Leadership Inside Out

We’re now on the third edition of the Hispanic Heritage 2024 Inside Out Newsletter. Last year, I wrote about the phrase, “Ni de aquí, ni de allá“, translated as, “From neither here nor there” and refers to a lack of belonging felt within the Latino community. And yet with healthy integration and empowered reframing, I have, over the years, owned my experience, my story, and my unique leadership. Our identities, family history, and ethnic heritage do impact how we feel and show up in the world...

Hi Reader, There's something important I want to say, If you're the type of person who feels things deeply, the world needs you. AND... the world needs you to NOT beat yourself up or let the emotions around you drain you beyond empty. I often say, leadership is EMOTIONAL—especially if you care. And if you're reading this newsletter, you're the type of person who cares. Cares about changing the world. Cares about your team. Cares about becoming a better leader. But who cares for you? There's...

I was chatting with a change agent who works in child advocacy the other day and she mentioned "A child's right to play". I think we could all get around this ideas. But it made me wonder... At what age did we lose the Right to Play in our mind? When did we decide to turn play mode off and work mode on? What voice are we listening to that says, "you can return to play when you retire"? Who says, "play is for the weekend, IF you get your work done"? OMG have I been listening the Cinderella's...

Hello Reader, How are you feeling? Is your brain offering you the sense that, "I've got this"; or do you feel like you're in the spin of "I don't even know where to start"? Overwhelm is the state in which your mental and emotional system is overloaded and gets locked in freeze mode. There is a surge of urgent energy to get things done and yet the open ended questions and uncertainty of the situation has you subsciously slamming the hypothetical breaks. I'll be honest, here IS a lot to do and...

Hi Reader, Do you feel the pressure? There's a lot on leaders' shoulders: Balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders (board members, direct reports, clients, community members) Making impossible decisions (cutting programs and staff positions when funds dry up) Figuring out who needs to know what and when That's just the tip of the iceberg. But what I most often see weigh my clients down, more so than any specific challenge is the loneliness and isolation of feeling like they have to figure...

Have you ever found yourself completely baffled by someone's response to something that you thought was completely neutral? "What's the big deal?! Why are they overreacting?!" It's actually not an uncommon occurrence. As humans, we frequently communicate by assuming a common understanding. It works, until it doesn't. A Dandelion - a detested weed, a plant of nourishment, a pesky invasive species, a happy memory, and the most resilient of flowers. One moment you think you are talking about a...

Hello Reader, How are you? Take a minute and check in with yourself. Really. What energy are you holding in your body right now? The practice of simply noticing the emotion and the physical sensations associated with it is a linchpin for accessing more autonomy over how your day goes. If you notice you're holding tension, urgency, or frustration. It's okay. This morning I noticed a mix of emotions, frustrated at my own lack of action, overwhelmed at the opportunities I felt I was dropping the...

Hello Reader, How are you? What's on your to do plate? The one thing I often hear among leaders is the need for more energy. You too? One obvious way to get more energy is to rest... a simple solution is sometimes the best, but as I wrote about last week, it is not always easy. And even if you DO take that nap or vacation, sometimes it's not enough. The moment you return and open your computer to work, it's like your internal battery drains immediately. 'WTF - I felt rested 5 minutes ago.' I...

Hello Reader, How are you? Are you taking any sort of break? Are you feeling fully rejuvenated by it? Last week I was "out of office" - traveling in Alaska with my family, being wowed by wildlife and looooong days, full of sunlight. Keni Peninsula, AK. Photo by me. I found myself thinking about the nature of rest, especially as I work with clients who want to make the most of their time off. What contributes to real rejuvenation? Worrying about being unproductive, feeling overwhelmed by...