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Two weeks ago, I was on vacation in Sri Lanka. And it felt so good! And it felt so good because I really needed to honor my need for uncertainty. Explore the unknown, be in nature, be up to surprises, say “I don’t know” multiple times a day. While reflecting on this, I remembered the “6 basic needs of humans” by Tony Robbins and realized that is the one that I probably would score lowest in the past years. What is the need that you would score lowest? And highest? #values#uncertainty#needs#tonyrobbins#coaching#leadershipcoaching

Many of us have been told that addiction is a moral failing or a sign of weakness. We may have heard that addicts are simply too lazy to change their behavior, and that their choices have led them down a destructive path. When I became familiar with Maté’s work, my view on addiction shifted 180 degrees. For the first time, I saw someone approach addiction with compassion and understanding, explaining the mental and emotional turmoil that leads people down the path of addiction. I could finally understand that people are not addicted to the substance itself, but to the numbness it provides from the deep emotional pain the individual is experiencing. And therefore, the addiction becomes (at least in the beginning) the solution to their problem. When we talk about addiction, we think of alcohol or drug abuse, but we cna be addicted to many other things or behaviours. The luckiest ones will be addicted to sports. Others to food, to sweets, to shopping to work, to sex or to anger. And the list can go on. In Maté’s words, addiction is any behaviour in which a person finds temporary pleasure or relief in, but that also has negative consequences, and which the individual cannot give up despite those consequences. As a society, we need to shift our focus from punishing, blaming or shaming addicts to providing them with compassionate and effective treatment. This means understanding the root causes of addiction: that trauma or emotional pain, and providing resources and support to address those issues. #traumainformedleadership #trauma #gabormate #addcition #leadershipdevelopment #leadership #intherealmofhungryghosts #whenthebodysaysno #themythofnormal

We all get stuck in something. We may not look like the guy in the picture, but we all have some habits and beliefs that make us stuck in the same old routine. But what we resist, persists. And we waste far too much energy fighting this impossible war. When we accept challenges, we open ourselves up to new opportunities for growth and transformation. It may be scary to step into the unknown, but it's where true growth happens. Next time we face a challenge, we can shift our mindset and start accepting what comes our way. Who knows where it might lead us? #leadershipcoaching #executivecoaching #transformation #growthmindset #embracetheunknown

I recently attended a WWA workshop based on Patrick Lencioni's teachings. This reminded me of his book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and his pyramid. And I remembered how I was amazed in awe when I read it. I realized that if every team could apply the principles outlined in the pyramid, they would be successful. These are the five dysfunctions presented by Lencioni's pyramid: Absence of Trust - Without trust, teams cannot function effectively. Trust is built through vulnerability and authenticity, where team members must be open and honest with each other and admit their weaknesses and mistakes. Fear of Conflict - When team members lack trust, they avoid healthy conflict. Yet, constructive conflict is necessary for good decision-making and problem-solving. Team members should feel comfortable challenging each other's ideas, as this can lead to better solutions. Lack of Commitment - If team members avoid healthy conflict, they're less likely to commit to team decisions. This lack of commitment can lead to insufficient support for team goals and a lack of effort to achieve them. Avoidance of Accountability - Avoiding commitment to decisions results in less accountability. This can lead to missed deadlines, poor performance, and a lack of progress towards team goals. Inattention to Results - The final dysfunction is focusing on individual goals instead of the team's goals. This lack of commitment and accountability can lead to a lack of progress and failure.. To overcome these dysfunctions, Lencioni suggests that teams must build trust, engage in healthy conflict, commit to decisions, hold themselves and others accountable, and focus on achieving results. This requires a willingness to be vulnerable and honest with one another and to prioritize the team's goals above individual goals. By addressing these dysfunctions, teams can work more effectively together and achieve greater success.

I am a fan of Star Wars. I admit it. I’m not so into the space war itself. I find that the story's most compelling theme is the conflict between the light and dark sides of the Force. Specifically, the struggle between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. For those who are not familiar with the Star Wars universe, these two characters are actually the same person. Anakin Skywalker, is a character who initially had the potential to become the greatest Jedi in history, but due to his own ambition, anger and fear, he ultimately succumbed to the dark side and became Darth Vader, the most feared villain of the Galactic Empire. I believe that each of us has both a Skywalker and a Vader within us. Skywalker represents our true potential, our inherent goodness, and our true nature. On the other hand, Vader embodies our fears, our inner demons, our ego, and our unhealed traumas. All of these emotions can be destructive if left unhealed and unprocessed. In essence, Vader and Skywalker serve as a reminder that even the greatest potential can be corrupted, but they also demonstrate that there is a vast potential within each of us. Therefore, it is essential that we support one another on the journey towards discovering and embracing our true nature. #LeadershipCoach #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipSkills #StarWars #Skywalker #DarthVader #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #ExecutiveCoaching

I was watching the TedX Talk of Dr Emma Woodward https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7009484838785163264/ when this sentence hit me. I know so many people with no self-esteem problems, but they chastise themselves when they make mistakes, or things don’t go as expected (myself included). One of the fears I see in my executive clients when discussing self-compassion is the fear of complacency. They/we fear that we will never excel if we don’t punish ourselves for the things that didn’t go right. The truth is that self-compassion has nothing to do with complacency. In this fascinating article, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790748/ Kristin D. Neff takes the teachings of Buddhism and defines self-compassion as having 3 main components. Here I have taken the liberty to translate these components into “how to practice self-compassion”: Honesty recognizing the “event/failure” without being judgemental and, instead, being kind to ourselves. Having sympathy for our feelings of inadequacy and realizing that these feelings are common to all of us. Humans are not and do not need to be perfect. Encouraging ourselves to go beyond this “event” without over-identifying with it. Being present in the moment without falling into the trap of ignoring or ruminating about aspects of our lives or ourselves that we dislike. The best thing about self-compassion is that research indicates that self-compassion is strongly associated with psychological well-being: increased feelings of happiness, optimism, curiosity and connectedness, as well as decreased anxiety, depression, rumination and fear of failure. #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #PersonalDevelopment

Several months ago, a company approached me to assist them in promoting "positive awareness" among their staff. We could define awareness as the conscious knowledge of one's feelings and how one appears in front of others. As such, there is no way to encourage "positive" awareness, as awareness is not inherently positive or negative. Whether we are aware or we are not aware. And to truly be aware, individuals must embrace all aspects of our so-called "positive" and "negative" traits; otherwise, it's not awareness. Ignoring our negative traits will prevent us from fully understanding ourselves, resulting in a superficial existence. Acknowledging and integrating our fears is a challenging but necessary journey towards a more fulfilling life. What do you think? The blue or the red pill? #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth

My dear friend Charly used to ask me this question. “Mire”, - he used to say, lowering his voice as if he was about to tell me a secret: “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?” This question has stayed with me over the years, and as an executive leadership coach, I often remind myself and my clients that pursuing happiness is not always synonymous with being right. #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceHappiness #PersonalDevelopment #LettingGo #WorkLifeBalance

In Spanish, there are these sayings we call “REFRANES”. I believe that just by using these “refranes”, you can have entire conversations. My dad particularly loved this one: “Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda”. Translated to English, it means: “God helps those who rise early.” To which I used to answer: “No por mucho madrugar, amanece más temprano”. Or, as stated in the image, “You waking up early won’t make dawn earlier”. Both proverbs hold true to me, but at 18, I needed my dad to believe mine was truer ;) Time fast forward, I see the benefits of waking up early and getting the reigns. But I also believe we often work hard to accelerate processes, thinking we will reach the outcome earlier, without realizing that most events need to follow their natural course. As an executive Leadership Coach, I see the struggle in my clients to find a balance between taking action to achieve their goals and trusting the process. What do you think? Which proverb resonates more with you? #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth

- A few weeks ago, a video caught my eye on LinkedIn. The poster labelled it as "funny”. The ad featured a man in a lab conducting a quality test on a car, using a handbag to hit the vehicle and kicking its tires in frustration. Later, a woman is shown riding in the car while a man is driving. She appears highly agitated; she gets out of the car to slam the door and kick the front wheel. I couldn't believe the poster found this ad amusing, so I offered my view on its inappropriate nature. What surprised me, even more, was the number of men and women who failed to see the problem. - A few months ago, I met with a client in their office, where they were hosting colleagues from New York. During the meeting, I was introduced to a fellow employee who said something that caught me entirely off guard. He exclaimed, "Oh, I saw you before, and I thought you must be one of the American chicks." It's disheartening that many men use this kind of language, but what made matters worse was that this individual seemed utterly unaware that his comment was inappropriate. - Years ago, I was presenting our findings and achievements in a boardroom. When I finished, one of my colleagues from overseas shouted: Can I have your telephone number? Everyone in the room erupted in laughter. Everyone thought it was funny, including the women sitting at the table. For me, he had snatched away the opportunity for me to shine as a professional and derailed any potential conversation about my team's hard work and achievements. Sexism comes in many forms, and unfortunately, examples of it are all too common. But the point I want to stress here is that awareness is key. We need to speak up when we witness such behaviors. Looking back, I regret not telling that client's employee that chickens belong in the farm, not in an office and that his comment was inappropriate and offensive. I wish I had reminded my colleague that the board room is not the place to ask for someone's phone number. And I wish I had pointed out that advertising that portrays women as hysterical and weak perpetuates damaging stereotypes. It's not funny; it's ignorant. It's time for both men and women to speak out against gender bias. We need to raise more awareness and push for change. In case you want to know how gender bias can harm mothers, check out this article: https://www.bareandbrave.com/post/the-unspoken-struggle-of-mothers #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2023 #WomenEmpowerment #WomensRights #GenderEquality #Genderbias

Reflection. I love this word. “The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it” or a “serious thought”. In order to reflect the image of a body in water, for example, the water can not absorb the body. Otherwise, it would not be able to reflect it. The same happens with those so-called serious thoughts. If we get tangled with them, we can not think clearly. This Taoist proverb reminded me that we must slow down and find stillness. As an executive leadership coach, I encourage my clients and myself to pause and truly reflect on our actions, thoughts, and beliefs without getting involved with them. In these moments of stillness we can gain clarity and insight into our leadership style, strengths, and blind spots. We can miss valuable opportunities for growth and development, when we're constantly moving, Let’s take time to reflect on our leadership journey and watch as our reflection becomes clearer and more defined. I’ve been told it's worth the effort ;) #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #PersonalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth