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Women Taking the Lead

The Women Taking the Lead podcast is a resource for women leaders, allies, and organizations looking to promote more women into senior leadership. Episode formats include specific leadership challenges, "on-air" coaching with women leaders, and interviews with internal talent and organizational development leaders. Women Taking the Lead inspires women to overcome self-doubt and lead with confidence, integrity and a sense of humor.
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Now displaying: October, 2020
Oct 26, 2020

In this episode I’m going to cover being forceful versus being influential. We all have an idea of what we want and there are many strategies we can utilize to accomplish our goal. However, in regard to using force, which many of us can default into because of the short-term gains, there are many more benefits to cultivating influence even though it takes more time and conscious intention.

Hello, I’m Jodi Flynn and welcome to the Women Taking the Lead podcast. I’m an executive leadership coach, author, speaker, workshop facilitator and I have the joy to work with women leaders who want to hone the skills they’ll need to thrive in Senior Leadership. I know I’ve met a woman I would love to work with when we start having a few laughs about our tendencies toward perfectionism and people pleasing.

I have been living in Maine for the past 18 years and thanks to the beauty of technology I’ve been able to work with women all over the world.

I do individual coaching as well as workshops and team retreats. I am currently in the processes of taking my coaching system and turning it into an online course for those who prefer a Do-It-Yourself model of learning.

I am the current President of the board for The Maine Women's Conference and I am a Curriculum Partner for a Women’s Leadership development program through Real Women Collective Action (RWCA).

I spend my free time catching up with friends and family, planning trips to Virginia to visit my guy, working out and watching the Great British Baking Show.

Communication and Relationships

Because of my expertise in communication and relationship building there have been times I’ve been approached by organizations looking for scripts of what to say. And hearing what this episode was going to cover, you may also have wondered if there are the right things to say to be more influential.

I always respectfully hear what they have to say and why they want these scripts and then I explain to them that communication, relationship building, and gaining influence are more about who you are being that what you are saying.

When I talk about who you are being, I’m referring to your demeanor, your attitude and the overall experience you are creating for the other person or people around you.

You’ve probably heard this before: communication is comprised of only 7% word choice or verbal communication. The other 93% is split 38% vocal (think tone of voice, inflection, volume, etc.) and the final 55% is nonverbal communication (facial expressions and body language).

That means, that while you may have 7% of your communication nailed down the other 93% of what you are communicating may not be in your conscious control. Even if you can get conscious control of some of your vocal and nonverbal communication and get that percentage up to 50% or 60%, you still have 40%-50% of your communication sending different messages.

[Listen in to get more information on transforming subtle force, which only gives you short-term gains, into influence.

How to Increase Your Influence

  • Have a strong sense of integrity; keep your word
  • Be clear on your core values and live by them
  • Be confident and secure in who you are and your abilities
  • Continue to develop yourself personally and professionally
  • Respect and treat the people you lead with fairness
  • Own up to your mistakes and make amends
  • Be inclusive, invite others in, letting them be a part of the process
  • Make others feel valued and heard
  • Be agile and flexible, especially when faced with challenges
  • Demonstrate openness, transparency, humility and intelligence
  • Have a good sense of humor; value fun and enjoyment in the workplace and elsewhere
  • Take your work seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously
  • Be curious and embody a sense of possibility
  • Assume good intent
  • Inspire people by sharing your vision with them and helping them to see themselves in that vision
  • Be a team player and make others happy to be on your team, playing alongside you
  • Be willing to roll up your sleeves, work hard, and do what it takes
  • and so much more...

If you are already doing these things you are probably very in tune with having a blessed life. Well done and keep going. We are blessed to have you among us.

And, if while going through that list you realized you could use some support in developing any of the characteristics and the demeanor that creates influence, I would love to partner with you on this. What is so great about coaching is the things that help to make you a better leader are the things that cause you to be happier and healthier in all areas of your life.

If you’re ready or you would like to hear more about how coaching can help you develop influence reach out to me at jodi@womentakingthelead.com. It would be an honor to be a part of your journey.

And if you thought of a friend or colleague whom this episode would be helpful to, please share it with them. Some of the most useful resources I’ve gained on my journey have come as recommendations from those who cared about me.

As always, I hope this was helpful to you, and here’s to your success!

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Zebralove Web SolutionsYour website tells a story about your business! At Zebralove Web Solutions, Milly and her team are going to make sure your website tells the story you want your customers to hear. Connect with Milly at zebralovewebsolutions.com to create the impression you want to make!

Resources

Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to DoingA simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen.

Create Goals that are Worthy of you: If you are done with either pursuing vanilla goals, suffering through the struggle of goals that are not aligned with your strengths, or dealing with heartbreak of an unattainable goal this course is for you!

Oct 19, 2020

Mary Cheyne is a TEDx speaker, MBA and Transformational Public Speaking Trainer & Coach who has trained over 15,000 people in 30 cities internationally. Mary is the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking first runner-up, out of 25,000 contestants from 14 countries and is also the best-selling author of the book, “Present” Yourself in Public Speaking – Tell Your Inner Critic to SHUT UP! And the Real You to SPEAK UP!

Mary is proof that transformation is possible, as she began her career as a self-conscious, introverted computer programmer!

Two fun facts about Mary is that she also holds a Karate Black Belt rank and plays the ukulele. 

In this episode Mary and I discuss...

  • The invisible force that causes you to hesitate to speak up even though you know what you’re talking about
  • How to manage your inner critic so it doesn’t sabotage your best efforts
  • Public speaking is not people’s #1 fear. Do you know what is?
  • What it means to wake up the warrior woman with yourself
  • How to be confident and assert yourself in any situation

Links

Download the “Bypass Your Inner Critic” Cheat Sheet:  https://magneticpodium.com/InnerCriticSummary/

Website: https://www.magneticpodium.com

Watch Mary’s TEDx Talk: The Hidden Power of Bruce Lee that We All Have https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq7FxNyKURY

WTL Leadership Survey

I’d love it if you could help me to do some research on the coaching and training that is most needed right now. I’ve put together a quick survey (5-10 minutes) to gather this information so I can make sure you are getting exactly what you need as a leader right now and in the near future.

Go to womentakingthelead.com/survey to add your voice to this project.

Thank you so much for your help!

Sponsors

Zebralove Web Solutions: Close your online marketing skills gap, learn how to remain relevant in a quickly changing marketplace, and get ongoing support in promoting your businesses online. Stay ahead of the game by signing up for these Digital Marketing Forum. Go to womentakingthelead.com/zebraworkshops to register.

Resources

Create Goals that are Worthy of you: If you are done with either pursuing vanilla goals, suffering through the struggle of goals that are not aligned with your strengths, or dealing with heartbreak of an unattainable goal this course is for you!

Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to DoingA simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen.

Oct 12, 2020

Were you one of the people who, when the pandemic shut downs began, took a step back to reflect on how you were living your life; checking in to see if you were on the right track?

If you didn’t like what you were seeing, you’ve probably been doing some research to see what changes you could make and how to make those changes. From there, the next natural step is to get into action.

When the pandemic began, I redid a series on the Cycle of Change and completed 3 of the 4 phases that make up the Cycle of Change. The phases I covered were: The Toss-In Phase or the ending of a cycle, The Shuffle Phase which includes deciding what you want to do next, and The Deal Phase when you decide what strategy you’ll utilize in the next phase.

The timing did not feel right to cover the final phase back in the spring but I am feeling it now.

In this episode, we’re going to cover the fourth and final phase of the cycle of change, Play the Game.

Hi, I’m Jodi Flynn and welcome to the Women Taking the Lead podcast. I’m an executive leadership coach, author, speaker, workshop facilitator and I have the joy to work with women leaders who want to hone the skills they’ll need to thrive in Senior Leadership. I know I’ve met a woman I would love to work with when we start having a few laughs about our tendencies toward perfectionism and people pleasing.

Originally from Massachusetts I have been living in Maine for the past 18 years. Thanks to the beauty of technology I’ve been able to work with women all over the world. If you have a device and Wi-Fi we can work together.

I do individual coaching as well as workshops and team retreats. I am currently in the processes of taking my coaching system and turning it into an online course for those who prefer a Do-It-Yourself model of learning.

I am the current President of the board for The Maine Women's Conference and I am a Curriculum Partner for a Women’s Leadership development program through Real Women Collective Action (RWCA).

I spend my free time catching up with friends and family, FaceTiming my boyfriend who lives in Virginia, working out and watching the Great British Baking Show.

Play the Game (Action!)

“Play the Game” is an exciting and mostly positive time during the Cycle of Change when you are all-in to live your dreams and reach new levels of success, fulfillment and well-being.

Whereas in previous stages you were either reflecting on the past or imagining the future, this phase is about being fully in the moment.

You are living the strategy and the plan you created in The Deal Phase.

It is a time of action but the amount of action you will take in this phase is based on your personality, how clear you are on your goal, how feasible your plan is and how much support you have.

That’s why The Deal Phase is so crucial to set you up for success in this phase, though most plans will work if you can only get out of your own way.

What that means is in the Play the Game Phase it’s important to manage your inner critic, which always comes to life when you are doing something new, big or scary. This is where self-doubt can start to plague you and if you allow it too much power you will unconsciously begin to self-sabotage.

Know that it is natural and normal for your inner critic to try to have a field day with you. Change the perspective that hearing your inner critic is a bad thing. Rather, hearing your inner critic means you are playing full out and that’s a great thing.

If you are able to manage your inner critic you will, for the most part, feel harmonious, optimistic, determined and fully alive.

If you are able to remain flexible you will be able to pivot and adjust if things don’t go according to plan. Let’s face it, things rarely go exactly according to plan so it’s important not to get too attached to the plan or judge yourself and others too harshly for not expecting the unexpected.

Things may not go as planned but you are 100% in.

While this stage is usually associated with wins and success, it can also be the setting for disappointments, setbacks, and new challenges. You can probably look back on times in your life where the Play the Game Phase of the Cycle of Change did not go well.

If this is happening to you right now it’s important not to judge yourself too harshly. Look on what is happening as a valuable lesson that you can examine and learn from so you go into the next Cycle of Change stronger and wiser.

Place your focus on what is working and what is not working without judgment and you’ll be able to make adjustments and pivot pretty easily because you won’t be heaping the past and emotion on the situation. Remain nimble and empowered by staying curious and looking for opportunities no matter what is happening.

Being Fully in the Moment

People typically love this phase the most out of all of the four phases and wish it would continue on like this indefinitely, or better yet, for the rest of their lives.

Although that sounds great, chances are if you are still open to growth and being your best-self, you will be back in the Toss In Phase and the cycle will begin once again. It doesn’t mean you’ve backtracked, it actually means you are moving forward, even though it may not feel like it at first.

For instance, have you ever hit a time in your life when you want to stay in action because being in action makes you feel productive? However, if you are not regularly taking time and a step back to reflect on the goal and your progress, and making sure you are using the best strategy you will limit your own progress.

Every phase of the Cycle of Change is important and requires your participation, even if participating looks like sitting idle and looking out a window or writing in a journal. Powerful things are happening internally that will increase your chances of success the next time you find yourself ready to Play the Game.

What phase of the Cycle of Change are you currently in, in regard to your career? I’d love to hear from you. Send me a note at jodi@womentakingthelead.com or comment wherever you see a post for this episode.

Also, please share this episode with anyone in your life whom you think could benefit from it. Word of mouth is still one of the most effective ways for us to find the resources we need to make changes in our lives.

As always, I hope this was helpful to you and here’s to your success.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Zebralove Web SolutionsYour website tells a story about your business! At Zebralove Web Solutions, Milly and her team are going to make sure your website tells the story you want your customers to hear. Connect with Milly at zebralovewebsolutions.com to create the impression you want to make!

Resources

Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to DoingA simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen.

Create Goals that are Worthy of you: If you are done with either pursuing vanilla goals, suffering through the struggle of goals that are not aligned with your strengths, or dealing with heartbreak of an unattainable goal this course is for you!

Oct 5, 2020

Cara Macklin, a multi award-winning entrepreneur and business success coach has been recognized for her achievements including Women in Business Outstanding Innovation, IoD finalist Director of the Year for Innovation, Women in Business Young Business Woman of the Year and Northern Ireland’s Top 40 under 40 and has been featured on BBC, Thrive Global, TedX, and in 2021 on FOX TV

Both an entrepreneur and coach, Cara’s journey began at 5 years old, growing up in her family business where her education began around the kitchen table… Starting her first business at 15 and spent over 15 years as a Director in the family business an award-winning healthcare & hospitality group which grew from 3 businesses with 250 employees to 7 businesses and 600 employees. She disrupted the elderly healthcare industry in Ireland creating the first ‘Lifestyle Care Home’ cited by IoD chairman as a ‘world class concept.’

Cara left her family business and founded Caram as a Visionnaire Success Coach to elevate dynamic leaders ambitious to do things differently and achieve even more, through her unique blend of business acumen, creative thinking, and success mindset.

In this episode Cara and I discuss…

  • Cara’s work as a visionnaire success coach
  • The biggest challenges leaders have when working on the future vision and next level of the business
  • Cara’s success in working with teams to disrupted the elderly healthcare industry in Ireland.
  • Steps you can take to tap into your creativity to create a vision of success for you.

Links

Email: hello@caramacklin.com

Website: https://Caram.org.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caramacklin/

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Zebralove Web SolutionsClose your online marketing skills gap, learn how to remain relevant in a quickly changing marketplace, and get ongoing support in promoting your businesses online. Stay ahead of the game by signing up for these Digital Marketing Forum. Go to womentakingthelead.com/zebraworkshops to register.

Resources

Create Goals that are Worthy of you: If you are done with either pursuing vanilla goals, suffering through the struggle of goals that are not aligned with your strengths, or dealing with heartbreak of an unattainable goal this course is for you!

Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to DoingA simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen.

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