The Compassionate Leader School Podcast

When it comes to boundaries, many people are frustrated, hurt and fed up because there are people in their lives - at work, at home, amongst friends, in their volunteer work, in their neighbourhood - who do not respect their boundaries. Well, there may be many reasons why this is happening including these top seven! In this episode I draw back the curtain on what they are and how you can course correct so that you can begin to set boundaries and finally have others respect them. 

When you get a notification for an upcoming meeting at work does it ever make you want to sigh and hope you might have a good reason at the last moment not to be there?  Believe it or not, there is an art and a science to planning and leading a productive, positive, and enjoyable workplace meeting whether your team gathers in person, virtually or as a blend of both. In this episode, I'm giving you ten key factors to consider when planning a meeting.  And I'm sharing what I call the 'difference maker' for meetings - my favourite tool to help everyone become engaged in the meeting from the outset and to find out what impact the meeting had before they leave. Let's get started...

Do you long for the best summer ever? Do you want to look back and feel proud of how you chose to spend your time, what you were able to accomplish, the fun you had, and the sense that you really spent your time well? That's exactly where I was  a couple of months ago as I began to up-level my planning for the summer of 2021 so I could enjoy time freedom and use a 10% intentional margin to allow for flexibility so that I didn't put myself into exhaustion and overwhelm - and the early reviews are five stars all the way! Tune in to this episode to learn how I approached it, the role Asana project management played (hint: it's  my new bff), and what this concept of intentional margin (versus unintentional margin where I'd have  committed myself at 120%) really works!

Which camp are you in: lover of all things networking-related or you’d rather have a root canal than attend a networking event? As part of the all-important relationship marketing strategy, being able to build real, authentic, reciprocal, meaningful and strategic connections with others who can help to support and grow your business is key to a business’ success. In this episode of the Compassionate Leader School Podcast, I’m offering ten simple and effective activities you can use to build your relationship marketing strategy today! 

Do you have an IEA? One of the hot topics in business these days is centered around building a marketing strategy based on a company’s ICA, which stands for Ideal Customer Avatar. More detailed and sophisticated than the typical target market analysis, the ICA work is making cash registers ring and companies are benefiting from more engagement from these loyal customers in all areas of their business.

In that spirit, I’m asking the question about the other group of people who are key to your business – your employees. And I believe there are gains to be had from diving into identifying your IEA or Ideal Employee Avatar. If you’re concerned about how you’re going to be able to attract, not just people, but the best candidates and then retain them over the long term, this podcast will give you insight into where to start. 

No doubt at some point in your life someone has said to you, "it's not what you said, it's how you said it". I'm not sure you would be human if you haven't had that experience.  It speaks to the impact of our non-verbal communication. In this episode, I aim to help you be aware of the two key components of non-verbal communication and how, together, they influence the energy you bring into every single space you enter. If you've always wanted to understand why someone gave you that feedback about how it's not what you said... this is the episode for you!

Have you heard of the ‘one minute or less rule’ and how to practice it as the fuel for the Law of Action? In this episode of the Compassionate Leader School Podcast, you’ll learn about the Law of Action and have a list of 25 micro-habits to draw from to improve your workplace productivity and keep you on top of the things that can otherwise be stressors. 

If you're working to set realistic expectations with your team and you want to challenge them in a way that will move them beyond their comfort zone and  gradually get them there, check out this episode of the Compassionate Leader School Podcast. The model of 'Stretch, Risk or Die' can  help you strategize and give you both common language so you can navigate your way through. And if you've got what feels like a lofty goal you'd love to achieve, the model of stretch, risk or die will help you carve out the path to get there. So here we go!

Listening with empathy is a skill we all need if we want to be compassionate communicators. In this episode I talk about how we typically listen and respond autobiographically, when that's okay, and when we need to step up our listening skills and lean in with empathy. Learn about the three worst things to say; and at least three responses that will leave the other person feeling heard, respected and validated every single time. Here we go!

Do you believe that even though there will be challenges and obstacles you'll have to overcome, you will ultimately be successful? Or are you of the mindset that you hope things will go well but you tend to be inconsistent and possibly self-sabotage? You mean well and have a lot of energy when you start but somewhere along the way you lose steam or get discouraged and that leaves you feeling stuck. If that's you, this episode may be the opportunity you've needed to refocus. As always, I share stories of clients who have walked your path once they became willing to fully show up and to be consistent. As Larry the Cable Guy always says, get 'er done!

Which camp do you typically hang out in - camp scarcity or camp abundance? I called my business Abundant Living because I inherently believe in the principle of abundance. In this episode I talk about how I  believe there is enough for everyone and share examples of leaders who reached out to colleagues and competitors alike and asked them to join forces for everyone's benefit. If you tend to slide into thinking it's detrimental to collaborate with others for fear it will result in less for you or your business, I'm encouraging you to give this episode a listen. You just might walk away with a whole different perspective!

Have you ever found yourself in the situation where someone comes to you for help and their version of help is putting their problem in your lap with the expectation you'll now take care of it for them? Well, I've been there - more than once - and learned how to apply a simple technique called the PAR Principle to keep the accountability in their court. Have a listen and learn how this can completely change the way you handle these situations in the future; and how you get to play a key role in helping to build the other person's skills and confidence!

As a follow-up to episode #9, this episode comes back to the topic of setting clear and strong boundaries. Starting with how to know the warning signs when someone is crossing or pushing a boundary, I offer a 4-part formula for dealing with boundary crossers as well as a strategy for having a compassionate conversation with boundary pushers. This is another opportunity to build your skills as a candid and compassionate communicator as well as supporting you in your efforts to cultivate a healthy workplace.

I know...you're wondering what in the heck is "opening your donut" and what does that have to do with compassion resilience? With so many people experiencing fatigue from their jobs and businesses, and trying to avoid total burn-out, there has never been a more critical time to build compassion resilience muscles than now. In this podcast, I talk about this notion of compassion fatigue and share one of the strategies I've cultivated to support my own need for building more compassion resilience as a gift to myself as well as to those I care about.

Do you hunger to be a better communicator, especially with the employees who report directly to you? Drawing from my 35+ years of teaching and working one-on-one with individuals to help them develop and strengthen their interpersonal skills, I've heard the stories of how leaders struggle with giving thoughtful feedback, of providing instructions where the outcome is what they expected, of setting boundaries, of knowing how to ask for what they want, of working to strike the balance between doing what was best for the business and being fair to employee requests, of learning to say “no”, and so much more. In this episode, I begin the process of looking at where you need to start as I take you behind the scenes with Zoe and share how she transformed the way her employees and she communicated in their workplace. 

Do you remember those days when you first started your business and you wished you had someone to talk to, to answer a question, to seek guidance from? Or maybe that's you right now! This episode is an homage to the importance of your role in this village of business owners and provides ideas on how you can get the help you need and be a  champion for a fellow person in business. And if you've never heard of the importance of the 6 Handshakes Rule, have a listen!

This episode is dedicated to the women (although it doesn't exclude the men) who feel out of balance. It's one of the top reasons people come to me for life coaching and it seeps into practically every business coaching session I do with clients. Sharing the journey of a number of my clients, I walk you through the steps I recommend to get started on this path to living a balanced life.  I've also included a list of simple and effective strategies you can implement right away so let's get started!

Is this you? You share with someone an idea you’re playing around with and all of a sudden you’re feeling the pressure to act on it because people keep asking you what’s happening? So you stop talking about it? And exploring it? Join me for this episode where I take you through the journey of two clients and show you how their choice to invest in a specific period of time to explore all the possibilities led to the best decision for them in the end. Listen here and learn how to make better choices for those dreams you want to bring into reality! 

Melissa is a CGA-CPA with the federal government and has also been a long-time business owner with her company Melissa Kew Photography. Three months ago I did a video interview with her. At the time, we had just begun to live with the realities of businesses shutting job, people being laid off from work, compassionate leaders having to lay people off, business owners trying to figure out how to work remotely with their teams, and people feeling unsure and afraid about the future. Our video interview turned out to  be one of the most watched videos I’ve done to date.

 Well, it’s been over three months and we have shifted into what I call the "next normal". With many businesses re-opening and with people trying to make decisions about returning to work and planning for what is ahead, it was time to bring Melissa Kew back for a follow-up. With her down-to-earth, pragmatic and sensible advice, here’s our conversation.

Why are some people able to make incredible things happen in their lives? Why are there those who are born under a lucky star, who get all the breaks, and who seem to have life handed to them on a silver platter? The answer is rooted in the words of Stephen Vizinczey who said, “You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.” How do you do that? In today's episode, you'll learn how starting with understanding the power of intention and using your intentions as the steering wheel, you can upscale your personal and professional life.