How To Get Comfortable With Power

Power is a word that generates an incredibly strong and often negative reaction from the women I work with. And yet, when asked to stand in their truth and describe who they are, they usually say powerful.

So where’s the disconnect? If being powerful is part of our essence, why are so many of us afraid to embrace power?

Is it because we’ve been brought up with the belief that power is bad, that it will corrupt us, that it will harm us and the people we care about?
Is it because we fear the responsibility that power brings?
Is it because we believe power might be at odds with what it means to be a woman?

For whatever reason we find ourselves shying away from power, it’s time for us to challenge those beliefs.

If you want to feel comfortable in leadership you need to learn to embrace your power.
You need to rebuild your relationship with power, especially your beliefs around it.
You need to embody it so that you can stand tall, knowing that you are leading authentically.
You need to create awareness of the positive impact that using your power can have on organizations, the people you lead, and society.

How can you re-define that relationship?

Understand your relationship with power: What emerges for you when you think about power? Who or what formed your understanding of what power is? What preconceived beliefs do you hold?
Re-define what power is for you: Explore what it means for you to be powerful and what would be possible if you owned your power. Consider the different types of power (subtle, soft, forceful, tyrannical…) and choose the elements that align best with your values.
Collect role models: Find examples of powerful leaders that inspire you. Learn about the impact they have had in their work.
Accept responsibility and take ownership at work: Whether it’s a project, a team, a task or a resource, accept responsibility for it and practice showing up in your full power.

Uncovering My Confidence: Balancing Cultures Podcast

Uncovering My Confidence – Third Culture Kid Adaptability in Workplace Culture

Third Culture Kids are often adaptable.

But adaptability can be both a help and a hindrance.

Moving every 2-4 years gave me the instinct of assimilation. In school, this helped me adapt to each new environment. But once I was old enough to choose life myself, I was still following other people’s lead. In the workplace, I felt off balance and took years to uncover my core values and what I wanted from life.

In this episode, I talk to Balancing Cultures Podcast host Meghan Kitchin about my international life, and how I took my TCK adapting skills from anxiety inducing to confidence boosting.

Check out more of the Balancing Cultures episodes here.

Creative Mornings Talk #Liminal

When we find ourselves in transition between projects, ideas, or phases of life, often we can end up occupying the liminal space for much longer than we’d like.

This space is usually characterized by low energy, ineffective working patterns, increased stress, and unhealthy behaviors. In our attempt to remove ourselves from the discomfort of this emotional space, we turn to problem solving to try and figure out how to move forward, but this rarely helps us make the transition from what has been to what will be. In this talk I explore why it’s so important to get comfortable with the unknown, and use transition periods as an opportunity to look inward and get curious about how we may have changed so that we can move forward with purpose. As additional material from this talk, please download the Liminal Worksheet to help you work through your own transitions.

How can you re-define that relationship?

Uncovering My Confidence – Third Culture Kid Adaptability in Workplace Culture

When we find ourselves in transition between projects, ideas, or phases of life, often we can end up occupying the liminal space for much longer than we’d like.

Coming Soon!