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Dear Reader,
Today's article authored by Sebastien relates to female and male energies. Female usually stands for tenderness, care, love, etc. whereas male is represented by fiercefulness, strength, power, etc.
In the past months I increasingly realize that one important key to success is not to be the one or the other, but to be able to integrate apparently opposite or paradoxial traits.
Female and male energy is just one example, another example I stumbled over yesterday during a toastmasters meeting (toastmasters is a worldwide organization assisting people in developing their public speaking skills) is the paradox of being conversational and professional in a public speech. I found that speakers who can be both at the same time are perhaps the most inspiring ones.
And there are many other examples...
Which paradoxes do you notice that would make you more successful if you could integrate them?
Let's keep progressing!
Charlie Lang
Executive Coach and Founder of Progress-U Ltd.
Author of The Groupness Factor
SOME SPARKLES IN YOU AS A LEADER THAT YOU DID NOT SEE?
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by Sebastien Henry,Executive Coach & Trainer Emotional Intelligence Expert for Progress-U Ltd.
 Do you have sparkles in you that you have not released yet? Parts of you that would make you a more inspiring leader, a leader that truly moves people? In this article, I will share with a practical way to release those sparkles!
Last week, I just finished conducting the very first run of the INSPIRE! program, a 6-day Retreat for Experienced Leaders, together with my dear friend and fellow facilitator Diane Wilcoxson.
I have been dreaming of this program for several years, and have been working hard to make it happen, and it was very moving to see it come to light. Even more moving was what participants achieved during these 6 days.
All of the 9 participants managed to move me in their own way, especially when they released sparkles that they did not even know they had within themselves. and transformed into even more inspiring leaders by becoming more complete persons.
There is one part of the work we did that I’d like to share with you because it may well be useful to you right now.
As leaders, each one of us has male and female energies. We asked participants, both male and female, to first connect to their male energy as a leader, and to choose a body posture and make a statue with their body that expresses this energy.
Next, we asked them to connect to their female energy, and make a statue expressing it. Lastly, they connected to a balanced combination of their male and female energy and made a statue expressing it.
Two observations emerged from this work:
1/ Most participants connect more easily with one energy (male or female), and find it challenging to connect to the other. Sometimes, men find it hard to connect to their male energy as a leader, or women struggle to connect to their female energy.
2/ When connected with a balanced combination of their male and female energy, participants were radiating a special alliance of peacefulness and strength - a very inspiring and moving energy. And leadership is about moving people, after all.
My question to you then is: can you feel that you rely primarily on either your male or your female energy to lead your team, leaving the other energy in you in the shadow?
If yes, imagine what you could gain in consciously relying more on the other energy that you are presently leaving in the background? What difference would that make?
If you find it hard to answer these two questions, I really encourage you to try the exercise I just shared with you, using your body to make a statue expressing each energy.
In order to fully connect to each energy, if you are not too familiar with this kind of work, it will be necessary to shut off your internal talk (“Is it going to look good this way? Does it make any sense?”) and to focus instead on what you feel in your body. Focusing on your breathing could be a first step here, a useful bridge between your internal talk and your feelings.
If you would you like to do it and have any question, feel free to contact me. I’d be happy to help in any way I can. I love sparkles and I love to be moved by inspiring leaders (this is what I was craving for during my corporate career!).
Warmly
Sebastien
Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss the content of this article. I am passionate about this issue and always enjoy sharing views and ideas.
For more information related to Progress-U Leadership Training and Coaching, please click here.
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