In this episode of MBS Works, Muriel Wilkins reads from Michael Alan Singer’s book The Untethered Soul, and discusses being present in the world of work, letting go of resistance, and living with ambition.
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Dorie Clark interviews the Co-Founder of Paravis Partners Muriel Wilkins as part of her weekly Newsweek series, Better. WATCH THE INTERVIEW
In this episode of LinkedIn’s Hello Monday podcast, Muriel Wilkins joins host, Jessi Hempel, to demystify the idea of “executive presence” – what it is, why it’s important, and how anyone can build on theirs.
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A conversation with executive coach Muriel Wilkins on establishing yourself in a senior role during uncertain times. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Muriel Maignan Wilkins, along with other experts in diversity and inclusion, suggest you check in, listen, and lead the change when it comes to the right approach to outreach in a time of social upheaval. READ THE ARTICLE
There are lots of ways to get visibility at work: give a presentation, speak up in a meeting, have lunch with a senior leader. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
As the next Olympics draws near, we will again be reminded of the courage it takes to achieve results. Think back to the Canadian figure skater who skated her way to a bronze medal, just days after losing her mother to a heart attack. Or, Shaun White, having already won a gold medal, demonstrating his spirit for the sport by attempting a new trick on the world stage, elevating the difficulty of the sport to a new level. Each of these is a very different example of courage, showcasing what can be achieved by overcoming fears or pain, facing danger, and still taking action.
Courage extends well beyond these expertly trained athletes. Every day we perform acts of courage for ourselves, at home and at work. Courage is the ability to face a difficult situation and take decisive action. Leadership courage can take place in the context of giving an employee tough feedback, telling a client that a project is not going as well as it should, or raising an issue to management that affects the entire company. Whatever the situation, those with leadership courage are able to take action where others are unwilling to step up. The ability to do this takes confidence, a willingness to take a risk and the knowledge to consider all sides of a situation.
There can also be a downside to leadership courage. If you take a stand all of the time, on every issue, your peers, employees or clients may have a different perception of you. You might be perceived as a complainer, a self- promoter, unable to listen to others, or overly negative. Leadership courage, therefore, requires striking a delicate balance between your own voice, taking a stand for what you believe, and having a voice for others. So how do you achieve this balance?
I recently had a client who required assistance with this question. Kristin was a senior member of a project team and up for a promotion. She was facing increasing pressure to deliver more work for a client, and within the same project deadline. Her project team was falling behind schedule with the out of scope tasks and becoming burnt out with the extra demands. Kristin was worried about approaching her boss, for fear that he would think she was complaining, while the team would view her as weak for not speaking up. Using the framework below, we prepared for the discussion:
Kristin approached her boss with a crisp description of the problem and two possible solutions. She learned that there were other factors driving the client’s demand that were outside of the project team’s control. She was able to adjust the project priorities and set more clear direction with her team. Kristin’s boss provided the feedback that he was pleased to see that she had a pulse on the team, and could quickly adapt to the changing circumstances.
Olympic athletes are well-trained, ingraining physical movements into their bodies, visualizing the actions they will take each time they step up to a start line. This occurs because of rigorous and routine practice. Just like athletes, we can train ourselves through practice, enabling us to ingrain leadership courage as a skill. You may not always have the time to prepare for the situation, as Kristin did, but practice this model for effective Leadership Courage each time you confront a situation, and it will become second nature over time.
– Erin McCants Parker
Confidence. It is an attribute we seek to have and look for in others, especially those in positions of leadership. Yet, time and time again, we meet executives who lack a confident presence. (We also encounter those who are overly confident — to the point that they are blinded by it — but that is a topic for another time). What many fail to realize is that confidence is dynamic and not a static emotion. Just like a physical muscle that needs exercise to grow stronger, a leader’s confidence requires continuous attention. READ ARTICLE
As your role grows in scale and influence, so too must your ability to listen. But listening is one of the toughest skills to master — and requires uncovering deeper barriers within oneself.
Take, for example, our client, Janet, a successful principal in a management consulting firm. She recently received 360-degree feedback from colleagues that she needed to improve her listening skills. This confused her — she had always thought of herself as an active listener. When we asked her colleagues why, they described how she wouldn’t exactly answer questions in meetings — and how she often had different takeaways from the rest of the team. Janet wanted to explore what was happening. It seemed simple enough, and yet why was she having trouble? The key, ironically, is to focus on yourself. READ ARTICLE
Authenticity — what is it, who has it, and how do you get it? Most people associate authenticity with being true to oneself — or “walking the talk.” But there’s a problem with that association; it focuses on how youfeel about yourself. Authenticity is actually a relational behavior, not a self-centered one. Meaning that to be truly authentic, you must not only be comfortable with yourself, but must also comfortably connect with others. READ ARTICLE
According to a study at Sun Microsystems, mentees were promoted five times more often than those without a mentor. Eighty-eight percent of respondents to a Center for Creative Leadership survey believe that having a mentor is useful for career development. It never hurts to have a few good mentors behind you. But what happens when a good mentor goes bad? READ ARTICLE
Clashing management styles do not always lead to management clashes. Recently, we’ve noticed a trend with clients asking for help in coaching and consulting around issues of differing styles — issues that we’ve had to sort out ourselves as we’ve grown our business. READ ARTICLE
