Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Prioritize the journey over the destination
Release Date: 12/06/2023
Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Reframing Feedback
Illustrating Leadership
In this solo episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, I explore one of the most essential—and often most challenging—skills for leaders: feedback. Whether you’re offering it or receiving it, feedback can stir up discomfort, self-doubt, or defensiveness. But when it’s done well, it becomes one of the strongest tools we have for building trust, growth, and connection on our teams. Reframing Feedback as a Leadership Tool Many leaders approach feedback as if it’s inherently negative or confrontational, but feedback is simply information. It’s not a judgment of your...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: The Importance of Company Culture
Illustrating Leadership
In this episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Marianna Kinnee, founder of Might in Motion and Director of Facility Implementation at Vector. Marianna’s career journey—from internships in manufacturing to leadership in the tech startup and supply chain space—illustrates the power of diverse perspectives, intentional mentorship, and data-driven decision-making in shaping modern leadership. Learning from Internships and Early Lessons Marianna’s leadership story began with two pivotal internships. At a paper mill, she discovered that while chemical engineering...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Using Your Emotions as Data
Illustrating Leadership
Emotions as Leadership Data: Turning Feelings Into Your Secret Advantage So often, leaders are told: don’t let emotions get in the way, keep it professional, stick to the facts. But here’s the truth—emotions are facts. They’re physiological, neurological, and deeply tied to how we make decisions, build trust, and experience the world. In this solo episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, I shared why emotions aren’t a liability—they’re information. And if you know how to interpret them, you gain a powerful edge in leading yourself and others. Emotions Are Signposts, Not...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Building Confidence Through Personal Style
Illustrating Leadership
In this episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, Jessica welcomes Robin Fisher, a personal stylist and image coach, to discuss the impact of personal style on confidence and leadership. Robin shares insights from her 16-year career as the CEO and founder of Polished Image and Style, an image consulting and styling firm based in DC. Listeners will learn about the importance of showing up authentically, building a capsule wardrobe, and working within budgets to enhance their professional presence. Robin also offers practical tips for leaders on how to refine their personal style,...
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Illustrating Leadership Lessons: Systems Will Save You
Illustrating Leadership
Being an effective leader, whether in your own venture or within an organization, requires adaptability and strategic thinking. On this episode of the Illustrating Leadership podcast, we caught up with Michelle MacNeil, a systems business coach with a unique perspective shaped by her dual life as a businesswoman and farmer in Alberta, Canada. Michelle's journey and insights offer invaluable lessons on how systems can transform challenges into opportunities, offering leaders the freedom and efficiency they crave. Understanding Systems: The Backbone of Efficiency Michelle shared her...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: When Life as You Know It is Over
Illustrating Leadership
Please enjoy this incredible conversation with Maggie Kang, a Healthcare and Life coach, and former radiologist. Maggie's journey reflects growth through life-altering challenges and can offer valuable lessons for everyone. The Unexpected Journey Maggie shares an intimate and heartfelt narrative about her daughter, Nell, who was diagnosed with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum disease, a rare neurological autoimmune disorder. This diagnosis marked the beginning of a challenging chapter for Maggie and her family, as they navigated the complexities of living with a rare and incurable disease. As...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Know your strengths
Illustrating Leadership
Thanks for listening to this conversation with Anna Larson, a Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach and marketing strategist. Her insights on leveraging personal and team strengths provide a roadmap for leaders aiming to enhance both personal and group performance. Discovering Your CliftonStrengths The CliftonStrengths assessment, developed by Don Clifton, offers a transformative approach to self-awareness and team dynamics. With over 33 million completions, this robust tool evaluates 34 strengths, grouping them into four categories: executing, influencing, relationship building, and...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Take Time to Breathe
Illustrating Leadership
We're diving deep into the topic of breathing – something we all do but often overlook in terms of its importance and nuances. Surprisingly, effective breathing can have a profound impact on our leadership capabilities and overall well-being. Breathing 101: The Science Behind the Breath Hamra starts by breaking down the basics of breathing and respiration. Breathing is a mechanical process of taking air into the lungs and releasing it, while respiration involves the gas exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide. Through our breaths, air travels from the nose to the lungs,...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Leading Through Stress
Illustrating Leadership
Meet Michele Thompson Michele brings a wealth of knowledge from her 27 years as a nurse, with 17 of those specifically in the senior care sector. Her mission today is to help organizations and their leaders create psychologically safe workplaces where employees never want to leave. Beyond Job Titles: Redefining Leadership Leadership, as Michele emphasizes, is more than just a job title—it’s an influence that extends across all areas of life. During the podcast, Michele redefined leadership by sharing how nurses and healthcare workers demonstrated exceptional leadership during the...
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Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Sleep is Key
Illustrating Leadership
As a leader, it's difficult to get enough rest, let alone good quality sleep. Many of us find ourselves trapped in a cycle of sleeplessness, stress, and compromised productivity. On this episode of the Illustrating Leadership podcast, I had the pleasure of hosting Monica LeBaron, a seasoned sleep coach and author of . Our conversation shed light on the transformative power of sleep and how leaders can harness it to enhance their personal and professional lives. Meet Monica LeBaron: From Personal Struggle to Sleep Expert Monica's journey into the world of sleep coaching began with her personal...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Illustrating Leadership podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Alyssa Smith, an international educator and certified clarity and transition coach. Alyssa brings a wealth of experience in teaching, coaching, and navigating significant life transitions. Join us as we explore her leadership journey and the impactful leader she shares with us.
Alyssa introduces us to a remarkable leader originally from Germany, a leader of educators she encountered during her teaching years. This leader's impact on Alyssa was significant, and she shares a pivotal moment that defined the essence of her leadership.
Process over Solutions
Alyssa recounts a planning meeting where the team faced challenges in defining the central idea for a unit. The leader, rather than imposing solutions, observed with a calm and open demeanor. With moments to spare, she gently intervened with a simple yet powerful question: "What if?" This sparked a transformative moment, shifting the focus from the leader's knowledge to the team's collaborative efforts.
The leader's approach highlighted the value of openness, the power of collaboration, and the importance of an ego-free leadership style. Alyssa reflects on how this experience influenced her role as an educator and now as a clarity and transition coach. The concept of guiding from the side, creating space, and modeling trust has become a cornerstone of her leadership philosophy.
Coaching High Achieving Women Through Transitions
As a clarity and transition coach, Alyssa specializes in supporting high-achieving women facing significant life changes, such as grief and loss. Drawing from her personal experience of losing her mother unexpectedly, Alyssa guides her clients through the process of self-discovery, helping them navigate transitions, make intentional choices, and grow into their next selves.
In a heartfelt conclusion, Alyssa shares the transformative power of coaching in her life and expresses her commitment to helping others discover their inner strength during challenging times. Her coaching philosophy centers on unlocking potential, fostering collaboration, and navigating transitions with grace. To learn more about Alyssa and her coaching services, connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Instagram.
Your host, Jessica Wright, is the Founder and Career Transformation Coach at Wright Life Coaching, LLC. Have you ever found your unhappiness at work seeping into the rest of your life? Through one-on-one coaching, Jessica helps you make a decision about whether you want to stay at your current job and turn it into a more fulfilling place to be- or go and find new work that you love and pays what you want. She is then with you through the implementation of whatever you decide you you can create a much more joyful life.
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