When I stood to address the audience at the 4th Annual Re:Imagine Leadership Summit last week, I felt like the hostess of a cocktail party. I couldn’t wait for the guests to mingle and experience an event that my team and I had been curating for months.
Several participants told us that the Summit was exactly what they needed in their lives right now. Here are a few key takeaways from the day’s conversations, and information about two additional programs we’re launching to keep the dialogue going.
1. Danielle Aguas, our VP of Client Engagement, kicked off the day with a story about how her excitement to lead a climb up Yosemite’s Half Dome turned to terror. Without the encouragement and trust in her team that day, she never would have made it to the summit.
What heights have you not yet achieved because you’ve been going at it alone?
2. Dr. Tony Baron, our Co-Founder and Scholar-in-Residence, spoke about how feeding and protecting our ego is one of the most addictive habits we have as human beings. Transformative leadership requires us to guard against the five factors of a malignant ego: 1) Being someone you are not; 2) Assuming you deserve the number one place in the discussion; 3) Having the last word; 4) Always having your agenda in the process; and 5) Thinking you are the reason for your success.
To get back to being truly human, humility is key.
3. I shared how stress impacts our ability to think logically when our amygdala, an almond shaped structure in our brains, sends us into fight or flight mode and shuts off blood supply to the thinking part of our brain. Transformative leaders practice checking in with ourselves so that we can model how to respond, rather than react, to the stressors at work.
Stress is inevitable. Growth is optional.
4. Michael Coffey, our Senior Executive Consultant, discussed how fear is rooted in internal and external conflict. When we’re in conflict at work, we can no longer tap into our naturally creative selves. Instead of working to finding a solution that works for everyone, we become defensive and protective of ourselves and our values.
How can you reimagine the greatest fear that you have in your life right now?
5. Keynote speaker and former NFL player Terrell Fletcher shared four lessons from the champion’s dilemma: 1) Believe you belong in the game; 2) Love the process as much as the outcome; 3) Take risks; 4) Remember to share the stories.
The corporate landscape needs more people to operate with their head AND their heart.
Thanks to our generous sponsor, Connexus Association, passionate attendees, and powerhouse team, the 4th Annual Re:Imagine Leadership Summit was the best ever. What’s next? Two things: we’re kicking off a 6-month Leadership Excellence program in May and a 12-month Executive Chair program in September. We are honored to present quality programs like these to continue taking you from what is to what is possible.
Question: What do you do each year to invest in your growth as a leader?
Driven by the premise that excellence is the result of aligning people, purpose and performance, Center for Executive Excellence facilitates training in leading self, leading teams and leading organizations. To learn more, subscribe to receive CEE News!
