 Photo credit: https://steveivaska.com/lessons-in-leadership-living-life-in-alignment-with-your-priorities/ “Rather than looking outward in an attempt to predict the outcome, you turn inward to your identity. You base your decisions on who you are--or who you want to be.” ― Adam Grant, Originals
It can be tough to predict what will or will not happen in the future with any degree of accuracy in these uncertain times. However, considering the ever-changing times we face, deepening our ability to pivot, reset, and re-calibrate are life skills that can serve us personally and professionally. Still, as much as we acknowledge how essential these skills are, actually putting them into action can be a complicated thing to do when faced with uncertainty in our life or when an unforeseen situation suddenly presents itself to us. As well-known author and consultant Adam Grant states, the ability to turn our attention inward and genuinely tap into our own identity can help us better understand who we are and who we want to be. Although Adam’s words are very empowering and draw attention to the importance of self-awareness, I would add that we still need something to anchor ourselves to when we reflect on the nature of our own identity. This is especially true when more challenging times suddenly appear in our lives. Reflecting on the essence of who we are and who we want to be is made much easier when we have clearly articulated values that we hold front and center in our lives. Rather than focusing on what we hope will happen in the future or believing that everything will unfold as we planned for, what if we instead just focused on the extent to which we align with the core values we believe to be most important in our lives? Will essential decisions in our life become easier to make if we do this? Living in alignment with our core values significantly boosts our consistency regarding our thoughts, words, and actions. In addition, when we live in this alignment with more regularity, we put ourselves in a much better position to know who we are, what we stand for, and whether or not we are on the right track to becoming the person we want to be. Finally, we have a hook to hang our hat on and better reflect on who we are and what we represent. If I asked you to identify your top 3-4 core values right now, could you? How clearly can you articulate what it is you believe in most? And how often do you reflect on the extent to which your thoughts, actions, and words align with the values you think are most important in your life? As an exercise, try writing out a list of values that you feel guide you both personally and professionally. Once you have your list, flip it into driving questions that can help you better reflect on who you are and who you want to be. For example, your list may include the core values of Compassion, Courage, Curiosity, and Kindness. It’s OK if you are not completely clear, but at least have a go at brainstorming a potential list of core values. Once you have done this, turn each core value into a reflective question. These questions can be used as writing prompts in your journal each time you reflect on important decisions you have to make in your life. Compassion: To what extent did I show compassion toward myself and others today (or this past week)? What examples can I provide? Courage: To what extent did I demonstrate courage today (or this past)? What examples can I provide? Curiosity: To what extent did I put curiosity into action in my life today (or this past week)? What examples can I provide? Kindness: To what extent did I show kindness toward others today (or this past week)? What examples can I provide? Achieving desired outcomes and always hoping that things will work out as planned is a natural part of life. However, having specific strategies to lean on when things don’t go our way or when we encounter challenging times can significantly enhance our ability to make informed decisions rooted in the values that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
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 2014 European Ryder Cup Champion Stephen Gallacher In this episode, I interview 2014 Ryder Cup champion, Stephen Gallacher. For more than two decades, Stephen has played professional golf on one of the most elite stages in the world and it is because of this experience that he has devoted himself to giving back to the game through the Stephen Gallacher Foundation that he started in 2012. The mission of his foundation is to grow the roots of golf more deeply in Scotland by providing increased opportunity for juniors to have access to the game. Stephen has played in 20 majors including 2 Masters, 4 US Opens, 8 Open Championships, and 6 PGA Championships. As well, 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, selected Stephen as one of his captain's picks to join the European squad that ultimately went on to defeating the Americans at Gleneagles Golf Club. Stephen had a dream to be able to play on this team as it would have been the first time the Ryder Cup had been on Scottish soil in over 40 years. Going into the 2013 season, he outlined a very specific plan that would allow him to focus on playing his very best in order to earn a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Through discipline, hard work, and focus, Stephen was able to win back-to-back times in 2013 and 2014 at the Omega Dubai Classic, as well make 4 of 6 cuts in the majors in from June 2013 through to August 2014. He also had several other strong showings in tournaments during this time. In this episode, we dive deeply into the important roles that resilience and grit played in Stephen's career, especially after being sidelined for nearly 18 months with a debilitating autoimmune disease. Coming back stronger than ever was not only due to having a tremendous amount of gratitude for being able to play the game he loved, it was also due to the wonderful support network he had established in his personal and professional life. Stephen is a true gentlemen that leads by example. Whether you are a golfer or not, you are sure to find takeaway value in this episode that you can apply in your own life.  Click on episode photo to access this interview with Stephen Gallacher "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." |
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Think of the best leaders you have ever had. How did they make you feel? How did they lift you up and empower you to let your strengths shine? How did they strive to connect with you and learn from you? I recently had George Couros on my Run Your Life show. George is a world renowned leadership consultant and an author of two books, The Innovator's Mindset and Innovating Inside the Box.
In George's book, The Innovator's Mindset, he encourages teachers and administrators to empower their learners to wonder, to explore—and to become forward-thinking leaders. He firmly believes that if we want innovative students, we need innovative educators. In other words, innovation begins with every educator working in a school.
This book has been widely read by educators around the world and led to George writing his second book, Innovating Inside the Box, which deeply focuses on creating purposeful learning opportunities for all students.
In the episode that we recorded, George dives deeply into the impact that a great leader can have on the people who they serve and the importance of leadership at all levels across a school. As well, George speaks about an important mentor that he had early in his career that recognized his strengths and helped to develop him into the leader that he became. This is a great conversation about leadership, learning, and about striving for both personal and professional excellence.
To find out more about George visit georgecouros.ca. Hope you have a listen to this thought-provoking episode with George Couros. Click on the image below of access the episode.
In George's book, The Innovator's Mindset, he encourages teachers and administrators to empower their learners to wonder, to explore—and to become forward-thinking leaders. He firmly believes that if we want innovative students, we need innovative educators. In other words, innovation begins with every educator working in a school.
This book has been widely read by educators around the world and led to George writing his second book, Innovating Inside the Box, which deeply focuses on creating purposeful learning opportunities for all students.
In the episode that we recorded, George dives deeply into the impact that a great leader can have on the people who they serve and the importance of leadership at all levels across a school. As well, George speaks about an important mentor that he had early in his career that recognized his strengths and helped to develop him into the leader that he became. This is a great conversation about leadership, learning, and about striving for both personal and professional excellence.
To find out more about George visit georgecouros.ca. Hope you have a listen to this thought-provoking episode with George Couros. Click on the image below of access the episode.
"When you study prison populations, you see a common preponderance of childhood trauma and mental illness. The two go together. So what we have in prisons is our most traumatized people in our society."
~Dr. Gabor Mate
I feel grateful to have had the chance this past week to interview the inspiring Fritzi Horstman, the Executive Director and Founder of the Compassion Prison Project. Fritzi's work aims to bring more humanity and compassion to incarcerated men and women, so that they can experience the love, connection, and belonging needed to re-enter society and to give back in ways that not only make a difference in the communities that they came from, but to also empower themselves to find meaning and purpose in their own lives.
Fritzi's most important message to the men and women that she works with in the prison system is that their true nature is not violent and hateful but instead magnificent and magical. She wants them to understand that they are not defined by their trauma or the crimes that they have committed that put them behind bars. She wants them to understand that deep within themselves, they are kind, caring, and good people who never had the chance that other people had in life. Fritzi wants each inmate she works with to find the good within themselves and to find a purposeful way to give back to their communities and to better learn about the devastating impact that trauma can have.
As Dr. Gabor Mate says, our prisons are filled with the most traumatized individuals in our society. Childhood trauma comes in many different forms. In this episode, Fritzi discusses the Adverse Childhood Experiences Test (ACE Test) which anyone can take for free. This test has a series of questions that you either answer 'yes' or 'no' to and then gives you an ACE score out of ten. She highly recommends that all people take the ACE Test as it can help them understand the impact that trauma may or may not have had in their lives.
Fritzi has a very creative side to her that was developed even further through her work in the movie industry. She is a TV producer, director and writer and won a Grammy award for best music film working alongside Dr. Dre in 2017 in the documentary series The Defiant One. She has also worked with many other well-known stars over the years including Jewel, Richard Dreyfuss, Christian Slater, Jennifer Lopez, Alyssa Milano, Ashton Kutchar and many more. Although she found success in the movie industry, she has found much greater purpose and meaning in the work she now does with the Compassion Prison Project.
My conversation with Fritzi dives very deeply into the impact of childhood trauma, the importance of compassion for others and compassion for self, the power of belonging and connection, and the need to look more closely at our own lives and the work we need to do to live with more fulfillment and meaning.
If you intend on listening to this podcast, I highly recommend that you first watch the video below. In this video you will see Fritzi lead the 'compassion trauma circle' with 235 inmates in Lancaster, California on February 12th, 2020. It is a powerful video that reveals the inspiring work that Fritzi has devoted herself to.
Fritzi's most important message to the men and women that she works with in the prison system is that their true nature is not violent and hateful but instead magnificent and magical. She wants them to understand that they are not defined by their trauma or the crimes that they have committed that put them behind bars. She wants them to understand that deep within themselves, they are kind, caring, and good people who never had the chance that other people had in life. Fritzi wants each inmate she works with to find the good within themselves and to find a purposeful way to give back to their communities and to better learn about the devastating impact that trauma can have.
As Dr. Gabor Mate says, our prisons are filled with the most traumatized individuals in our society. Childhood trauma comes in many different forms. In this episode, Fritzi discusses the Adverse Childhood Experiences Test (ACE Test) which anyone can take for free. This test has a series of questions that you either answer 'yes' or 'no' to and then gives you an ACE score out of ten. She highly recommends that all people take the ACE Test as it can help them understand the impact that trauma may or may not have had in their lives.
Fritzi has a very creative side to her that was developed even further through her work in the movie industry. She is a TV producer, director and writer and won a Grammy award for best music film working alongside Dr. Dre in 2017 in the documentary series The Defiant One. She has also worked with many other well-known stars over the years including Jewel, Richard Dreyfuss, Christian Slater, Jennifer Lopez, Alyssa Milano, Ashton Kutchar and many more. Although she found success in the movie industry, she has found much greater purpose and meaning in the work she now does with the Compassion Prison Project.
My conversation with Fritzi dives very deeply into the impact of childhood trauma, the importance of compassion for others and compassion for self, the power of belonging and connection, and the need to look more closely at our own lives and the work we need to do to live with more fulfillment and meaning.
If you intend on listening to this podcast, I highly recommend that you first watch the video below. In this video you will see Fritzi lead the 'compassion trauma circle' with 235 inmates in Lancaster, California on February 12th, 2020. It is a powerful video that reveals the inspiring work that Fritzi has devoted herself to.
Hope you have a chance to listen to my conversation with Fritzi Horstman. Please share the episode with anyone who you think will benefit from listening to it. You can access the podcast by clicking on the photo below and if you want to connect with Fritzi, she'd be happy to hear from you. All of her contact information can be found in the show notes of this episode.
“The difference between passion and addiction is that between a divine spark and a flame that incinerates.”
― Gabor Maté, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
Photo Credit: https://drgabormate.com/
Dr. Gabor Mate, a world renowned addiction expert, best-selling author, and speaker has an extensive body of work related to trauma, addiction, stress and childhood development. Based on his years of research related to addiction and mental illness, Dr. Gabor Mate firmly asserts that the source of addictions/mental illness is not to be found in genes but in the early childhood environment. By taking a compassionate inquiry approach to mental illness and addiction, Dr. Mate helps his patients better understand themselves and the root causes of their disorder. Through his insight into the relationship between the body and the mind, he empowers his patients by helping them to reconnect with themselves at both the emotional and physiological levels. By developing an in-depth self awareness practice, his patients learn to reconnect with authentic feelings and emotions and through this process they are able to liberate themselves from self-destructive behaviors.
In January 2019, I had the opportunity to interview Theo Fleury on my podcast. Theo is a 13-year veteran of the National Hockey League having played on the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, and the Chicago Blackhawks. He also won the Stanley Cup in 1989 when he played with the Calgary Flames. To most people it would seem that Theo had an extraordinary life as he was a professional athlete, making millions of dollars and was cherished by hockey fans around the world.
The truth is that Theo lived a very tormented life that was brought on by acute trauma that he had experienced while playing junior hockey. Theo also grew up in a very dysfunctional family that was plagued by poverty. Throughout his professional hockey career, Theo's issues with drug and alcohol abuse were well documented, as was his gambling addiction. In Theo's own words, he estimates having lost over 50 million dollars gambling. Everything came to a boiling point in 2004 when Theo almost took his own life. He tells this story in detail in the episode that we recorded and speaks in-depth about his recovery process. Dr. Gabor Mate's work played a pivotal role in Theo's recovery and continues to make a difference in his life today. Through intensive therapy, Theo found a new path in life that led him to creating Fleury Enterprises which focuses on relational trauma and educating the public about the prevalence and signs of emotional injury. He is deeply committed to increasing awareness about trauma and reach more people who are in pain and in need of help.
In January 2019, I had the opportunity to interview Theo Fleury on my podcast. Theo is a 13-year veteran of the National Hockey League having played on the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, and the Chicago Blackhawks. He also won the Stanley Cup in 1989 when he played with the Calgary Flames. To most people it would seem that Theo had an extraordinary life as he was a professional athlete, making millions of dollars and was cherished by hockey fans around the world.
The truth is that Theo lived a very tormented life that was brought on by acute trauma that he had experienced while playing junior hockey. Theo also grew up in a very dysfunctional family that was plagued by poverty. Throughout his professional hockey career, Theo's issues with drug and alcohol abuse were well documented, as was his gambling addiction. In Theo's own words, he estimates having lost over 50 million dollars gambling. Everything came to a boiling point in 2004 when Theo almost took his own life. He tells this story in detail in the episode that we recorded and speaks in-depth about his recovery process. Dr. Gabor Mate's work played a pivotal role in Theo's recovery and continues to make a difference in his life today. Through intensive therapy, Theo found a new path in life that led him to creating Fleury Enterprises which focuses on relational trauma and educating the public about the prevalence and signs of emotional injury. He is deeply committed to increasing awareness about trauma and reach more people who are in pain and in need of help.
I'm re-releasing this episode with Theo on my new podcast platform. The conversation was rich with insight and Theo's honesty and commitment to make a difference in the world by being of service to others is so very commendable. If you know someone who might be suffering from mental illness, addiction issues, or trauma, you might direct their toward Theo's work and the work of Dr. Gabor Mate.
I've included the link below to my conversation with the inspiring Theo Fleury. Click on the photo to access As The Story Goes.
I've included the link below to my conversation with the inspiring Theo Fleury. Click on the photo to access As The Story Goes.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/881980/3033331-as-the-story-goes-run-your-life-91
"Resilience and strength can be attained through unexpected routes."
~Dr. Scott Barry-Kaufman
Ex-Army Major James Greenshields was a commanding officer in the Australian military who was responsible for leading a combat team of more than 100 soldiers into Iraq from 2005-2007. James, who was born into a military family, strongly felt from a young age that he meant to one day serve in the army in order to defend his country and be of service to others. After joining the army, James quickly rose through the ranks due to his natural ability to lead and communicate with others.
In preparation for his deployment to Iraq, he was put in charge of assembling his own combat team, training them, and equipping them with the necessary skills to support their mission and to protect one another. James was known as the kind of leader who led from the front. He never expected anyone on his combat team to do anything that he wouldn't do. If they were heading into danger, he was the one who led from the front. To James, he had no choice but to embody courage and bravery as these were, in his mind, the qualities that exemplified strong leadership.
In 2007, while out on patrol, the armored vehicle which was carrying he and his crew was hit by a roadside bomb. This incident forever changed the path of James' life and after returning to Australia, the mental scars from the bombing haunted him, causing him to grapple with a number of unresolved issues that ultimately led to PTSD and major depression. At one point, the inability to deal with these emotions and the trauma caused by this ordeal resulted in James almost taking his own life.
James was able to confront his emotional pain and found a new sense of purpose in an emotional resiliency program that he participated in which taught him to proactively deal with the trauma he had experienced. By doing the deep internal work necessary, James was able to once again thrive and to find greater meaning in his life. He and his wife now run the Resilient Leaders Foundation which is based in Australia and they have devoted themselves to helping provide people with the tools, resources and skills to lead and collaborate in order to make a difference in the world and to thrive.
I recently had the chance to interview James on my podcast and in this episode he spoke about the concept of post-traumatic growth. We are so used to hearing the term 'post traumatic stress disorder', but the research done by Dr, George Bonanno has shown that many people who have experienced major trauma in their life not only show incredible resilience but actually thrive in the aftermath of the traumatic event.
Researchers Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun coined the term "Post-Traumatic Growth' to capture this phenomenon. Dr. Scott Barry-Kaufman wrote a great article about the concept of Post Traumatic Growth which highlighted 7 areas that have been reported to spring from adversity:
Greater appreciation of life
Greater appreciation and strengthening of close relationship
Increased compassion and altruism
The identification of new possibilities or a purpose in life
Greater awareness and utilization of personal strengths
Enhanced spiritual development
Creative growth
In Scott's article, he writes about the idea of 'cognitive exploration' and how exploring our thoughts and feelings that come with a traumatic event allows us to delve more deeply into how we might find new meaning in a seemingly incomprehensible experience in our life.
In my episode with James Greenshields, it is evident that this is the process that he went through himself during his PTSD and major depression. James learned how to be curious about his emotions and feelings in order to better understand what they represent at the core of his being. In learning more a himself and remaining open and curious, he was able to listen to his inner voice and find the strength to discover new meaning and purpose in his life. The world is a better place as James' work has made such a difference to many people who have taken his workshops.
If you have the time and are interested in learning more about James' story, I've included a link to the podcast below. As well, I have hyperlinked Dr. Scott Barry-Kaufman's article above and his website. Scott's work has had a deep impact on the work I do and I strongly recommend that you get your hands on a copy of his new book Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization.
Thanks for reading and continue to shine brightly during these difficult times.
In preparation for his deployment to Iraq, he was put in charge of assembling his own combat team, training them, and equipping them with the necessary skills to support their mission and to protect one another. James was known as the kind of leader who led from the front. He never expected anyone on his combat team to do anything that he wouldn't do. If they were heading into danger, he was the one who led from the front. To James, he had no choice but to embody courage and bravery as these were, in his mind, the qualities that exemplified strong leadership.
In 2007, while out on patrol, the armored vehicle which was carrying he and his crew was hit by a roadside bomb. This incident forever changed the path of James' life and after returning to Australia, the mental scars from the bombing haunted him, causing him to grapple with a number of unresolved issues that ultimately led to PTSD and major depression. At one point, the inability to deal with these emotions and the trauma caused by this ordeal resulted in James almost taking his own life.
James was able to confront his emotional pain and found a new sense of purpose in an emotional resiliency program that he participated in which taught him to proactively deal with the trauma he had experienced. By doing the deep internal work necessary, James was able to once again thrive and to find greater meaning in his life. He and his wife now run the Resilient Leaders Foundation which is based in Australia and they have devoted themselves to helping provide people with the tools, resources and skills to lead and collaborate in order to make a difference in the world and to thrive.
I recently had the chance to interview James on my podcast and in this episode he spoke about the concept of post-traumatic growth. We are so used to hearing the term 'post traumatic stress disorder', but the research done by Dr, George Bonanno has shown that many people who have experienced major trauma in their life not only show incredible resilience but actually thrive in the aftermath of the traumatic event.
Researchers Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun coined the term "Post-Traumatic Growth' to capture this phenomenon. Dr. Scott Barry-Kaufman wrote a great article about the concept of Post Traumatic Growth which highlighted 7 areas that have been reported to spring from adversity:
Greater appreciation of life
Greater appreciation and strengthening of close relationship
Increased compassion and altruism
The identification of new possibilities or a purpose in life
Greater awareness and utilization of personal strengths
Enhanced spiritual development
Creative growth
In Scott's article, he writes about the idea of 'cognitive exploration' and how exploring our thoughts and feelings that come with a traumatic event allows us to delve more deeply into how we might find new meaning in a seemingly incomprehensible experience in our life.
In my episode with James Greenshields, it is evident that this is the process that he went through himself during his PTSD and major depression. James learned how to be curious about his emotions and feelings in order to better understand what they represent at the core of his being. In learning more a himself and remaining open and curious, he was able to listen to his inner voice and find the strength to discover new meaning and purpose in his life. The world is a better place as James' work has made such a difference to many people who have taken his workshops.
If you have the time and are interested in learning more about James' story, I've included a link to the podcast below. As well, I have hyperlinked Dr. Scott Barry-Kaufman's article above and his website. Scott's work has had a deep impact on the work I do and I strongly recommend that you get your hands on a copy of his new book Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization.
Thanks for reading and continue to shine brightly during these difficult times.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/881980/3472924-resilient-leadership-with-james-greenshields
Author
KAUST Faculty, Workshop Leader, Presenter, Certified Cognitive Coach
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