Becoming a successful executive coach requires more than just passion. Quality education, practical experience, cutting-edge coaching tools, and a strategy for acquiring your first clients are all part of the equation. This step-by-step guide will cover the most crucial aspects required to fast-track your journey to become a top-performing executive coach.

Leadership Circle’s global lead for enterprise coaching and top executive coach recognized for her dedication and impact

 

DRAPER, UTAH – Global leadership consulting firm Leadership Circle today announced that principal and Global Solutions Lead for Enterprise Coaching Suzanne Kietselaer was named Most Influential Adult Development Expert and Top Executive Coach as part of the 2023 Influential Businesswoman Awards.

The awards, presented by Acquisition International Magazine, recognize women who are a driving force for innovation, change, and empowerment. They honor those at the top of their fields in industries including interior design, holistic arts education, marketing, business coaching, and more.

In the official announcement, Awards Coordinator Jessie Wilson commented on the success of the winners: “I applaud our winners for their tenacity, sincerity, and passion for their respective businesses and fellow human beings. Regardless of the challenges faced as women, these individuals have worked hard and risen to the top—so that they may influence and aid the rest of the world. Congratulations.”

As global solutions lead, Kietselaer drives Leadership Circle’s enterprise-level and large-scale leadership coaching efforts. Using her extensive experience in adult development, top executive coaching, and business growth, she enables breakthrough insights for executives and their teams, maximizing their progress toward a shared vision and purpose so that they produce better business results.

Kietselaer joined Leadership Circle as global vice president of coaching in 2017 and was appointed to global president of coaching services in January 2022. She was named to her current position of global solutions lead for enterprise coaching in July. Kietselaer says her drive to do and achieve more—combined with a desire to make the world a better place—is what pushed her to join the organization.

“Leaders not only shape team and organization culture,” she says, “but ultimately, the culture of society. My desire to help create a more sustainable way of living on this one planet, especially considering the legacy we leave our children, aligns with the work of Leadership Circle to evolve the conscious practice of leadership.”

To learn more about the Influential Businesswoman Awards, visit the Acquisition International website, where you can access the winners supplement.

 

About Leadership Circle
Leadership Circle is a global leader in leadership development on a mission to evolve the conscious practice of leadership. Through its tools, methodology, and consulting approach, Leadership Circle aims to integrate the otherwise fragmented field of leadership development. With more than 10,000 certified practitioners around the globe seeking to bring the Universal Model of Leadership to leaders, Leadership Circle has worked with more than 200,000 senior leaders across some of the most prestigious organizations in the world to actively improve their leadership. For more information on Leadership Circle’s methodology or leadership and certification solutions, visit leadershipcircle.com.

On the blog this month, we’re exploring risk: how it shows up in our personal and professional lives, the roles it plays in leadership, and lessons we can learn from it. In this week’s post, we explore the interconnectedness of three main pillars of risk and how they can help propel a leader to greatness.

 

When was the last time you rode a roller coaster?

Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I was lucky enough to spend many a summer day at Cedar Point, one of the top roller coaster parks in the world. I remember with great fondness (and, perhaps, more than a little nausea) careening down the giant hill of the Magnum—at the time, the tallest, fastest, and steepest complete-circuit coaster. Or “racing” friends in the red train while I rode the blue on the Gemini. Perhaps the best (worst?) and my favorite ride was the Mean Streak. I was 12 when it opened. The tallest wooden coaster ever made. And after every 3-minute-and-13-second-long ride in its shaky carts on its rickety rails, my body positively hummed, and my brain rattled around in my head for the rest of the day.

It was awesome.

In a world defined by constant change and increasing complexity, leadership demands risk. The inherent danger of it. The potential reward of it. Even, like me riding the Mean Streak, the slight nausea of it. Effective leadership is a dynamic balancing act between pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and holding fast to what’s working. And effective leaders understand when each is necessary.

But how do they know? What’s the criteria for determining whether a new venture should be taken? How can a leader be certain that they’re equipped for what’s coming? And, perhaps most important, how do they know they’re ready to take the leap?

The Diagram of Healthy Risk

In the Venn diagram below, we’ve identified three core factors intrinsic to risk-taking: the relative safety from which every risk is taken, the comfort one feels when nothing is at risk, and the risk itself. When these factors overlap and intersect, we can see how they work together to form the sweet spot all leaders are looking for: healthy risk.

Risk + Comfort: Thrill
Thrill is the liminal space occupied by that knot in the pit of your stomach and the kernel of fear in the back of your brain when you feel compelled to take action without knowing the precise outcome. Its spark lights the fire of all great ambition.

Comfort + Safety: Rest
True rest is nestled within the knowledge that all is well, and no harm can come to pass. This is the haven where body, mind, and spirit find respite and renewal.

Safety + Risk: Insight
When one’s primary needs are secure, every new experience becomes an opportunity to learn. Insight is the wisdom and self-awareness gained by honestly reflecting on one’s actions and experiences.

The concept of narrative identity is emerging as a cutting-edge aspect of leadership development that is crucial for top leaders to explore and embrace. For experienced leaders who have already honed their skills, delving into the realm of narrative identity can serve as the launching point to reaching new heights of effectiveness and impact. In this post, we will explore what narrative identity is, its significance for leadership, and how it can empower leaders everywhere to harness their full potential, inspiring and driving positive change within their organizations.

Understanding Narrative Identity

At its core, narrative identity refers to the personal stories we construct about ourselves, which help us to make sense of and create our experiences, beliefs, values, and goals. It encompasses the narratives we create about our past, present, and future, shaping our self-perception and guiding our actions. These narratives not only influence our lives overall, but play a pivotal role in how we lead and interact with others.

State, Story, and Stage

The three core elements of narrative identity—state, story, and stage—are interrelated. “State” refers to our physiological state, i.e., how our autonomic nervous system gets activated or triggered as a reaction to certain situations. State impacts “story,” the internal monologue running through our minds that makes sense of what’s happening around us and how we react to it. Our physiological state impacts our story, and vice versa. “Stage” refers to our stage of development as a leader and person, and how we make sense of the world and our place in it. By starting to unpack these aspects of ourselves, we can utilize specific tools to understand and choose if and how we’d like to move toward self-authorship as leaders.

Why Is Narrative Identity Important for Effective Leadership?

Writing Your Leadership Story

Will what got you here, get you to where you want to go? The power of the narrative identity framework is that it helps us explore and process the unconscious stories we tell ourselves that underpin our behavior, and then empowers us to decide whether or not they serve us. By understanding how these stories are formed and how they drive our behavior and leadership style, we have the opportunity to rewrite them to fit our true goals.

Self-Awareness and Authenticity

Leaders who understand their own internal stories gain deep self-awareness, recognizing their strengths, areas for growth, and personal motivations. Embracing one’s unique story models authenticity, which inspires trust and respect in colleagues and team members. Authentic leaders are more relatable, approachable, and capable of building genuine connections with their employees, leading to enhanced engagement and productivity.

Vision and Purpose

An individual’s narrative identity plays a significant role in defining their sense of purpose and vision for the future. Effective leaders harness this power by aligning their personal values with their organization’s goals. When a leader’s narrative identity is in harmony with their company’s mission, they can articulate a compelling vision that inspires others to share in the journey and work toward common objectives.

Resilience and Adaptability

Leaders who understand and embrace their narrative identity are better equipped to navigate challenges and setbacks. By recognizing past experiences of overcoming adversity, they can draw strength from their own story, fostering resilience and the ability to adapt in the face of uncertainty. This resilience also sets an example for their team, instilling confidence in times of crisis or change.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Narrative identity cultivates empathy and emotional intelligence in leaders. Understanding their emotions and experiences enables leaders to empathize with the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of their team members. Those who achieve this are more skilled at resolving conflicts, providing support, and creating a welcoming and inclusive work environment where employees feel valued and understood.

Inspirational Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool in leadership. Leaders who can articulate their narrative identity and connect it to the organization’s mission can captivate and inspire their teams. These leaders can craft stories that resonate deeply with their employees, motivating them to push themselves and promoting a high-performance culture.

Organizational Culture

A leader’s narrative identity can influence the culture of their organization. When leaders align their personal values and beliefs with those of the company, they establish a strong cultural foundation. This alignment leads to a shared sense of purpose and fosters a positive work environment where employees are proud to belong. Leading by example and utilizing development frameworks, such as narrative identity, helps to create a positive, open, psychologically safe workplace culture that promotes self-development, self-awareness, and authenticity. Strong work cultures, in turn, impact job satisfaction, productivity, and retention rates.

Legacy and Long-Term Impact

Narrative identity also affects a leader’s legacy. By consciously shaping and aligning their actions with their core values, leaders can create lasting impacts on their teams, their organizations, and society. A leader who is remembered for their authenticity, empathy, and vision will inspire future generations of leaders to follow a similar path, leaving a positive mark on the world.

Embracing Narrative Identity in Leadership

Reflect on Your Personal Journey

Take time for self-reflection to understand your personal journey and the significant events that have shaped your values and beliefs. Consider how these experiences have influenced your leadership style and decisions.

Align With Organizational Values

Evaluate whether your narrative identity aligns with the values and mission of your organization. If there is a disconnect, work toward bridging the gap and fostering a stronger alignment between your personal values and those of the company.

Share Your Story

Engage with your team through storytelling, sharing relevant aspects of your narrative identity that can inspire and motivate. Be authentic and vulnerable when appropriate, as it fosters a sense of connection and trust.

Encourage Employee Narratives

Create a culture that encourages employees to explore and share their own narrative identities. Acknowledge and celebrate diverse perspectives, encouraging an inclusive environment where everyone’s story is valued.

Summary

In conclusion, narrative identity is a powerful framework that can elevate your leadership approach. Understanding and embracing your own personal story allows you to lead with authenticity, purpose, and empathy, driving positive change and fostering a high-performance culture within your organization. By recognizing the significance of narrative identity in leadership, you can leave a lasting legacy and inspire future generations of leaders, propelling global businesses and society toward a brighter future.

Want to become a successful and effective leadership coach? Read on to understand the role of a leadership coach, the qualities you need to succeed, and the steps you can take to kickstart your career with confidence.

In the competitive world of business, executives often face immense challenges and pressures that can hinder their well-being and long-term success. In this post, Global President for Coaching Services Suzanne Kietselaer delves into the inspiring journey of Sarah, an executive who, with the help of a dedicated coach, discovered how to sustainably thrive in her career and personal life.

 

Sarah, a high-achieving executive, was constantly juggling multiple responsibilities and striving for excellence in her professional role. She was hired to lead a transformation in a bank that has more than 150 years of history, and for that role she moved to a new country and new culture. Having learned early in life from strong examples (her mother was a single-income provider), she has great stamina and grit, and believes that you can achieve anything if you work hard enough for it.

Six months into the job, Sarah began to feel overwhelmed and noticed a decline in her overall satisfaction and work-life balance. She thought to herself, “I want to succeed, but without killing myself in the process.” Seeking guidance, Sarah decided to partner with a leadership coach to explore ways to navigate her challenges and achieve a more sustained level of effectiveness as a leader. She was on a quest to thrive in her role.

During their sessions, Sarah’s coach started providing her with a new lens through which she could view personal thriving and a language she could use to discuss it. Through a set of measurements, she assessed herself on various dimensions of thriving and established what she wanted more of in her life and leadership in order to sustainably “fill her cup.” For Sarah, simple things, like being out in nature and walking outside—things that she loved so much but had not built in the time to do since starting her new position—made all the difference in her personal energy.

Her coach provided Sarah with a supportive space to reflect on her outcomes, goals, values, and priorities. Together, they uncovered that Sarah’s well-being and personal relationships were being neglected amidst her pursuit of professional success. This realization sparked a transformational shift in Sarah’s mindset and approach to her career. “I am not my work; I am not my professional achievements,” she realized. “I get to do what is uniquely mine to do AND live a fulfilling life.”

Sarah and her coach worked collaboratively to establish realistic boundaries and strategies for achieving work-life integration. They explored ways to delegate tasks, streamline processes, and prioritize self-care. By setting clear boundaries, Sarah began to carve out dedicated time for her family, hobbies, and personal well-being, which resulted in increased overall happiness and energy.

Furthermore, Sarah’s coach helped her enhance her emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Through various exercises and feedback discussions, Sarah developed a deeper understanding of her strengths and blind spots. This newfound awareness enabled her to leverage her strengths effectively and make better-informed decisions while navigating challenging situations and managing her team with empathy and authenticity.

Sarah’s coach also guided her in cultivating resilience and a growth mindset. They worked on reframing setbacks as learning opportunities and developing strategies to manage stress and pressure. By embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, Sarah became more adaptable and confident, fueling her sustained success and well-being.

Through the guidance and support of her coach, over the course of nine months, Sarah discovered the path to sustainable thriving as an executive. By redefining what success looks like for her, enhancing self-awareness, and cultivating resilience, she not only achieved professional success but experienced fulfillment, harmonious relationships, and a sustainable sense of thriving in both her career and personal life.

When a third-generation Mormon from Utah announced to the New York media that he wanted his upstart airline to be the city’s “new low-fare, hometown airline,” most discounted him as incredibly naive. But with the founding of JetBlue—and the introduction of in-flight TV and exceptional customer service—David Neeleman not only made good on this vision but upended the commercial aviation industry in the process.

And all this with (or, perhaps, because of) ADHD.

In an interview with ADDitude Magazine, Neeleman recognized that his ADHD gave him distinct advantages. “I can distill complicated facts and come up with simple solutions,” he said. “I can look out on an industry with all kinds of problems and say, ‘How can I do this better?’ My ADD brain naturally searches for better ways of doing things.”

Though he acknowledges the downside, including an inability to focus, increased disorganization, and procrastination (“I have an easier time planning a 20-aircraft fleet than I do paying the light bill.”), Neeleman has embraced his unique experience of the world. “If someone told me you could be normal or you could continue to have your ADD, I would take ADD.”

In our pursuit of effective leadership, we often find ourselves inspired by those who possess extraordinary talents and perspectives. Why should it be any different when those talents and perspectives come from someone whose brain is wired just a little differently than our own? Neurodiverse leaders have the potential to revolutionize leadership and drive organizational success. By embracing their unique brilliance, we open doors to diverse perspectives, unparalleled creativity, and innovative problem-solving.

What is neurodiversity?

The term “neurodiversity” refers to a broad range of differences in the ways our brains work—the naturally occurring diversity of how we’re hardwired to think and experience the world. While neurodiversity includes diagnosable conditions, such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, it’s important not to get hung up on labels. Everyone processes information differently, and the truth is, there is no single, “standard” brain.

For leadership coaches, it’s essential to see the variety of neurological differences present in leaders for the vast array of strengths and abilities it represents. Neurodiversity in our leaders doesn’t indicate limitations to overcome, but incredible value to unlock for teams and organizations of all kinds.

How Neurodiverse Leaders Lead

How often do managers challenge their employees to think outside the box? Innovation is a calling card of the modern workplace, and neurodivergent individuals often possess unique lenses through which they view the world. With thinking patterns inherently different from those of neurotypical individuals, these leaders excel at spotting patterns, connections, and solutions that may elude others.

Many neurodiverse leaders have a natural inclination toward exploration. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the most successful and well-known entrepreneurs and thought leaders in recent history consider themselves part of one or more neuroidentity group. Famous examples include billionaire business icon Richard Branson, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad—all of whom attribute their success, at least in part, to the unique ways their brains work.

So, how can coaches best help neurodiverse leaders reach their full potential? Better coaching will result from better understanding. Leadership coach and certified Leadership Circle practitioner Brooke Trenwith has written a guide to help coaches understand the impact of neurodiversity on leaders and leadership, and navigate the coaching relationship with leaders who identify as neurodivergent.

Key Takeaways:

1. Listen to your leader and respect their terminology.
   “Neurodiverse.” “Gifted.” “Autistic.” “On the spectrum.” “ADHDer.” There are a lot of terms out there. Remember, your role as a coach is not to diagnose the person or to “correct” their terms; your role is to support and encourage them, and to introduce them to new ways of leveraging their abilities.
2. Ask questions to bring out the positive.
   Unfortunately, many neurodiverse people have past school and work experiences that focus on the challenges of their cognitive differences instead of the potential in them. If a leader tells you they’re dyslexic or that they have ADHD, ask them how that trait enhances their leadership and reinforce the positive outcomes they may be hesitant to acknowledge.
3. Pay attention to context clues.
   Not all neurodivergent leaders are comfortable talking about—or are even fully aware of—their neurodiversity. Be on the lookout for masking behaviors, actions that suppress one’s natural inclinations in an effort to “fit in.” These can take many forms, such as biting nails, tapping, walking on toes, chewing hair, etc., and can show up “live” in interactions with your leader or in comments on the Leadership Circle Profile. Either way, they’re important conversation starters that help get to the heart of your leader’s challenges.
4. Look for strategies, not solutions.
   Neurodiverse people do not need to be “fixed.” When coaching a neurodivergent leader, help them identify strategies to manage their challenges, not solutions to fix their problems. This is an important distinction to reinforce that their unique behaviors are a natural part of who they are and not character flaws, and will enable them to create workable habits and set realistic expectations.

By embracing neurodiversity in our leaders, we help foster a more inclusive, more creative environment, one that drives innovation, welcomes unconventional ideas, and is capable of transforming the way business is done.

Greatness is rarely achieved alone—and almost never without guidance. Oprah Winfrey credits much of her success to insight gained from celebrated author and poet Maya Angelou; Bob Dylan sought (and acquired) the feedback, approval, and mentorship of singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie. Even Michelangelo learned at the feet of Bertoldo di Giovanni, himself an apprentice of Renaissance sculptor Donatello.

The point? Coaches are clutch.

When it comes to leadership development, coaches play a significant role in helping their clients grow their skills, achieve their goals, and become more effective and confident leaders. Positive, productive coach-client relationships can yield exceptional results and be extremely rewarding, but they’re not always easy. We asked our practitioner community for some of the most common challenges they face when coaching clients. Here are a few to inspire you in your practice.

Challenge 1: Generic Goals

Shows up as: A leader comes to you with a dilemma of the vague and nebulous kind. “I want to be a better leader,” they may say. Or, “I was just promoted and want to do well as ‘the boss.’”

What to do: Helping a leader find or grow into their own authentic way of leading is the joy and ultimate goal of being a leadership development coach. When your client comes to you with only a general sense of wanting to “do better,” it becomes your job to help them focus.

One way to set measurable, achievable goals is to first identify specific areas in need of development, such as time management, conflict resolution, or communication skills. Encourage your leader to reflect on challenging or difficult situations they’ve experienced and ask questions to help expose the blind spots in their current approach. This will pinpoint characteristics and behaviors around which you can work together to build clearly defined goals and action plans.

To help leaders craft a more specific goal out of the nebulous and complex world they come from can be a challenge. That is why feedback, unbiased and based in statistical significance, is not just good, it’s essential. The coaches we work with will often leverage the Leadership Circle Profile assessment as a starting point to help smooth out the rough edges of those ill-defined goals. After soliciting feedback—and with the data staring them in the face—it becomes much easier for a leader to see where they can increase their Creative competencies and manage their Reactive tendencies.

This work can also serve to clarify your leader’s values and ensure that the plan you build together brings areas of focus, development goals, and action plans into alignment.

Challenge 2: Cocky Clients

Shows up as: Your client seemingly dismisses your attempts to engage, preempts your feedback and ideas, or generally displays overconfidence and/or defensiveness. They may say, “I’m just here because my boss told me to be.” Or, “This whole coaching thing is a racket; I’ve probably read all the same leadership books as you.”

What to do: Whether they’re a seasoned pro with years of success or a new-to-leadership executive with more energy than experience, it can be scary for a leader to admit they don’t have all the answers. Their discomfort and resistance may stem from a concern that they won’t be able to adjust to new ways of thinking, or maybe it’s a certainty that they know what they’re doing and there’s no need for improvement. Most likely, that cockiness is born from a deep-seated fear of being vulnerable.

Therapists will tell you: When a person is faced with a threat to their identity, to the deeply held beliefs they have about their values, personality traits, skills, and abilities, they will react in the same way they would if their life and limb were threatened by a bear attack. They will instantly and subconsciously switch into self-preservation mode—which makes it nearly impossible to hear anything their coach is trying to tell them.

It’s a coach’s job to protect their clients from bears, especially the metaphorical kind. To do this, you must create a safe space, one which includes a cone of confidentiality and an absence of judgment. By cultivating such an environment, you’ll be a true partner with your client, a candid and honest facilitator who can help your leader recognize and embrace their vulnerability. Then, together, you can build a path for growth and accountability.

Challenge 3: Communication Catastrophes

Shows up as: A frustrated leader who is struggling to land their message. This may come out through remarks such as “I can’t seem to get my team motivated,” or “No one listens to me,” or “They just don’t seem to get it.”

What to do: High-level leaders must be equipped to communicate effectively across an organization, not just within a specific team or with a few select colleagues. The fact that most adults communicate on a daily basis—multiple times a day—for a variety of reasons does not guarantee that they do so successfully. So, even if it feels a little basic, a refresher on good communication skills is a good place to start.

Effective Communication 101

• Be an active listener.
  Lean forward, make eye contact, and ask lots of questions. Periodically restate what the other person is saying to ensure you understand.
• Know your audience.
  The way you communicate, and even your message, may change depending on whom you’re talking to. You wouldn’t send the same text to your boss and as to your spouse; you shouldn’t use the same methods or message to communicate with everyone in your organization.
• Focus your attention.
  Especially when communicating in person or face to face, remove or silence distractions (like your phone) and pay close attention to the other person’s nonverbal cues, such as posture, fidgeting, and eye contact.
• Be relevant and concise.
  Time is a precious commodity. Don’t waste others’ with communications that include extraneous, unnecessary, or irrelevant information.

No two coach-client relationships are the same, and coaches should expect challenges of every stripe to surface in their work with leaders. Ultimately, the success of your partnership will come down to how well you work together to meet those challenges and devise a way forward.

“The world is facing a leadership crisis. We need leaders of greater effectiveness and integrity, mastery and maturity, courage and compassion, competence and character, consciousness and wisdom.”

—Bob Anderson

 

Leadership Circle Chief Knowledge Officer and Co-Founder Bob Anderson recently appeared on the Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders podcast with Janet Ioli. In the two-episode interview, Bob and Janet discuss consciousness and adult development, how the inner world of a leader manifests on the outside, intuition, and more.

“I think of Bob as a Jedi master in the field of leadership development,” says Janet. The creator and author of the Leadership Circle Profile and author of Mastering Leadership and Scaling Leadership, Bob is a pioneer in the field of leadership development. He has dedicated his career to exploring the intersections between leadership and personal mastery and lends his expertise to developing practitioners around the globe.

Listen now

Part 1
Bob and Janet begin their conversation with how Bob unearthed the Universal Model of Leadership, the importance of trusting your intuition, separating intuition from ego, ways to tap into your higher consciousness, the foundational changes needed for the next generation of leadership, and more.

Listen to Part 1

Part 2
In the second part of their conversation, Bob and Janet dive into the correlation between higher stages of adult development and more effective leadership, as well as making the shift from Reactive to Creative leadership and the great challenge for leaders in the future—and what you can do about it.

Listen to Part 2

 

The Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders podcast is hosted by Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with her book Less Ego, More Soul.

In March, Leadership Circle Chief Diversity Officer Aaronde Seckou Creighton served on the “Brand POV in a Crisis: Speak Out or Shut the F Up?” panel at SXSW 2023. We asked him how to make the most of the conference experience, and here he shares his key takeaways for future panelists and conferencegoers.

 

I had the opportunity to serve as a panelist for this year’s South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.  For those who are unfamiliar with this event, think top-notch professional conference by day meets music/film/TV festival by night, and you have the mashup that is the international phenomenon known as SXSW.

I deliberately went a few days earlier than my session to take in the full experience of the event. There are upwards of 20-plus concurrent sessions happening across the hotels, meeting spaces, and Austin Convention Center downtown during the 10-day festival. The abundance of top-notch sessions made it hard to choose at times, but I was intentional about the types of panels, keynotes, and workshops that I wanted to attend and was fortunate to get something out of each of them.

Attending the sessions of others really allowed me to understand how I needed to show up for my own panel. You could easily observe the panelists, speakers, and facilitators who were doing their usual spiel versus those who were fully present and engaged with the unique audience in attendance. Those were the most impactful experiences and where I took the most notes. Whether it was the workshop “Re-Work: Redefining Our Relationship with Work” or catching Deepak Chopra at the Inc. magazine-sponsored house event or Heather McGee discussing research in her phenomenal book The Sum of Us, when these subject matter experts engaged directly with the audience and did not get caught in the same ol’ song and dance, that is when you saw the participants get the most value out of things.

With this in mind, as well as my own experience as a panelist, here were my three learnings from five days at SXSW:

1. Bring your unique and authentic voice. Always.
   As I write this, I am reminded of a saying my dad gave my sister and me (and it is one of about 47,623,214 sayings we had to memorize as kids, but that’s a topic for another post): “No one can beat you, at being you, but you.” Many times, as professionals, we show up with the perspective and voice we think others want to hear. And at times, what others want to hear is counter to our own thinking. This is where we will have #epicfails in our sessions. When you’re a panelist or presenter, people are coming to hear what you have to say in a way that no one else is saying it. It’s an opportunity to give your fresh “hot take” of the day. And the way you deliver the point, the examples you use to do so, when they are all yours, it’s magic. So be you because no one else out there can be you better.
2. Prepare but know that freestyling always wins over the crowd.
   I am and always have been a hip-hop head. And anyone who knows hip-hop, knows the best emcees can drop bars whenever and wherever. What some don’t know is that the ability to freestyle comes from hours upon hours of practicing the craft. So do all your preparation on your topic, know the ins and outs, but when your panel or moderator goes hard left, be able to adjust and do the same. Not only does your audience appreciate your ability to do so, but you demonstrate your depth of knowledge and expertise when you make that unexpected turn.
3. Know your limits.
   This was a big one for me. SXSW is a nonstop, 24/7 event. There is always action occurring in the streets of Austin. And for me, it was overwhelming! As an introvert, I just kept seeing people and people and more people. By the end of the second day, I was off the “four or five sessions per day” path, and on more of a “let me get to the two best on my list” way of thinking. For some, that’s hard, especially if you have FOMO (fear of missing out). Fortunately, a dear friend of mine gave me a new perspective: JOMO (joy of missing out). JOMO allowed me to take in what I was supposed to hear without wondering what I missed out on.

While these are lessons learned from Austin, they can be easily applied to the everyday work environment, as well as our communities and homes. How can you engage these three lessons in your own growth and development?