It's Business ~ It's Personal ~ It's YOU! with Sharon Lewis

It’s Business, It’s Personal, It’s You Radio Show I’m over the top excited about my show this week. I’m talking to Kai Hibbard, season three contestant from the Controversial Hit TV Show “The Biggest Looser” about motivation. Kai got me all excited in her Huff Post interview with a killer sound byte: “Shame is not a motivator. It’s a paralytic.” So I reached out right away to set up this interview. We’re going to talk to Kai about her experience with judgment and shame and her journey into what appears to be a pretty terrific relationship with her self and her world. Tapping into my fascination with leadership that empowers rather than controls or diminishes I’m sure this will be an enlightening hour for all of us. Learn more about Kai by liking her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kai-Hibbard-of-The-Biggest-Loser-Season-3/114388032436 And if you’d like to share the message this fabulous T-shirt can help http://teespring.com/fubl. All the proceeds are going to www.about-face.org  a site that is addressing media messages that affect self esteem and body image Also you can check out the resources Kai shared at the end of the show from fabulous women who question the message that you have to be thin to be happy, successful, active, or any other unrelated and arbitrary metric of success. Jess Baker: http://www.themilitantbaker.com/p/about.html Tess Munster http://www.tessmunster.com/ Jean Killbourne http://www.jeankilbourne.com/ Joni EdelmanTwitter.com/joniboloney Whitney Thore http://nobodyshame.com/

It’s Business, It’s Personal, It’s You Radio Show We have all heard that change is the only constant. And we’ve all had the experience of a change that we resist. What’s up with that? Resisting the inevitable seems the very definition of insanity and yet we find ourselves caught up in exactly that cycle over and over. Why is change so hard and can we make it easier? Join me on today’s show to look at our experience of change from a number of angles. Whether personal or professional change is part of your life let’s make it as easy and joyful as possible. Stay tuned for an announcement about changes for this show!

Why bother with a personal or team vision when you work within an organization? Vision is an essential part of the leadership conversation. You’ll be hard pressed to talk to a C-Suite executive who isn’t clear on their vision for the organization. But I don’t talk to too many leaders in the middle of organizations who have a clear picture of their vision for their teams. And I speak with even fewer “front line” employees who have one for themselves. Does this matter? What does it look like to have a clear vision when you’re sandwiched between the layers of a hierarchy or working away on the front lines just trying to get it all done? Aren’t we all supposed to be  living the company vision anyway? www.questiam.com  

Can you take a Good Look at Who You Are when you’re Upset? “Emotional Hijack” is a term used in Emotional Intelligence circles to describe a predictable cascade of brain and body responses that occur when we feel threatened. Let’s explore what an emotional hijack is, what it does and who we become when we’re in one! It takes a fair bit of courage to explore our Hijack personality but once you see it you’ll want to know what it takes to go beyond it. www.questiam.com  

Are you Frustrated that your Employees are Acting like Children? www.questiam.com  

(Part 1 Aired December 17th) Listen here. Being a manager, team lead, supervisor, director or leader in organizations today can be confusing. Am I supposed to be leading? Managing? Mentoring? Coaching? Who has time for any of those anyway? And just what IS the difference? Join Sharon for the second part of this show to explore the distinctions between each of these vital leadership roles, the common ground they all rest on and when to bring which skill forward with your team members!  

Let me let you in on A little New Years ritual I keep for myself in lieu of resolutions. This year why not take a little time to review the year just past and take a peek into your future without guilt, regret, force or effort. Resolutions are just premature conclusions dressed up in holiday finery anyway. Forbes tells us that only 8% of the 40% of people who make resolutions actually make good on those resolutions. (That’s 3.2% of the population people!) Has there ever been a more useless yet tenacious ritual? How much have you been giving yourself a hard time for not sticking to your resolutions? There’s a value in reviewing. There’s huge value in the self awareness that comes from that process but maybe not for the reason we think.  

Our Christmas Eve Special. If there’s a gift I could offer to the whole world this Holiday Season it’s this. Trust You. Let yourself Lead, even if no one is following, even if you’re not sure you can get where you want to go. The world needs what you will discover when you follow your own path. I don’t know what that is but I do know it’s true. Tune in for the Gift of You (And a special gift from me!) visit us at www.questiam.com for more information on programs & services for leading in your work and life.  

Being a manager, team lead, supervisor, director or leader in organizations today can be confusing. Am I supposed to be leading? Managing? Mentoring? Coaching? Who has time for any of those anyway? And just what IS the difference? Join Sharon on this week's show to explore the distinctions between each of these vital leadership roles, the common ground they all rest on and when to bring which skill forward with your team members!

Employee engagement is still at record lows. Why? We all know the impact that engaged employees have on productivity. It's huge! Why is it so hard to get employees engaged? Come and explore the topic of engagement on this week's show? What is this elusive trait and where does it come from? What if the very things we're trying to control to improve engagement are what's killing it? 

Ah, Certainty! How safe it makes us feel. And how utterly boring, confining and limiting it is after just a little while. One of the things I see a lot in my coaching practice is leaders looking for answers. How do I know this will work? How can I be certain this won't backfire? Have you got any research showing this approach will get results? Has anyone ever done this before? And to those folks I quote the title of one of my favourite books. "The answer to How is Yes." Flight? We didn't know how, we just knew we wanted to. The Moon? We didn't Know how, we just knew we wanted to. Virgin Airlines? Oprah? The four minute mile? Discovering North America? In fact, most of the really certain answers we have had over the history of our species have proven to be only partially true at best and completely, misguidedly, false at worst. Perhaps its time to invoke a statute of limitations on answers. And if we were to do that, what would that mean for our businesses, our lives, our world? visit us at www.questiam.com for more information on programs & services for leading in your work and life.

A couple of weeks ago when talking to a coach friend of mine she reminded me again, as I need to be reminded every couple of weeks, that most of the things I struggle with come down to trusting our potency of choice over all limitations we self create, self inflate or receive as cautionary tales. "What it comes down to" she said, "is one question, 'What kind of world do you want to live in?' " That's the question for this week. Come and explore how that question landed, resonated, exploded, blistered and generally messed with all my conclusions. No really. It'll be fun! visit us at www.questiam.com for more information on programs & services for leading in your work and life.

Who ever quibbles with the age old advice from the Oracle of Delphi "Know Thyself" Who really ponders when Shakespeare reminds us, "To Thine Own Self Be True."? (I actually have a bracelet with this engraved on it! Thanks sis!) Who hasn't been admonished to "Just be yourself." or been encouraged to "Be Authentic."? Do we ever stop to question this well meaning advice? Why is it so important and is it really good advice? Is it necessary? What does it mean anyway? These are question we rarely ask. How many personality tests have you taken in your life ? What's your astrological sign? What are your values? Your principles? What's your job? What roles have you taken on? What are you good at? Not so good at? When does your identity and your memory of who you have been start to become more of a limitation than a gift? And what do you do about it when it does?

We've all heard Stephen Covey's "7 Habits" advice "Begin with the end in mind" Well, sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Over - fixating on an end state can sometimes feel just as restrictive as not being able to create anything at all. Sometimes the tunnel vision of knowing EXACTLY what you want stops you from seeing what's possible. Join Sharon Lewis as we liberate ourselves from the rule: "Begin with the END in mind". Lets see what happens when we begin with the AND in mind. Ready to end the tyranny of forced selection? What if we could expand beyond the limitations of focus. What if AND is our natural state?

You've heard the expression "You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that created it." The quote is often attributed to Einstein who, according to wikiquotes, didn't even really say it... funny when that happens! What he DID say though, was "A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels." The idea remains though, and it is a sound one. If you're trying to solve a problem without changing how you think about it you're doomed. (Assuming doomed means fated to exist with the same problems you've always had.) In business as in life if you're trying to change something first change your thinking. Join us for an hour long exploration of ways of thinking differently. What if some of your problems just didn't feel like problems when we're done? Or What if the 'solutions' are things you've never even considered before?

Forgive my language but sometimes the kids just know how to capture the essence of things. Suckage. The quality of sucking. Sometimes the people we work for really do suck. I mean sometimes they're terrible at leading. Why the heck IS that and what do we do about it? www.questiam.com

Do you avoid Conflict like the plague? Why? What if conflict could be joyful? Wait... What? That's right, joyful. Join us this week for a fun exploration of all the wonderful things conflict creates! Hosted by Questiam Leadership Devleopment http://www.questiam.com

Join us this week for an exploration of the idea of Conscious Capitalism - Coming to Canada! (don't you just love aliteration?) How can you contribute? What does this mean to you? Where could we take it? Where do you find out what it's all about? Right Here! This Week! Hosted by Questiam Leadership Devleopment http://www.questiam.com

Co-creating A Relationship that works for you! Are you frustrated because you have a sense that more is possible in your relationships but you don’t know exactly what that is or how to create it? Join hosts Sharon and Penny for this taste of what's possible in relationship. We reveal years of personal experience as partners, coaches and experimenters who are hacking the current relationship paradigm to play with what else might be possible in loving, allowing and intimate relationships. Join us for mind blowing, heart expanding ideas and experiments you can take into your own relationships. Note: No self judgement required.

Have you ever gotten stuck because you didn't know what to do? Is there something you know you want to do, be or have but you're not moving forward because you don't quite know how or aren't sure how it's all going to turn out? What's going on? Why do we get stuck so often? What's the impact on our lives and work? This week we're exploring the idea that Good Leaders, in business and in life, always seem to know what to do but GREAT leaders stay in the question. What if Great Leaders have a relationship with certainty unlike anything you've ever considered. What if you changed your point of view on certainty? Hosted by Questiam Leadership Development http://www.questiam.com

Emotional Intelligence is a key competency for leadership achievement. After decades of research demonstrating how important it is and much work devoted to teaching and learning Emotional Intelligence it's value is now recognized. I've been part of that work for well over a decade and now I'm asking What Else is Possible Beyond Emotional Intelligence? And my inquiry is turning up surprising results! What if Emotions, no matter how smart you are about them, actually get in the way of Leadership? And if they do, what do we do about it? Hosted by Questiam Leadership Development http://www.questiam.com

Accountability is probably one of the two most frequently "coached on" topics I encounter. This week we look Under the hood at this discomfort inducing, much misunderstood concept and start looking at what it is (and isn't) what it takes to create accountability, hold it and release it's magic! Hosted by Questiam Leadership Devleopment http://www.questiam.com

Have you ever had an experience that ticked you off so much you just couldn't stop thinking about it? Now, what if you could take that experience and create from it a way to contribute to your community, enjoy yourself and spread fun and laughter and possibility wherever you went? "Not possible." You say? Meet my guest Linda Leja. Expanding the possibilities of business, contribution and play every day. If life is handing you lemons, sure, you could go make the proverbial lemonade, or... You could bust out the tequila and salt and get your party on!

We live and work in a world that has been re-made in the image of how our brains have evolved. We have evolved as a species based on our ability to understand how the world works in order to survive in it. Our favourite tools to do that are rules, conclusions and judgements. As a result, We live and work in a world that favours predictability and certainty over uncertainty. However, we forgot half the story! Rules, conclusions and judgements have side effects when applied to our fellow man. Human beings accept rules and judgements only to a point. We also crave surprise play and messing around to see what happens. In the final analysis we ALL want freedom as well! Come and explore what's possible when we start to relate to one another beyond the need or requirement for rules, conclusions and judgements. What else is possible when we realize, fundamentally. We're All Volunteers.

What if planning and progress aren't quite as linked as we think? There's a time for planning and structure and order and predictability. When I get a flat tire on the side of the road I want clear instructions that are guaranteed to work about how to get back on my way. But there's a danger in trying to overapply the strategy of planning of knowing the how before you begin. Come and rediscover the possibility of not having a plan for every little thing on today's show and see how letting go of 'How?" as the your first Go-To Question can increase creativity, innovation, fun, and freedom in your business and your life.

Zentangle is business built around a meditative art form discovered and popularized by Calligrapher Maria Thomas and former Zen Monk Rick Roberts. Since it's first class Zentangle has grown steadily in North America and now boasts a growing community of Certified Zentangle Trainers world wide who help Rick and Maria share the benefits of this fun, calming, conclusion busting art form. Join Sharon as we speak with Rick and Maria for a look at a very personal business with a profound impact! Find out more about Zentangle at http://www.zentangle.com

Two articles came out in the past week that both point to broken conversations in business. The first discusses a new book by the Co-founder and Chairman of Linked and speaks to the fundamental dishonesty at the heart of employment today. The second, about Adobe Sr. VP of People and Places Donna Morris looks at what's wrong with the standard performance appraisal conversations had in organizations around the globe. Both articles point to conversations that are just plain broken. This week we look at how to spot a broken conversation with yourself, in your business or in your workplace and what to do about it when you find it. http://www.questiam.com

Join Sharon Lewis and Francisco Wulff for a fun romp through economic theory. Yes, I said a FUN romp through economic theory! How how we can look at economic choices and behavior in ways that have us feel less restricted and enable us to create the change we desire for the world? What can economics tell us about the role of conclusions and paradigms in how our world is constructed? What can it tell us about how easy or difficult it is to do things differently in the world we have constructed for ourselves? And my favouite question, the one that lit the fuse on my desire to go deeper into this conversation with a real live economist: Does economic theory limit or enable the expansion of our consciousness as a species and in the world we co-create? http://www.questiam.com

Ever noticed that there's just a wee bit more to get done than there are hours in the day? Join an exploration of what it is to keep moving through overwhelm, uncertainty and chaos without loosing it.

So if business is personal and the world runs on business, at least economically what's it going to take to reshape our world? Well, what if we got women even more involved? If you've ever quipped, "When I rule the world..." then this just might be your show. Join host Sharon Lewis and her special guests Heather Clarke and Cheryl Breukelman for a lively discussion about the upcoming "Women Reshaping the World" conference in Toronto Ontario this coming November 27th 2014. Heather and Cheryl are hosting the Toronto event and we'll have a conversation about what else might be possible if women were reshaping the world! find out more at www.womenreshapingtheworld.com http://www.questiam.com

Our consciousness has everything to do with business and leadership. Unfortunately it's always been something seen as 'not suitable' for the business conversation. So let's define consciousness for the business person's lexicon. A person's consciousness consists of the set of assumptions, beliefs and values that we allow to govern our lives and the very core beliefs we hold about who we are. In this regard we can talk about an individual's consciousness as that person's 'operating system'. In this show we look at how our collective consciousness has evolved over the years and how it continues to evolve. We also examine what the impact has been on how business operates. And make some predictions for how our next evolution in consciousness will impact business in the near future. Find out more about Sharon at http://www.questiam.com/

Our world runs on business and money. Everyone knows it, not everyone likes it. Do you ever feel like you’re caught up in the big corporate machine? Are you winning or losing the rat race and still feeling like a rat? Even if you find yourself in a comfortable spot somewhere in the middle of the heap do you ever resent all the shoulds, have tos and musts dos that drive your day? Are you ever worn out, stressed, depressed or anxious about either the responsibility you hold or the helplessness you feel? Are you tired of hearing it’s not personal, it’s business as justification for what you must do or for not being able to choose what YOU know should be possible? There’s a reason for that. Business IS personal. Business is YOU; You are business; and we ALL have a role to play in leading our world in a direction that makes it a place we all want to be! What would it be like if all the external events, resources, time constraints, power hierarchies and budgets that seem to be squeezing the possibility out of your vision no longer stressed you out? What would it be like if you trusted yourself so implicitly that regardless of clarity and constraints you were sure in your course, flexible in your strategy and certain of your success? If you’re ready to throw off the shackles of money and business and become one of the leader’s we so desperately need, you’re listening at the right time. www.questiam.com