Corporate Leader to Thought Leader - an Interview with Sara Connell, Author, TEDx Speaker, Coach and Founder, Thought Leader Academy
In the latest Fearless Female Leadership interview, I had the true pleasure of speaking with Sara Connell, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, coach, and Founder of Thought Leader Academy, about the transformative journey from corporate leader to thought leader. Saraâs story is one of resilience, reinvention, and the power of claiming your voice â and using it to create meaningful, lasting impact.
Saraâs career began in the corporate world at a top advertising agency, where she quickly realized that while the training was invaluable, the culture was toxic. It took a mental and physical health crisis for Sara to finally make the leap out of corporate life â a leap inspired by a chance encounter with a life-changing book she discovered in an airport bookstore. That single book inspired her to commit to writing the stories and messages she wished had existed for her, and ultimately to empower other leaders to do the same.
Throughout our conversation, Sara spoke candidly about the mindset shif...
Cultivating an Influential Mindset Through Healthy Habits and Boundaries
You can be successful, and still feel like there is more. More for you to give and contribute, more impact to be made, and more joy to feel from your work.
Is it possible that it may be time to pivot?
There are many ways to successfully pivot, whether internally within your company or your current career, or an external pivot toward something entirely different. This is not typically easy and can require a great deal of personal influence.
Hereâs how to get started with an influential mindset reset, coupled with setting healthy habits and boundaries:
1. Believe in Yourself
Your ideas, your worth, and your contribution are valuable. If you donât believe you are worthy of influence in a new and often unfamiliar role, itâs unlikely youâll be able to influence others. The voice that we should pay attention to the most is our own, even when it is a negative voice. So a great place to start is with strong positive daily affirmations. For example, "I take consistent action towards my next level of...
Retaining and Motivating Your Top Female Leaders!
I hope this message finds you excited to join me at this Thursday's webinar!
I wanted to share a quick but impactful video with you. Itâs all about how female leaders can thrive during disruptive times, and it offers some practical tips you can start using today.
In the video (above), I cover:
- Managing Fear: Turning fear into a motivational tool.
- Goal Setting: The importance of setting short, intermediate, and long-term goals.
- Mindset Shifts: Moving from "what if" to "imagine if."
Why is this important?
Research from the American Psychological Association and the Peterson Institute for International Economics highlights that female leaders enhance productivity, collaboration, and profitability. However, many organizations struggle to retain this invaluable talent, but I have a proven framework to help female leaders stay motivated and feel in control, even in chaotic times.
Join my webinar: "Retaining and Motivating Your Top Female Leaders During Disruptive Times"
Date: June 20, 20...
Unlock Your Teamâs Leadership Potential During Times of Change
Change can be daunting, but it also offers tremendous opportunities for leaders and emerging leaders to rise, grow, and to become more visible.
Above is a brief video (04:58) where I share strategies to help female leaders transform fear into a powerful ally and navigate times of change with confidence and optimism.
In the video I address:
- Fear and Insecurity:
Understand how to manage and leverage fear to boost team performance. - Olympic Level Goal Setting:
Learn the importance of setting short, intermediate, and long-term goals to maintain motivation and productivity. - FBI-like Mindset Shift:
Move from fear-based thinking to opportunity-focused strategies
If you want to continue the conversation and get ahead for the next 90 days, set aside 60 minutes on June 20, 2024 for my FREE webinar and I will work on your 90-day plan WITH YOU.
- Webinar:Â "Retaining and Motivating Your Top Female Leaders During Disruptive Times."
- Date:Â June 20, 2024
- Time:Â 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET
Register ...
Mastering the Art of the Ask for Women in the Workplace
Growing up, I used to go with my dad to drop off and pick up the clothes at the neighborhood laundromat. Whenever he lost his ticket to claim his clothes, the laundromat owner would say: âNo ticket, no wash.â And she was not kidding!
When it comes to building visibility, impact, and the support from your leadership, if you donât ask, youâre likely not going to get.Â
This is a double whammy because our male counterparts tend to be 4 times more likely to make an ask for a raise or a higher salary when initially hired according to Women Don't Ask by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever.
If this sounds familiar, the good news is that youâre certainly not alone. The not so good news is that you could be losing out on $1,000,000.00 during the course of your career according to the recent UC Davis study, titled Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Great Gender Divide.
The ability to effectively make an ask is a valuable skill that can open doors, forge partnerships, and propel careers forward...
3 Steps to Build the Influence You Want and Deserve
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There is a misconception about influence that it is reserved for the elite few or for those in positions of authority.
We all have ideas, feelings and wisdom that deserve to be heard AND that may have a profound impact on others. I almost look at it as an obligation. Whether you feel like you are influential or not, you can learn to become more influential, and it starts with gaining an influential mindset.
Keep in mind that you believe what you consistently tell yourself, so use your internal voice wisely! You may have to be an actor or actress in the beginning.
I DON'T mean "fake it until you MAKE it."
I DO mean, "fake it until you BECOME it."
The first step to gaining the influence at work OR at home, is to believe that what you desire is possible.
Fortunately, there's a great tool you can use to do just that! It's a positive affirmations app that myself and my 1:1 clients use called ThinkUp. Used consistently (every day for 5 minutes prior to bedtime), ThinkUp is an amazin...
Need Leadership's Buy-in? Take Control with These 4 Strategies
Need Leadership's Buy-in? Take Control with These 4 Strategies
Have you ever had that brief yet vitally important window of time to speak with your leadership or board only to let your emotions get the best of you and feel disappointed at the outcome?
Whether negotiating an offer for a new title, a monetary raise, promotion, or buy-in on an idea, itâs vital to prepare your mindset AND that of your counterpart.
Here are a few tips to make sure you feel in control of your next crucial conversation:
- Have an ECO Mindset prior to entering into any high-stakes conversation. (Have "E"mpathy for the other, "C"uriosity for what he/she might feel/be experiencing, and "O"ptimism for how youâd like the conversation to turn out). If youâre not feeling the love, postpone the conversation. Anger and frustration, while 100% understandable, will likely come out in your tone/gesture which will not be helpful to your cause.
- Begin with acknowledging the otherâs perspective. Be as detailed as possib ...
Podcast Episode #46: "Key Strategies to Advance Young Women in Politics (and How We All Benefit)" - An Interview with Giovanna Mingarelli
Key Strategies to Advance Young Women in Politics (and How We All Benefit)
What an honor to have interviewed @giovannamingarelli who is full steam ahead in creating a global movement for women in the technology and politics space. Here are the key take-aways, but I'd like to invite you to listen to the entire 30 minute interview.
Giovanna Mingarelli is the CEO and Co-Founder of two international companies, M&C Consulting and MC2, and plays the dual role of technology entrepreneur and thought leader. For 15 years Ms. Mingarelli has worked in the field of political and digital communications and has served in the office of a former Prime Minister of Canada. Ms. Mingarelli is a member of the Government of Canada Treasury Board Secretariat External Advisory Board for Talent Cloud, developing the future of work for Canadaâs Public Service. She has been a Parliamentary witness and a keynote speaker relating to the advancement of young women in politics and digital democracy through her wor...
Take the New Mindset Mastery Assessment
Take the New Mindset Mastery Assessment
If youâre feeling a little (or a lot:) overwhelmed or out of control, I hear you! You are most definitely not alone. That gets compounded when we are absorbing and managing how other family members and team members are doing.Â
In my household, I have one son who is in Nevada with his girlfriend and her family (Iâm in California), and my younger son is on the tennis team and a senior at UC Berkeley. The tennis season was cancelled, all of his friends went home and there will be no formal graduation ceremony (except at home!). My daughter (age 20), is supposed to be in Honolulu right now with her best friend for Spring Break. As you can imagine, sheâs not too thrilled to be at home with me! Despite it all, everyone seems to be taking everything in stride (most of the time:).Â
Letâs take a moment for YOU and check in to see how youâre doing!
How you feel and how you are managing your thoughts and emotions during this interesting time.Â
The good...
Podcast Episode #39: "The Mindset to Achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5, Gender Equal" - An Interview with George Sifakis
The Mindset to Achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5, Gender Equality by 2030
Ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right, itâs crucial for sustainable future; itâs proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development. I had the honor of interviewing fellow Women in Cloud presenter and Global Chair and CEO of IdeagenÂŽ, George Sifakis. We had an impactful conversation about Ideagen's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development goal #5 which is gender equality.
Get Answers to These Questions and Action Items:
- Who are the benefactors when women are empowered and supported in the workplace?
- What roles can men play?
- What's the goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development goal #5 (gender equality)? What does it stand for?
- What progress is being made now?
To be notified for future interviews sure to connect with me here on LinkedIn AND to lear more about how to build the mindset and i...
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