Stay in the messiness. Fight against the urge to bolt as soon as possible. Embrace curiosity. Grant yourself permission to not know the answers. Heck, grant yourself permission to stay here as long as you need. Because in this messy middle is beauty. It’s where the magic happens. It is where growth occurs. It’s where all of the possibilities lie that you could never have imagined. The longer you stay here, the more data and experience you gain that creates a future you couldn’t have ever imagined.  

As we emerge from the pandemic and re-enter the physical workplaces, schools, and social events, we’re finding it is not as simple as just plugging the world back into where we were in February 2020... Between supply chain issues, hybrid workplaces, and a changing political landscape - it’s been clunky, to say the least. Our plugs and wires need to be adjusted to current circumstances. Society is not a toaster.

We’ve been thinking a lot about empathy, accountability, and curiosity lately. In the midst of clear wrongdoing or say, missed deadlines, our go-to is accountability - “Let’s tell them they’re wrong and hold them accountable.” Yes…and…there is a nagging thought that it’s not always quite that simple.

Can empathy and accountability co-exist? We argue yes. Is it hard at times? An even more resounding YES.

What is the difference between masculine and feminine energy? Masculine energy is about drive, control, action, and pushing forward. It’s about planning, executing, and making things happen. Feminine energy shows as more of a “being” state. It’s about leaning back, allowing for creativity, flow, and receptivity. It’s about listening to the undercurrents and being receptive to events and actions unfolding, seeing and encouraging possibilities.

If you are a leader in an organization that is bringing employees back to the physical workplace, even in a hybrid environment, you likely know that not all of your employees are embracing this decision. And as we re-enter our brick and mortar workplaces, it’s an opportunity to reflect as we look at how to best lead our staff through this transition. The pandemic has taken its toll on all of us, to varying degrees. Some have lost loved ones. Others have lost their jobs as a result of reduced in-person gatherings. All of us have lost some aspect of in-person connection at the very least.

What if there are different ways of knowing? Often we tell our clients - “You’re smart. If you could think your way through this, your brain would have already come up with the solution. What are some other ways of knowing that you aren’t utilizing?” What if your body and spirit were also heralds of decision-making intelligence? How do you tap into them, utilize them, and more importantly, easily access them in times of tough decisions? What if your gut instinct, which has served humans through evolution, has wisdom and is a tool kit that is yet untapped?

Love shows up in many ways as a professional and as a leader. It shows up as the investment we make in staff and their career. It shows up through commitment to enduring professional relationships by having a hard conversation in order to strengthen said relationship. It shows up through the dignity and respect of diverse backgrounds, including all members of an organization in meaningful work, and working towards equity of opportunities.

Language matters - meaning, it REALLY matters. How we talk to ourselves, talk with others, and articulate what we are feeling and experiencing is critical to deepened awareness, new insights, and different actions. It keeps us in relationship with others.

In this season of winter, choose how to reflect and renew. Perhaps it is journaling, or connecting with a friend, family member, or helping professional. It may be reading, or listening to music, or connecting with the natural world. Curiosity and reflections most certainly are involved. A deep self-compassion is a guest in this invitation as well. Invite the winter in, embrace your story, and emerge in the spring with a new ending in that new beginning.

The point is – journaling is not supposed to be perfect. It’s a way for us as leaders and humans to process the thoughts and emotions that are keeping our minds and hearts busy. It’s an opportunity to be reflective, and see trends or ideas that may emerge that were previously hidden to ourselves. It is a tool that allows us to be our best selves and show up as the best leaders we can for our teams.

Maybe our advice is not as good as we think it is. We share our advice through our own lens and bias. Meaning – what works for us doesn’t necessarily work for others. Personalities, situations, experiences, capabilities, etc. may all vary. Our advice is actually NOT accurate if we don’t have the full lay of the land.

September has always symbolized a new year to us. More so than even January, September represents new beginnings, new people, and new learnings (hello, #schoolnerd). It signifies a month of hope, of possibilities, of restarts.

We are pleased to share that in addition to MP6 Consulting's offering of Dare to Lead™ this Fall, we are partnering with Essential Communications to deliver another time and offering!

Our good friend and colleague, Tom Henschel, invited us to participate -along with several other colleagues- to deliver a series of leadership development offerings through Essential Communications. We immediately said yes, and are pleased to be offering the inaugural session, Dare to Lead™, through his rebranded website.

As we tentatively plan to emerge from the pandemic, we are hearing from many of our clients that they are considering some semblance of in person return to the physical office space in September. Simultaneously, many organizations are electing to offer their employees the option of continued virtual work or a hybrid method. This is an excellent opportunity to revisit how and why we meet and gather, and how we can continue to create inclusive cultures.

Sometimes, it helps to remember we don’t have all the characters, perspectives, or data as we make our meaning. There ARE other ways of seeing the world - if only we ask and listen.

In a journey of any kind, one will inevitably be asked to confront challenges and issues as we navigate our forward direction. And time and again - we noticed when we returned to our values, what really mattered to us - this became a north star in terms of the decision we should make.

What makes setting boundaries so difficult? We are hardwired for connection. We often make up worst case scenario stories, beliefs that establishing boundaries will force us out of connection with others. In reality, by NOT setting what’s ok and what’s not, we are only experiencing artificial harmony.

There is inherent wisdom, and often success, in paying attention to how our body and spirit are responding to a certain problem set. Pause and listen to that sweaty palm, that pull towards an exciting project, or that gulp before a hard conversation.

While change is external, transition—the true embracing of the change—is internal. Shifting from the change to transition is hard and messy at times as we are experiencing it.

Sometimes a focus on “being” gets you to your goals faster than “doing.”