Listen, Lead, and Love Your Work - A Conversation with Michele Stowe
Release Date: 03/18/2025
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info_outlineHow important it is to walk along, not in haste but slowly, looking at everything
and calling out
Yes! No!
The swan, for all his pomp, his robes of grass and petals, wants only to be allowed to live on the nameless pond. The catbrier is without fault. The water thrushes, down among the sloppy rocks, are going crazy with happiness. Imagination is better than a sharp instrument. To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.
— Mary Oliver, "Yes! No!" Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays, Beacon Press, Boston, 2003, p. 27
In this week’s release of A Leadership Beyond, hosts Adrienne Guerrero and Tom Rosenak welcomed Michele Stowe, founder of Skyrocket Coaching, to discuss her continuous journey of aligning work with her core life values. Michele's story offers valuable insights for leaders seeking to create healthier work environments, achieve success with personal balance.
During the interview, Michele shared valuable insights about leadership and energy management along with other insights:
- The impact of energy: Nonprofit C-suite leaders are experiencing unprecedented challenges in today's environment. One client told her, "I just don't want to keep leading in unprecedented times," having navigated through the pandemic and continued uncertainty. There are always trade offs and we must learn to make choices with greater intentionality.
- Intentional role modeling: Leaders must be thoughtful about how they spend their time and demonstrate this to their teams. By showing employees that there are various ways to restore energy—whether through hiking, playing music, or spending time with family—leaders create space for everyone to find what works for them.
- Understanding cultural dynamics: Michele emphasized the importance of recognizing the cultural dynamics at play in an organization—including geographic, sector-specific, company, and generational differences in work expectations—and determining whether one's values align with that culture.
After interviewing 100 nonprofit C-suite leaders with more than five years in their roles, Michele developed a framework for effective leadership: The Listen, Lead, and Love Your Work framework which she shares during our conversation.
Michelle's story reminds us that leaders have the power to shape both their own work experiences and their organizational cultures. By listening deeply, modeling self-care, finding joy in work, and establishing meaningful measures of success, leaders can create environments where both they and their teams thrive.
To follow and connect with Michele:
Website: Skyrocket Coaching
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-stowe-pcc-9458314/
A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization). Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.
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