This one question makes every hard conversation better

Explicit content warning

03/04/20 • 21 min

Most miscommunications and blow-ups happen because we enter into a tricky conversation without much thought. We’re angry, or frustrated, or overwhelmed – so we fire back words that don’t truly reflect what we feel, nor how we want to show up in the world.

We react first, and process later. We let our emotions rule before we can even stop and consider what we think and feel about the situation, and how we best want to handle it.

As leaders though, we will be faced with tricky and sticky conversations again and again. How we show up to them matters and with practice, we can get better at this.

And it always, always starts with this one question.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.

The Accelerator Sessions – private accountability coaching

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

We react first, and process later. We let our emotions rule before we can even stop and consider what we think and feel about the situation, and how we best want to handle it.

As leaders though, we will be faced with tricky and sticky conversations again and again. How we show up to them matters and with practice, we can get better at this.

And it always, always starts with this one question.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.

The Accelerator Sessions – private accountability coaching

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Previous Episode

This is one thing every leader must commit to

“Learning is not compulsory...neither is survival.”

~ W. Edwards Deming

In 2003, I took part in a program called Leadership Calgary (now called the Human Venture Institute). This program was instrumental in my personal and professional development, and in many ways has shaped who I have become.

A few years ago, I decided to revisit the program through an alumni 10-month program offering. Given that it had been 13 years since I spent much time with the concepts, it wasn’t an easy re-entry.

Over the course of the program, I wrestled with feeling like I was on the trailing edge compared to the others in the room who have taken the program more recently and stayed connected along the way.

I felt insecure. I doubted my own intelligence. And many, many times I questioned if it was worth continuing. As such, I held myself back from actively contributing, and stayed in my comfort zone as an observer.

And yet, something kept nudging me to keep going.

At one point, I needed to make a decision about whether to continue. A friend and fellow long-time alum was also wrestling with the same issue, so we hopped on a conference call with a guide in the program to sort through it.

I’ll spare you the details, but I stuck with the program.

Here’s why, and how it may be useful to you.

Enjoy the episode.

Recommended Resources:

Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.

Human Venture Institute

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Next Episode

[new series]: Masterminds, Communities and Networking

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

~Coretta Scott King

I’m excited to kick-off a brand new series on the podcast all about masterminds, communities and networking for leaders. I’ve been planning this series for a while and given that spring is hopefully right around the corner, it’s a good time to think about getting out into the world and building relationships and deepening connections.

And the good news is that all of what we’ll be talking about over the series also translates to the digital world.

If you can’t travel, if accessibility is a challenge for you, if you’re a raging introvert or if unexpected forces ie. Coronavirus prohibits going into crowds, we can always leverage the power of online masterminds, communities and networking to support our connection goals.

Today we’re going to talk briefly about all three, and why they matter in your own leadership development path. It’s easy to take connection and community for granted in our busy, on-demand world, but it’s a vital component to how we get better as leaders and how we stay resilient in the face of uncertainty, change and setbacks.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.

Learn more and apply to the Leadership League Mastermind

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter