

The power of INTENTION SETTING

Some years ago then  - during one of the courses I attended - I heard about intention setting.

Yeah - great.... another tool (how many "productivity tools do you...

Are you ready to take charge?

Are you prepared to walk into some discomfort?

There is a reason I ask those questions - because if you're not - this podcast is not for you.

Admittedly we all cringe when being confronted with what most of us would call "negative" or "bad" emotions. 

Many of us rather pull our fingernails out than talk or even deal with that kind of stuff. 

I get it - it's uncomfortable, it might even create some fear ("how the heck do I deal with it anyway?"), but quite honestly - I've experienced that the whole topic is much easier to deal with than I thought years ago. 

And still, many people don't know the HOW and just want them to go away. 

Pushing them away comes with a price though. 

AND there are convincing reasons why all of us better talk about this topic. To be precise - in this podcast, you'll learn about 6 of them - pretty sure there are even more. 

So, here's what I'm talking about:

1. The 6 reasons WHY it's so...

….is….to feel good.

 Huh?

 "That is not rocket science, Claudia...I really expected something more spectacular!" - you might think.

You're right - it isn't. 

The thing is - good can mean many different things for different people.

AND - many don't. Feel good that is (reason enough to talk about it!)

At least not when they are honest with themselves and don't put the social media or "professional" mask on.

Because they're waiting for the next thing to happen to ALLOW themselves to feel good.

 The infamous.....

If/when I do/achieve/have ……I will feel great/happy/good/successful….(fill in the blanks).

Tricky though. Cause it might not happen.

IF it comes though... the money, the career, the lover…they can all trigger us feeling great. Nothing wrong with that.

BUT today I have a different suggestion.

Listen in to this week's podcast to my pondering of:

1. What "good" means for different people
2. Why the circumstances or other...

Those who know me a bit longer know that during the last years I've always chosen one or some words each year.

Words for what is important for me in life (and work) - and to focus on them throughout the year.

It does not replace setting (external) goals - it rather complements it. 

This year I chose 3 words.

Contrary to last year - where I only came to define them in February - this year they bubbled up fairly easily. I tried them on, rolled them over in my head and heart and waited for them to resonate.

They did. 

In this podcast series you'll hear

• WHY defining a (or more) word(s) for the year make sense for everybody
• What these words have to do with your external goals
• What my words are (and why I chose them)

What I forgot to mention (despite announcing it during the podcast...) is how I make sure I won't forget these words throughout the year - so they don't meet the same fate as most NY's resolutions ;-)....as...

... for being or becoming a great leader. Or simply having the life you really want. 

One relationship?

Really? We need a whole network and many relationships to be successful, don't we?

Yes, absolutely.

And still, success and leadership starts somewhere else.

THE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF.

And having a good one is in fact rarer than you might think!

Last week I had several  conversations with people and I listened to a number of issues and challenges people face in their leadership roles. 

And  interestingly ALL of them led back to the same root cause: namely that the leaders  have not enough awareness of themselves and did not know themselves intimately.

We tend to look outside and notice other peoples's behaviour, their flaws, their patterns, their perks.

What many don't do often: look inside. 

Totally natural - we tend to be rather blind towards some of our own stuff for a number of reasons.

The most important one: NOBODY TAUGHT US HOW TO DO...

I'm currently reading a book which deals with a topic I'm exploring: how different men and women "tick" and what that means for communication and relationships inside and outside of the business environment.

It actually opens up a completely new aspect for, but not exclusively, leadership.

The book provided me with some insights which made sense to me, nothing revolutionary though.

Until I came to a part of the story where the author describes the different ways of thinking.

The masculine or male way - single focused.
And the feminine or female way - the brain goes in all kinds of directions.

Btw - this is not necessarily about gender...but often is...more in the podcast.

The fact is though - it impacts communication big time.
I clearly noticed that when the author describes the typical dynamic as a result of the differences. I had to laugh out loud - not necessarily because it was funny, but because I felt that she was talking about me (and some of the men in my life).

What an...

We need to stop glamorizing overwork and busyness - please! 

It's nothing to be applauded. Particularly when the consequences are dire. And still too many people wear exhaustion, a fully packed calendar which does not leave any breathing space and even burnout as a badge of honour. 

Why? 

Well, there are a number of factors. Having to do with beliefs we grew up with in our society (and believe me - they are utterly unhelpful!) and because we live in a (working) world where demands are so high that - most of the time - they literally cannot be fulfilled. 

Sounds like a conundrum? Maybe.

You've got the power though - to change it. 

Listen in to this week's Monday thoughts to learn:

1. The two major beliefs that keep us stuck in overworking and busyness
2. The underlying reasons why it's so hard to say good bye to overwork
3. The 3 main strategies to get out of overwork and busyness and towards more joy and energy.

Got any questions or comments? Just drop me an...

We all have them. Some many, some less. Some are very conscious about them (not SOO many though), most only sense them when they are crossed. Some give them a lot of thought, others none. 

Boundaries.

And different people around me react VERY different to this topic. Some believe boundaries are totally overrated, others keep a whole rule book and have not the slightest bit of flexibility. 

Question is though - why do we need them at all?  What's their purpose?

AND - how do I know or explore mine (got a nice and easy tool here).

And if we know them - what do we do with them then...particularly when they are crossed?

And why is it that we let others cross those boundaries? 

Valid questions. And I'm giving it a shot to answer them in this week's Monday Thoughts. 

Let me know what you think and/or if you agree or disagree.

Enjoy! 

Fear is the worst advisor in our life. And often people pay attention to it or their decisions are influenced by it without even realizing that it's fear they're listening to.

Been there, done that - and sometimes still do (when my awareness is lacking!). 

Fear is a common and daily companion for most people....and let's face it... it has its place and can prevent us from taking unnecessary risks...like crossing a motorway during rush hour.

The sensation of fear does not distinguish though between an actual threat to our life....or an emotional threat. It simply kicks in - worst case with dire consequences for our life costing us more than we care to admit.

Listen in to learn:

1. Why fear is such a bad advisor
2. The 4 main costs we pay for letting fear reign
3. The 2 major ingredients of the alternative way

PS: If you have any comments or questions, just drop me an e-mail at [email protected]

Do you know the feeling when someone annoys the hell out of you or something happens that kicks you out of balance and you simply react? In a way you always do when your "buttons" are pushed. 

Leading to feeling frustrated, angry or upset - and we're quick to blame the other person or the circumstances for that. 

There is a different way though. One that gives you control and power back. 

Listen in to 

1. What the power of response is
2. The two steps necessary to access and activate it

PS: Any questions or comments - just send me a message on [email protected]