Being a Leader of Change

Part 3 of a 5 Part Series: What to Do About Feeling Stuck?

Copyright@2011 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors

A leader of change and transformation must have the ability and character that provides clarity.  And, as a result, influences the leadership team and organization to open to possibilities. 


In so doing, the organization allows the life force of creativity to once again flow or to flow in the new and different direction. 

If the leader isn't able to influence, their ability to lead is diminished. Actions must be taken to heal that loss of leadership energy or relinquish the position and allow others to lead. 

A new leader must make a difference which influences with a positive outcome immediately upon assuming the role. 

Cutting staff just as a power play is deadly and weakens the position instead of strengthening and gaining influence.  Leaders require followers. 

If no one is willing to follow a declared leader, the proclaimed leader is not leading.

Leadership is an acquired position given by those who deem the leader worthy of following and not a position of entitlement.

A transformational leader should be flowing life force for the sake of their position, their organization, their family and their health. 

Creative energy, is healing and rejuvenating, not stressful and destructive.  


In fact that energy is a source of balance and  freedom. 

Resistance and especially resistance to the flow of creative energy causes stress, disease and ultimately death of all involved – business, team, organization, community, leader. 

You don't think you are creative?  Everyone possesses the life force of creativity or they wouldn't be alive. 

Think of all the things you have done that brought something into being even someone else's idea.  Yet you made it realized. That is creative energy.

As a leader of transformation, when your organization comes to you with creative ideas, allow them to expand on the ideas, become clear.  


This is energy, ideas, inspiration which when allowed to flow engenders more creativity to flow.  It provides a working environment that nurtures creativity.

Be flexible as a leader of change and inspire the free flow of creativity in your organization in order to progress and expand your organization’s influence in the world. 

The clearer your organization is on their intentions and purpose the more influence and success they have in their world external and internal to the organization - and especially when you are implementing a true transformation.  (see Transform Your Life Intensive: The Workbook by M. Gilbert for definition of transformation and change)

Influence and success comes with clarity and communication fueled by flowing and focused energy of creation. 

Focus does not in any way mean control.  


Focus is the condensed energy directed toward a specific experience or clear outcome - single-mindedness.


Focus is a practice of self-mastery and manifestation for you as the leader, your leadership team and organization as a whole.

The energy of chaos and unclear thinking only creates more chaos and confusion.

Always focus on what you want.  Focusing on what you don't want also creates…more of what you don't want.

As a leader of transformation, design your organization and life to be flexible and welcoming of creativity and change.  


Then, find that one clear point in time to make the transformation reality.

What to Do About Feeling Stuck? Part 2: Creative Energy and Transformation

Part 2 of a 5 Part Series 

Copyright@2011 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors 

Transformation and change is not about control but expansion. Control, i.e. maintaining things as they are does not support growth.  It is impossible to stay the same and grow much less transform.   A paradigm shift is transformation. 

Atlas Moth after a Paradigm Shift

Grow/transform or fade away.  There is no in between. The other option for relieving stagnation besides decline is growth, change or transformation which requires creative energy to flow. In fact, merely by making a conscious decision and intention to make a change or transform by the leader allows the life-force energy to flow again. 

Now it is the responsibility of the leader to focus intention and gain the clarity to effectively influence the business and inspire their leadership team to allowing creativity to flow – by inspiring possibilities and engendering hope. 

Creative Energy: Nerve fiber growing

The vision then must be enriched and developed through co-creative team processes in order to gain a crystal clear intention that is so clear that it inspires positive and expansive energy. 

This creative energy on multiply levels will be the fuel for all activities on the physical level for the growth, change and especially transformation - for a paradigm shift to occur.  This creative energy ideally flows in through the leadership energizing management and co-creates through the teams.   


**To be continued next week in What To Do about Feeling Stuck, Part 3: Leading Transformation in Your Business, Team, Organization, Community.  Subscribe to receive an email notice as each of the 5 Part series is posted.--  

What to Do About Feeling Stuck? - As a Leader, Business, Team, Organization or Community

Part 1 of a 5 Part Series 

Copyright@2011 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors

When leaders and their business, team, organization or community are feeling stuck or stagnate, when the life force is flowing in and not flowing out - or flowing out and not flowing in, it is time to go within and do the work necessary to create internal momentum.

Unfortunately or fortunately the state of stagnation cannot last for long or the business, team, organization, community or leader begins to decline.

Ask:  Where is the leader, business, team, organization or community not receiving or not giving?  Or are we doing what is necessary to clear and expand internally in order to receive and give?  Giving and receiving are the natural flow of business and life.

The cycle is to go within to expand the ability of the business to receive.  Prepare internally. In this case, yourself, the organization, team, business or community to receive and give, to give and receive.   It is the full cycle that needs balancing.  

We have been given the message through our culture to give in order to receive.  The truth is that we must be willing and able to receive in order to give.  For it is from the creative energy we receive that we give.

However, the vessel necessary to receive, i.e. your leaders, business, organization, team or community, must be ready and capable of receiving.  So the vessel must be prepared. 

A leader prepares their business, team, organization or community to receive by internally doing the work necessary to receive at the level of the desired paradigm shift. Not by going outside the business first. Preparation is based on the future vision of the business, team, organization or community. 

The life force energy is the energy or force of creation.  Creative energy must be flowing both in and out in order to grow, change and even more transform.

If the business, team, organization, community is not prepared internally to handle the response from the outside world then the vision of the leader, business, team, organization or community - the vision of itself -  must at the least expand or even more effective, transform.  This begins the process to receive and give.

(To be continued next week in What To Do about Feeling Stuck, Part 2: Creative Energy and Transformation.  Subscribe to receive an email notice as each of the 5 Part series is posted.)  

A Question from My Client - Business Owner, Executive: Accept vs. Eliminate?

Copyright@2011 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors
A client of mine sent an email while going through some physical challenges and asked the following…

“When do we accept it (what’s going on in life) and when do we look for the root of it so it can be eliminated?  Or do we do both?”

My reply was …

"Good question.

Sometimes it is not about letting go or eliminating a behavior or reaction, but about accepting what is without judgment. (and it is challenging when you aren’t feeling well).

Remember it’s only temporary.

And, acceptance isn’t resignation. Think about it. Acceptance is recognition of what is or what is happening at the moment from a place of neutrality.  It is only in a place of neutrality that that we can make useful decisions and choices. 

When we react to or judge a situation we are coming from a place of lack and a belief or beliefs based on memories of the past or fantasies of the future – neither are the current situation. 

With acceptance we are in a place of neutrality – you do not feel the weight of resignation nor the lightness of loving.  Only neutrality – something just is at this moment.  That’s all. Neutrality is the beginning of empowering energy.

It doesn’t take deep analysis to let go.  Deep analysis only continues focus on what you do not want in your life. Focus on what you want at all times. If your current life experience is what you want – Great!  If not, determine what it is you do want and focus on the life experience you do want or have.

When you react – stop yourself by saying “I don’t want this.” Then refocus on what you do want and take action from there.  At the point of stopping an apparently automatic reaction and only at that point do you have a choice.   It is when we awaken, when we become aware that we have any real choice at all.  The rest of the time we are running on programming.

Letting go happens when we focus our attention, energy, thoughts on what we want. Our beliefs and judgments keep us stuck in our programming.

The thoughts, neurological pathways and actions fade away when focusing on what we want.  We start acting and living from that clear vision.  And then with practice that vision becomes your reality.  

You may have an experience of one day thinking “I haven’t done a thing but this is no longer happening” or “I no longer feel this way”.  When all along you have been making choices and taking action in support of what you want and it has become your norm.

You have learned to identify the things you don’t want first - limiting beliefs and etc – in order to learn to how to stop sending energy to what you don’t want and refocus your thoughts and energy on what you do want.

 Until you are conscious that you have been judging and have limiting beliefs about an issue, it is difficult to see there is a need to refocus on what you want. 

From there you move to letting go from the clear realization of what you do want. Identifying all the limiting beliefs isn’t necessary when you learn what you want and how to put all your energy into what you want.  And, it takes practice. 

And, most of the world is focused on lack. So it takes a conscious effort to make it become a new habit or way of being for you.  And, everyone benefits from you."

I Love Maps!!

I always have.

I collect them.  My files and car are full of them.

My Dad taught me to read maps and find my way.

A natural propensity I seemed to have - remembering landmarks and a sense for turns.

I remember driving trips to Florida with my family -  Dad, Mother and brother.  Trips to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins each summer. 

When we started getting close my dad would ask me to tell him how to get there! “Yikes”, my young mind would think.  “He must not know the way?”

I must have been pre-school because I remember standing on the "hump" on the floor of the back seat to look ahead of us for markers that I remembered from the past. Do you remember standing on the “hump” before seat belts and booster seat laws?

Usually more buildings had been built and billboards had been raised.  But, I remembered the turns and “helped” with directions.  And I would hear him chuckle with each turn.

And, to this day I love maps.  They get us from here to there. They help us find our way.

When I discovered maps the whole world became accessible. 

This is the same with doing anything you want even creating a business and implementing change.

Decide where you want to go - that dot on the map. 

If you haven't been there before or not clear where exactly you want to go but have a general area in mind, claim it. 

Such as, 'I want to go to Florida'.  Then think about the experience you want to have.  I want to swim in the ocean or I want to go to Disney World. This begins to narrow the destination of your trip.

With a business you may want to enrich, expand, or change your client services.  That requires a change in image.

Not just a change in services. But a transformation of who you are and the image clients have when they think of your business. 

This is not only an addition or evolution of your service offering, but an internal personal mental change of who you think you are?

Your experience of yourself in this transformed business.

What you radiate to others. The experience you and your clients have in this new way of business and delivering and receiving your services. 

As this destination becomes more clear the more easily it is to chart your course to that destination.

Once you know your destination, before you start planning your trip, you must be very clear on where you are now - no denial allowed.

It is a matter of plotting your course on your map. This is your plan.

With a business it is a matter of identifying the signposts along the way to help you find the way.  To know you are on the right track once the journey begins. 

And with most of my clients our journey together begins when they decided to go to Florida and haven't decided whether it is Orlando to experience Disney World or Daytona to go to the beach.

This is where many times we get stuck. Not being clear enough on our destination.

As an executive coach the work with my clients is about:

1.      Getting clear on where you want to go - what to create or change in your business.

2.      Getting clear on where you are starting your journey. Or it will be hard to find your way.

3.      Plotting your course - Your Plan.

4.      Staying on course by tracking progress, removing obstacles and blocks - mental, physical, emotional, transpersonal - and staying focused on the destination.

Why is this important?

As with any change it takes energy.

As with any change it takes implementing new behaviors, new habits new processes and methods - because old ones are no longer working. 

As with any habit it takes focused attention and choice to change it.

Eliminating limiting beliefs and introducing thoughts and actions that take you down your desired path.  Creating new neurological pathways in the brain.

It takes time.  And, it takes effort – on your part and that of your business.


An experienced guide helps make the journey graceful and elegant. 

And, executive business coaching helps speed the process and makes it fun.

This is what MiriamGroup does - guides you in gaining clarity, focus and direction while eliminating blocks along your path to the change you want to experience in your business and your life. Then, helps to assure that you stay on course.

Do you know your way?

The Best Always,

Miriam

P.S - Thanks, Dad!!  For teaching me how to find my way.

Copyright@2011 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors

The Bottom Line: 7 Facts Regarding Change

Copyright@2010 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors

Recently observing the extreme resistance that many businesses and leadership are experiencing when attempting to make the changes needed to move into their future, I've been considering - what are the fundamentals necessary to make these changes and ultimately in many cases transformation? The following is the resulting ...

Bottom Line

1. When we change our thoughts we change our lives…

2. When we change our beliefs about the world, we change our world…

3. The only thing that we can change is our self.

4. The only time we can make that change is in the present.

5. Until we can recognize and accept our self, others, places and things as we are in the present moment without making us or them wrong, we do not have any choices in life. We are swept along by our limiting beliefs and judgments.

6. …an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalancing force – Newton’s First Law of Motion

7. And, so do we also follow this law of motion until we change our thoughts, beliefs and then actions.

When we are stuck, we tend to stay stuck and when in motion we tend to stay in motion at the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalancing force. The unbalancing force may be subtle or severe.

When we take responsibility for creating our lives the force may only be the change of one small impactful thought or belief. When out thoughts change, our direction changes, our actions change and our lives change. The same applies to our businesses, executive teams, organizations and communities.

The key is in changing our thoughts, beliefs and actions based on a clear vision of the experience we truly want to live in our businesses, organizations, communities and lives - and, an honest assessment of where we are in the present moment.

Then we have choice.

Getting Clear on What You Want in Your Business and Life

Copyright@2010 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors 


Clarity
Clarity crystallizes and creates what you want in your business and life.  It is imperative that you become as clear as possible about what you want to create.  The more clear you are the faster you take action, make good choices and live what you want for yourself and your business. Clarity to the detail of specifics is essential. And yet, clarity without holding on to your desired outcome as being the only outcome that is best for your business and life.

All thoughts are creating your world. So, why not direct them to create what you truly want in your life and business? Why not focus them like a lazar to create more rapidly?  Clarity means the debris and clutter and murkiness are released so the pure essence of what you want in your business and life is realized.  Filtering what is not part of the dream is accomplished by focusing and putting energy only into what you want. 

By putting attention, conversation, words, thoughts, energy and action on the vision of what you want in your business and life that which is not part of the dream will fade.  When our muscles are not used, they fade from use.  When we learn a foreign language and do not use it, it fades. When we do not practice a certain activity, it fades.  When we do not fire certain pathways in our thoughts, they fade. But with focused, clear intention on what is desired creation occurs.

How Do We Gain Clarity?

1. Clarity can be gained by imaging or “day dreaming” about how it will be, what your business and life will be like when you are actually living what you want. 
• As and executive or business owner, do this by setting aside some time and a quite, private place and environment for doing your daydreaming.  By having a place for doing this work tells your mind that it is time to put away other concerns and interests of the day and move into the creative mind and let your imagination flow.
• Take a few deep breaths and release the tension of the day. State your intention of this time or ask yourself a question you may have about what you want.
• Free yourself of any judgments or boundaries regarding your dreams and allow your thoughts to expand and become crystal clear about what you want.

You can also daydream while walking in nature, hiking, sitting by a babbling brook, driving in your car on a beautiful, inspiring, less traveled and low stress roadway.  It is not required that you are sitting still in one place to gain clarity.  Some people use the time in the shower, driving to work, or yoga to allow their thought to focus, clear and begin the creation process. 

2. Clarity can be gained by exploring how similar experiences have been or are being lived by others. 
• Research and learn how others have and do live through reading, internet research, talking with those who live, work or have worked in businesses that do the same or similar business or have had similar experiences. 
• Contact people you know or who know someone they can introduce to you. Ask for advice with respect for their time and expertise. Be prepared with questions, but do not let the questions control the flow of the conversation.  These people will share with you more than you are able to formulate a question, because they have been there.  Let the questions be your guide but not theirs. Let the conversation flow where it may.

3. Clarity can be gained by blazing a new trail to living this experience in your business and life by putting together the pieces of life and business that have worked for you in the past in a different way. 

The Challenge

The challenge is in eliminating unsupportive habit patterns and limiting beliefs - those blocks that can disturb our focus and blur our dream.  The trick to eliminating habit patterns and limiting beliefs is to stop thinking about them, stop doing them, stop acting from them. This required awareness of when they are operating and when you are acting from them.  It isn't always necessary that you even know what they are.  But you can identify when they are in operation by when you get into negative thought, talk or feelings about ourselves, others or situations. When you are having feelings that are sad, angry, upset - in general disturbing our peace, you are experiencing unsupportive habit patterns and/or limiting beliefs.

How do you stop these seemingly automatic responses and thoughts?  You stop them by refocusing on what you want and stepping into the experience and feeling of how your business and life will be when you are living what you want. 

Appreciation 

Understand that if you are living what you want in many ways already, give thanks and appreciation for those experiences that are working for you and bask in the feeling that these situations and experiences give to you each moment of each day.  This will assist in creating more in your business and life that supports living in that feeling and in your bliss.

Your Process
Whatever the approach you take to gaining clarity in what you want in your business and life, capture your thoughts and daydreams by writing them down immediately after you do your imagining.  Keeping a journal of your creative process will assist in understanding the best way to create what you want in your business and life.

Leading Change and Transformation

Leading Change and Transformation
(from Traveling the Path of Change: 7 Signposts to Leading Transformation by Miriam Gilbert)
copyright@2007 MiriamGroup Executive Advisors

Second Key: Vision
We as living human beings are in constant change and growth. We change to grow, we grow and change. Everything is going through change. The earth is changing under our feet. The universe is in constant change. All life, forms, grows and transitions. We are all part of that transformation and growth. And, so are our organizations. We tend to be on a continual quest whether consciously or not to be who we are meant to be. We as leaders desire to develop and grow our organizations to be the most they can be.

We grow physically, mentally and emotionally and spiritually. When we transform/change/grow in any one of these areas we change all of the others. And it takes effort. The more conscious and focused the effort the more rapidly change occurs. Change is slower when intention is lacking or scattered. For example, water transforms and reforms from steam to water to ice and back again depending on the energy/effort applied - in this case heat or the lack of it. At each transition point for the molecules of water to change states, say ice to water, energy is required just to transform to that new state - ice to water or water to ice either way, heat/energy/effort is required. With more heat or focused energy, change happens more rapidly.

So how do we walk that path of change in a way that uplifts, enriches and transforms? We begin with the vision - focused intention. The clearer that vision the more focus the intention and energy. Change happens on a faster and grander scale with a clear focused vision. And the vision must be saturated in that intention for change that is uplifting, enriching and transforming to be set in motion.

Leaders of Transformation

True leaders have a vision of their organization at its best and continual desire for the fulfillment of that vision. Leaders are like gardeners, they tend and nurture the seeds to sprouting and then on to mature plants bearing fruit. The gardener has a vision of the fully developed garden and the focus. Care and tending of the garden leads to growth and change from mere seeds in the ground to a rich bountiful garden. Leaders hold that vision for their team and organization.
Communication with ones organization is the water and nutrients the garden requires to grow. And, communication must occur consistently throughout the change and growth process. Great leaders share that vision often empowering their organization to participate in the unfolding of their potential.

When is it time for change?When that quiet voice of inner knowing expresses itself the very first time this is the time for change. Not after the third time or the fifth time when we have that "unexpected" experience that forces us to change. But the very first time. And, this takes practice if you have been trained to only listen to the loudest and most annoying calls to action. But following that lead above all others engenders a trust that quiets the loud calls from our mind to maintain status quo.

What should motivate change?
In order to know what motivates, we must first look at the contrasting situation. What is not working causes fear and doubt. Fear and doubt stalls if not completely stops change and especially transformation. Fear results in withholding. Doubt is the result of fear. Fear of being present with the current situation. Fear of inability to survive in a changed environment. Ultimately,if we look deeply, is it the fear of no longer existing? The opposite of fear is love, compassion - a strong desire for a better way... and a vision. Change requires a modification to the current situation. Transformation requires a vision.

What does motivate?
A pull toward a sense of fulfillment. Not running away. Running away sets up patterns that repeat themselves until we learn to work through or let go of what we resist. And sometimes we resist what we are here to do.

A deep desire based on a full awareness of the end result. Not change for the distraction. Sometime we find ourselves making a change as a distraction as a form of denial of the true root cause of the discomfort.

We all know that the distance between where we are and where we want to be creates an energetic harmonic dissonance that encourages and empowers change. And, taking action toward the desired result without completion or release with the current situation only creates more of the same and is just an illusion of change. How many times have we seen companies "reorganize" in hopes of resolving issues within the company? When in actuality the names and titles have changed but the underlying issues are still there and results in the same problem.

Change that is powered by a complete vision of the outcome as if the change has already occurred and the future vision exists now - this is a true motivating vision for change.
In fact when a leader has this experience, action toward the change comes naturally and with ease for the leader - maybe not so easy for those following if they have not yet experienced the vision. This is the time for consistent, complete, and confident communication, communication, communication of the vision. Without it the seed will not grow within a team, organization, community, or country.

True and necessary change is led and guided by the heart. Expressed by that quieter voice and powered by an inner experience of fulfillment and joy. The true call for change comes from the calm within the eye of the storm, the peace among the chaos. Human nature is growth and change. Be still and listen and you will know.

What would you do if you could do anything you considered meaningful and there was nothing to stop you?
_______________________________________________________________________

MiriamGroup – “Guiding Leaders Along the Path of Change”
www.MiriamGroup.com