Leadership Between the Lines

As of 9/23 (tomorrow) there are ONE HUNDRED days left in 2020. One hundred days to make the rest of the year mean what you want it to mean for you, to become who you want to become, and to do your very intentional best with.

There is not a lot we can control right now, lots of uncertainty and chaos. And... we can control ourselves, how we show up, the meaning we make of things, how we treat ourselves and others, how we think about things, our rest, our hustle, our choices, and what we do about all of it... with 100 days left in the year (after 9/22), and with a lot of intention, energy, and presence, we can make more meaning out of this time and more space for ourselves, our congruency, and each other. Do you realize how much and what you can do with 100 days?  Especially if you're intentional about them?

I've started this post four separate times this week. Each time I've started, I've gotten distracted. A stressed text from a loved one. Increasing smoke and decreasing air quality from the fires throughout California. Notice of a medical emergency. A news alert on my phone, (almost always followed by getting sucked into social media)...

Whatever the case (and this seems to happen more and more frequently), my previously energized and focused brain, after any of these (or a combination of the above) -- shuts down. And all that "ready to engage, ready to write, ready to whatever, zoom zoom!!" energy goes... kaput. 

I've got to say, this last month -- not to mention this whole year -- has been a... "doozy." Pandemics, politics, wildfires, hurricanes, more violence, unrest, and racial injustices, people and businesses I love changing forever, people hustling and finding new meaning in ways unknown before, distance learning, sending my son back to school and the multiple levels of tenderness that go with that, not to mention the death of someone near and dear taken far too soon and attending a funeral during a pandemic -- outdoors, amongst the smoke, with loved ones in tear-stained masks, six feet apart... It feels like every week brings a new level of intensity, darkness, and grief, but also lightness, grit, and grace... 

As we become more and more virtually-based (V), leading team meetings, having 1:1's, teaching, speaking, dating, relating, and all things human connection over pixels, our Intentional Energetic Presence® (IEP) + (V) is more important than ever. After all, we now have to create safety and connection ON a screen in little boxes, hundreds and thousands of miles away from each other, and sometimes just next door. This is no small feat. However, it can be done beautifully. 

I'm considering starting up a podcast or some kind of weekly "live" on Instagram or LinkedIn (possibly both for the different platforms, email or DM me if you have a preference). We're currently exploring what feels congruent and most useful for people and, in the meantime, I'm playing with the content and pathways that work best for the two groups. My intention, of course, is to make it as simple, useful, and easy as possible for all.  So we've been experimenting...

One thing for sure -- regardless of the platform you're on -- is the challenge, dance, and journey of self-leadership, self-care, self-partnership, culture creation, relationship navigation, and the things that make us all human together.

One of those human things? The feeling of being "stuck."