February 24, 2021 4:00 am Published by

Episode 96:

As a bestselling author, keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, and globally recognized, award-winning seminar leader, Sue brings over twenty-five years of experience to her clients. She is the CEO of YESS! and has designed and delivered dynamic, transformational programs for thousands of people. Sue has received numerous awards including the Dream Keeper award recognized by the Governor’s Council for her leadership program, the Regional U.S. Small Business Administration Women in Business Champion of the Year award, the Exemplary Woman of the Community award, WomenVenture’s Unsung Hero award, Women Who Lead from Minnesota Business Magazine, NAWBO Minnesota’s Achieve! Vision Award and named a 2018 Enterprising Woman of the Year. Sue has been featured in publications including Inc., Entrepreneur, Thrive Global and The New York Daily News.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • How to manage the balance of strength and vulnerability as a leader
  • What vulnerability means in a leadership context
  • Why leaders don’t have time to worry about what others think
  • Excellence vs. perfection in leadership
  • How to get out of the weeds and find clarity so you can overcome leadership challenges
  • How to control the emotions and thoughts you assign to a particular situation or event
  • The emergence of feminine leadership

Resources:

The Core Strengths of Leadership

The global pandemic and extensive period of racial/political unrest have made it evident that strong leadership is difficult to come by. As a leader, it is important to be vulnerable with your team members, but you also have to assume a position of strength so your team has faith in tomorrow. This is a delicate balancing act that requires so much time and energy in periods of crisis. But with the right mindset, as well as a keen understanding of strength and vulnerability, you can become a resilient leader under any circumstances. In this episode of the Intentional Greatness podcast, Ali and I discuss the topics of strength and vulnerability in leadership so you can find balance within your own team.

Owning Your Mistakes

Vulnerability is admitting what you don’t know, owning up to your mistakes, and being honest when you’re scared or unsure instead of pretending. It is extremely hard to make ourselves vulnerable because as leaders, many of us have conditioned ourselves to conceal our imperfections. There is a great deal of fear associated with vulnerability, and when we show any signs of self-doubt, it feels like we are jeopardizing the image we’ve spent so long developing. Honesty puts us at risk of being exposed as a fraud, but when we make decisions based on what other people think, the outcome is often much worse. Authenticity and humility are key to strong leadership, and vulnerability is the bridge that connects them.

Excellence and Perfection

When we become vulnerable, we are in one of our most powerful states because we are present, authentic, and exceedingly human. The strange thing is that when we make ourselves vulnerable, we often feel weak and exposed. It is not a bad thing, it is just something we have to get used to. Vulnerability is a state in which we can create powerful connections, and that it is key to achieving excellence. Perfection is about managing other people’s perceptions; excellence is about managing the problem itself. No matter what happens in the face of adversity, you’ve made it through enough mistakes and survived to make it through the next challenge.

Download Your FREE Chapter of Chasing perfection

Get the first chapter of Sue’s book, Chasing Perfection: Shatter The Illusion along with the companion toolkit, the Maximizing Success Journal!

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