How to Lead With Relaxed Authority
Sarah* was trained to follow instructions and win at an early age.
She became a stand-out student, athlete, and musician. She attended great schools, landed competitive internships, and was on track to surpass her own career expectations…but recent years her relationship had begun to slip.
Her deep-seated drive to avoid missteps, expedite decisions, and impress stakeholders consumed all her time and energy, and she was finding it impossible to…
…distribute her impressive workload
…stay ‘in her body’ during high-stakes conversations
…dedicate herself to high-impact initiatives
…sleep through the night without reaching for her phone
But most heartbreaking of all, her inability to do these things was further undermining her belief that she was suited to lead good change at the highest level.
UNCOVER THE SOURCE OF YOUR CHRONIC STRESS
Sarah sought me out because she realized, at 43, that she didn’t know how to perform her corporate leadership role any other way, and no business book or workshop had helped!
She quietly confided in me, “I’m afraid I’ve learned to succeed in spite of myself.”
So Sarah and I got to work and we went deep…
In just two and a half sessions, Sarah uncovered the source of her anxious ambition and chronic stress - the specific parts of her performance mindset that have been fueling her most unproductive work habits.
By session three, we rebuilt her beliefs and perceptions about work at the deepest level, which reactivated her imagination and motivation to make some fundamentally different choices at work. We also started customizing a personal practice she could do to stay connected to her new performance mindset.
But after session three, some truly most remarkable changes started to occur for Sarah…
TRUST YOURSELF TO MAKE THE RIGHT CALLS
Not only was Sarah recovering her confidence and her drive, she was also starting to behave differently at work.
By mid-week, Sarah texted me to say she’d off-loaded a significant project because “it wasn’t meant for me.”
The following Monday, she texted me again to say she’d spoken up at a conference - completely off the cuff! - and was subsequently swarmed by high-level attendees seeking extra consultation.
By session four, she reported that several of her stakeholders commented that a strategic planning session she led felt “different,” “more conversational,” and “worthwhile.”
Of course, I had to find out the answer too so I asked, “What's changed for you, Sarah?”
She replied, “I can’t put my finger on it. I just feel more relaxed.”
bECOME THE LEADER EVERYONE WANTS TO FOLLOW
In all the years I’ve been consulting and coaching, I have never had a client say it so plainly, but what Sarah reported is exactly what it feels like to be ‘unlocked’ - to heal chronic stress and start leading with relaxed authority.
And when you learn how to do this, everything gets a little bit easier!
You cut through the noise and prioritize the right work without second-guessing yourself.
You maintain an elevated perspective and use your energy more effectively.
You outperform your own expectations and help your people do so too!
*The name has been changed to protect client confidentiality.
With Sarah, as with all of my clients, the challenge is rarely a lack of experience, expertise, or skill. Elevating your career performance really boils down to unlearning some of your most unproductive habits, and I can help you do just that!
