Listen Now

Life is messy. It’s a messy time to be alive in this world, with so much going on. Predictability is on the decline. Some (including us) would even call it a trend towards chaos. This is a long-term thing. As Dutch Professor (in Sustainability Transitions) Jan Rotmans noted, “We are living not in an era of change, but in a change of era.” You can’t keep your head down and wait until it’s over. You’re in the middle of it. We all are. So how do you show up with it? Which parts are happening to you? There is plenty that is outside of your control. How do you choose to be with it? And what is your piece of the puzzle that you can make your own choices about? Chaos will happen. When it does, what do you choose? More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Wellness is about effective, healthy habits for life. Your life, all sides of it. Your workplace has a huge impact on your wellness, and vice versa: an organisation will run so much better when team members are well. Tarin Calmeyer makes this clear from various angles. She is a corporate wellness specialist, the founder of Remote Team Wellness, a multipassionate and multidimensional human being, and a global citizen. Wellness means so much more than a 15-minute workout or one-time meditation event in the office. Not only is it Mental Health & Mindfulness Physical Fitness Emotional Wellness Financial Wellness Occupational Wellness Tarin too often hears the question “How do we make people more productive without burning out?” It’s actually this question that is the biggest change needed to wellness. People are not machines. Burnout is coming from productivity culture, hustle culture. This mentality is in dire need of change. For organisations, this means creating a wellness practice. Wellness requires a culture and mentality that values human beings. For you as an individual, wellness is a journey. That means ritualising wellness into our everyday lives. Allowing ourselves to look at ourselves as multidimensional human beings. Get it into your every day in every way. How? Start by taking a breath. Then another. Your breath is the one constant thread that runs through your entire life. It can be the thing that shifts your state immediately. It is your own check-in point. The simplest things can be the most potent. Allow yourself to show up as the fullest version of yourself. That’s what life is all about. Live yours. More about Tarin Calmeyer: https://remoteteamwellness.com/meet-our-founder-tarin-calmeyer/ More about Remote Team Wellness: https://remoteteamwellness.com/ More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

The hierarchy of the classic pyramid org chart has very little added value for clients and, moreover, focuses your competitive spirit on beating your colleague to get the promotion, instead of on “we’re going to win or lose together”. So, Simon Dixon worked out a better way. When Simon set up Hatmill, a specialist logistics consultancy, “The starting point was doing the opposite of doing the stuff I didn’t like in previous places,” where the people management structures and processes weren’t set up to get the best out of everyone. At Hatmill, “what’s ingrained is the amount of trust that everyone has in each other. Trust in each other’s judgment. We trust people to work together, support each other, and trust each other to give each other feedback to improve, not to critique or belittle each other. We make sure that we operate on an adult-to-adult basis.”  It gives the people on the team a different perspective on what work means: how you can feel about yourself and the work you do. In addition to creating a nicer experience at work, it pays off in business: “We’ve grown about 40% over the last nine years. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted it would generate that. We realised it happened because we’ve got people focussing on doing a good job and not screwing each other over in the next promotion cycle. There’s a sense of ownership, team, belonging and purpose.”  What’s essential to shaping your organisation in this way, Simon points out clearly: you have to have someone at the top who is wholly committed to this. You can’t have only a bit of it. You either trust people or you don’t. “The starting point has to be having a mind that is open enough to think there is a different way of running an organisation.” Having people who think, and know, that it is possible. “Step one is having an open mind.” More about Simon Dixon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dixon-hatmill More about Hatmill: https://hatmill.co.uk/about-us More about Teal organisations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teal_organisation More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Sometimes a new beginning can mark a bigger shift, from the old you to the new you. “Wait a minute. I changed my mind. But I’ve always done it this other way. Won’t I be labelled inconsistent, erratic, unpredictable or unreliable, if I suddenly change?” Sure, but it’s your life. You get to make your choices. It makes sense that with new information may come a change of mind: knowing what we know now, this is not taking us where we thought. What’s actually important is this other thing. We’re going to shift direction. You choose. To either continue, because it works, or to make a new beginning. As big or small as is needed. Because you realise there’s something else that’s more important. That’s what helps you step into that new beginning calmly and confidently, in a grounded way. Moreover, it is empowering to own and name the shift, the change. There are other things that are always a part of you – that is what grounds you. They are the values that have consistently been a part of you. Deeper, quieter, longer-term values. The consistency that is the core of you. Along the lines of what you care about, rather than the external “it’ll make sense to other people” or “it’s what others want me to do.” The bigger picture vision is about where you want to go in the long run. The change and the consistency are both part of the total picture. Life doesn’t sail in straight lines. Adjust course. And celebrate your new beginning. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Learning is the one consistent thing that happens in our lives. In small kids you can see the speed of learning, and in our continuing development as adults we thrive when we’re learning a new thing.  Yet, we can get trapped in ‘this is the way things should be’ or ‘this is the way things are’. Give yourself space to learn. Seeing your own and other people’s development on a longer timeline, giving yourself and others the space to learn, is vital. From this viewpoint, it’s easier to be aware how huge shifts can happen and become so natural that you can’t even imagine it was ever different - you’ve so completely integrated the learnings.  Change - volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity - is the status of our environment. New pieces of information can give you new perspectives. The sooner you integrate those, the more agile you can be. It’s become essential to integrate learning into your day-to-day. When you recognise your learning as a habit, it’s easier to do. And when you celebrate your learning, you strengthen your perseverance and resourcefulness. You retain more information and make learning more attractive to keep doing. There are so many things that you didn’t know. Now you know. And you can bring it forward. Including big and small steps that make positive change. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

It’s not always easy to be told about or recognize your own privilege. Or to show up and be your best person. We’re sharing the story of Ray Arata, who has dedicated his life to working with men on living and leading from the heart. Advancing healthy masculinity in the leadership conversation. Creating a safe space for men to move out of their heads and be whole humans. Ray shares his own experiences of recognising the rights, privileges and opportunities of being a (white) man. His man-in-the-mirror moment and how he ended up launching himself into the D&I space, forever an ally in training. An ally to gender equality at first, then broadening into wider diversity & inclusion consulting. “Here’s an invitation to a men’s group. Call my wife, she’ll tell you. It changed my life.” The unavoidable light is shining on men to rewrite the narrative. The outdated playbook of what it means to be a man. To decide to get interested in what the lived experiences of other people are. “This all sounds great, but where do I start?” When you’re not yet past your fear of saying or doing the wrong thing – so you do nothing, for now. Or when you want to do something and aren’t sure yet what, exactly. Ray shares his tips in four clear steps for, well, anyone wanting to be an ally to anybody. Show up. Get inspired. Are you being your best person? Life’s too short. Keep going. And maybe even go first. More about Ray Arata: Better Man Conference (June and November 2022 in the US, soon also in the UK). https://bettermanconference.com/ Showing Up: How Men Can Become Effective Allies in the Workplace www.ShowingUpBook.com Blog: Showing Up With Heart https://bettermanconference.com/blog/2021/1/14/showing-up-with-heart Blog: Celebrating Women, Activating Men: A Recipe for Gender Partnership https://bettermanconference.com/blog/2022/3/14/celebrating-women-activating-men-a-recipe-for-gender-partnership and www.RayArata.com More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

“Hey, wait a minute. Maybe one the reasons why I’m exhausted all of the time is because I’m doing things that are out of alignment with my values.” Spend the time to find out what your values are and make decisions that are aligned with them. Values are about understanding your own internal compass: what are the things that you as an individual find important? What are the things that bring you energy and take energy away from you? Everyone has their own top-# list in their own particular order. This is why you make your decisions and other people make completely different ones. Figuring out more clearly what your values are, helps you make decisions that make sense in light of who you are. Unless there are values that are competing for priority in a certain situation. What do you do when two of your values are pulling against one another? Like valuing results *or* relationships. Or spending time on your own learning *or* on being kind to other people. That’s where knowing your values is an even more significant part of your personal leadership. While seeing the paradox, knowing both of those conflicting values are true for you, right then and there you can still make decisions. Because you have the capability and the resourcefulness to be with that. Learn about a great way to focus on how they can actually help each other and integrate them together. Building your own unique foundation of personal leadership. Referenced: Ann Betz about valugration https://yourcoachingbrain.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/valugration/ More about Ann Betz and Ursula Pottinga at BEabove Leadership https://www.beaboveleadership.com/  More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Pause, for just a moment. What does your entire being know? We invite some special guests in this episode. And yet it’s just Lisa and Marjolijn talking – about checking in with a part of yourself that brings you calm clarity and helps you make decisions. There are different words for this, and for now we call this your Inner Leader. A deeper, more grounded sense of who you are, your internal compass. A way out of overwhelm. Tap into who you really are, your inner wisdom and knowledge. The safe, grounded place within you. It’s deeply personal and individual. It’s a quiet place, and the more you engage with it, the stronger and clearer it becomes. The more often you go there, the more strongly it will clarify Who you really are in all this What you know is true Where you want to go from here Check in with your inner leader. It pre-empts that right brain hemisphere wanting to analyse all the if-then scenarios. You can get into such a spin when you try to analyse everything to pieces. You think that’s where you need to go, but it makes the existing overwhelm even more overwhelming. It’s really noisy and it will not give you all the answers. Bring forward the inner you that already knows. This helps you use the knowledge that exists in all parts of you, not just that small analytical part of your brain. Connect with everything that’s going on in a more grounded way. Then make more informed choices. It will be ok. You have the tools, the ability and the knowledge to do what you need to do. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Celebrate what you’re grateful for. There’s war going on, refugee crises, racism, extreme weather and climate change, covid. Yes, and… amidst all of what is going on for you right now, as you read this and listen, celebrate. Celebrating can often be something that you skip over. And it’s also something that can really bring you a lot of sustenance through all the difficulty we’re living through right now. To lift up your spirits and get more energy. We recorded this episode when sunny days were just starting to appear in The Netherlands, when covid measures were decreasing, and before Russia brought war upon the Ukraine – so we didn’t mention the most recent events in this episode. Yes, and… celebration even in moments of increasing uncertainty and worry is not only possible, but important. Because it helps us connect with our resilience, with resonance, and gives us a much-needed boost in dopamine during rough times. Appreciate what you’re grateful for. Hug your loved ones. Celebrate what you can, when you can. Celebrate what makes you feel alive. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

On a stormy day (with severe weather warnings) we’re staying indoors and talk about covid fatigue, pandemic fatigue, languishing. We noticed how something has quietly crept into our spirits. And we notice how talking about it helps. Dealing with our current covid reality is a permanent load to carry around. Covid takes up a big part of our already full plates. So many hoops to jump through – and they keep moving. With a pervasive undercurrent that makes it hard to recharge.  What are your words and metaphors for what you’re feeling? Let’s give this the recognition that it deserves. For us it's a lack of energy, a lack of bounce. We get tired and overwhelmed more easily. We have less space to be positive and resourceful. Responsibilities are pressing on us. Little bandwidth left and little space to turn it off. Less possibility available for downtime and replenishment. The ever-present stillness and aloneness gets so much bigger than it ever has been before. Lack of choice and autonomy.  Lack of novelty. Whether you want to acknowledge it in conversation or just go out into a field and scream, find an outlet. Air it out, all the stuff that’s been building. Let some of the fog get lighter and clearer.  There’s power in naming it. There’s even something that physically changes in you after naming the hard things. There’s movement, a bit of relief. Then let's see where we go from there. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

The complexity of situations, these days, is too high to use only one way of making decisions.   You could follow Aristotle’s perspective, who said: obstacles are an opportunity to build character.   Or Bruce Lee’s, instead: be water. Like a river hitting an obstacle, move around it like water. Which do you need right now? And what other perspectives are available? We talk about this with Kayvan Kian who, simply put, likes to create things that help. Kayvan’s an author, consultant and entrepreneur who inspires and supports leaders by looking at what is not here yet, and at what we can create to help each other. Recently, this took the shape of his new book called ‘What Is Wisdom?’ Over a number of rocky years, Kayvan realised that there are many perspectives you can take to make a decision. Reading philosophers, from the classic to the unconventional, turned out to be as great an inspiration as his own upbringing. The key he offers us is the possibility to switch between decision methods in various situations and on varying complex topics - like shifting gears in a car. Being aware of your natural tendencies and, in the moment, being aware of alternative perspectives. Then inviting yourself to switch. “It’s not about what should I have done, or what will I do next week, or tomorrow. It’s about what perspective is helpful right now.” “Because life is happening right now.” Bringing you more flexibility to adapt to a world that requires a lot from all of us. Creating this life as a living piece of art. More about Kayvan Kian: https://kayvankian.com/ Books: ‘What Is Wisdom’, and ‘What is Water’ More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Think about the things you may hear when you’re in a toxic personal relationship. Would you say those same things to a friend in a toxic employment relationship? And what do you tell yourself? “You’re making this up. It can’t be that bad.” “You should’ve done more. You should’ve acted differently.” “You shouldn’t complain because they’re so nice in other ways.” “It’s ok for your boss to yell at you because it’s your boss.” “It’s professional to just suck it up.” “In the workplace I can be treated as less than human. I get a paycheck and somehow that is enough.” What does that do to you in the long run? Employment relationships, the relationships between human beings and the organisation they’re in, are in fact very much like personal relationships. And when an employment relationship turn dysfunctional or even toxic, relational trauma can genuinely be the outcome. Stuck in a relationship because someone makes you believe it’s too risky to leave. Eating away at your self-esteem. What’s happening for you, how you respond, how it can stick with you and inform the way you react to what happens in your next job, and the next. It’s a natural human response to trauma, rather than you being incompetent at work. We’ve been conditioned to believe that somehow in the workplace these things are excusable. Just because we’re getting a pay check to be there, we can be treated in ways that in a romantic relationship or in friendships we know shouldn’t be putting up with. Somehow, workplaces have been given an escape card for far too long. People have been given permission to get away with bad behaviour, even been promoted for it. But bullying has nothing to do with leadership. It’s useful to see the parallels and look at this differently, honestly, to see what actually happens. When uncomfortable and dysfunctional turns into traumatising. When to set boundaries, or get out. When to get the support you need. How not to perpetuate the cycle. Lisa and Marjolijn both get personal in this episode. We share our own experiences with relational trauma at work, and our recovery. Hope this helps you, or someone you know, on your journey to prevent or heal. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Curious about the 10 top People Impact Trends for the coming year, and decade? This is where the world is turning. This is what our antennae are picking up on what will impact and improve the way people lead and work together. We smilingly noticed that several of our topics were showing up as trends, either ahead of time or simultaneously. So, let’s have some serious fun with this and intentionally look ahead with our own list of trends for the future of People Impact. Addressing major shifts and developments, such as Organisations plunging into genuine relationship with employees Co-creating a bottom-up purpose Clear Listening as the new skill at the top of your wish list Drastic shifts in where people will live and (flexibly) work Resonant hopefulness and integrated resonance Celebrating an abundance of resourcefulness And changes impacting our deeply human daily lives, like Acknowledging different kinds of rest Privacy as a human right – including your employee data Climate impact on your workdays, (remote) workplaces and diverse teams Life Integration replacing work-life balance Have a listen and expand your perspective on what’s ahead for the people in your organization, and yourself. Shout out to the sources of several of these ideas and developments: The impactfully purpose-diven Marnix Geus with SeePeople and their Do-Good Profiler to find bottom-up purpose  The innovative, inspirational and creative brain of Sofia Mourato combining NVC and Compassionate Communication with Design Thinking Claude Silver highlighting life-work balance over work-life balance  More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com Article in Dutch: - De 5 grootste ontwikkelingen waar je als professional op moet letten (in Dutch) https://mtsprout.nl/partners/persoonlijke-ontwikkeling/de-5-grootste-ontwikkelingen-waar-je-als-professional-op-moet-letten Continuing what’s been evolving over the past year: - 9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond https://hbr.org/2021/01/9-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2021-and-beyond - 10 Workplace Trends To Watch For In 2021 https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/11/10-workplace-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021/

There’s an age old question: Are Leaders born or made? In our latest People Impact Podcast we explore this question and the ins and outs of Leadership. Leadership is changing, evolving and being redefined. What used to be a small and privileged niche is now shifting, expanding and inviting us to reconsider some the old stories we used to buy into about Leadership. Let’s face it, today, no one inside an organization is an island. We are interconnected, interdependent, and working together with other human beings is required no matter what kind of role you have. Leadership is all about impact and you can have impact from any corner, any level, any chair, inside an organization. Leadership ability starts with being able to understand yourself, being the leader of one before leading many. Leadership is also a daily (active) practice, it’s not a destination. Leadership is about having a point of view - without judgment - owning your own point of view and accepting that it can and needs to co-exist with others. The heart of the matter is that Leadership is a journey that beings wherever you are, right now. Just like being in intimate relationships, there’s an art and science to learning to do it well, and there’s a natural learning curve. And there's a HUGE power in holding your hand up and saying this is something “I want to learn”. Leadership is an acquired skill set, an acquired mindset that all humans have capacity for. Take yourself seriously enough to slow down enough to observe and get curious about it. You are a human being therefore you are also a leader. Grant yourself the time and space to be the leader that is YOU. Tune into the latest People Impact Podcast episode and hear how Leaders are made every day. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

What is your truth? What are the systems that get in the way? And what will be your way to build unconditional belonging, nonetheless? In this episode we explore the sincere insights and genuinely beautiful approach of Matthew Reynolds to create a fundamental impact on the intersectionality of oppression (systems of racism, colonialism, sexism, capitalism). Matthew is a recent author, former teacher, artist. He is a facilitator and consultant in the DEI space with a deep perspective on the human experience, doing powerful, foundational work. He gracefully and bravely shares his own lived experiences that now inform his work to help people craft their own equity lens. An Equity lens is a tool crafted by the individual, utilising their own lived experiences. Ever evolving, as one meets new people, has new experiences, gains knowledge and wisdom, and recognizes what their own definition of antiracist work is. For the purpose of building unconditional belonging. A call to action. This means exploring: What is your truth? What does it mean for you to become your biggest, fullest and brightest? And equally offering others that personal dignity? What gets in the way? In this conversation we talk about spotting limiting beliefs as well as systems that are hurtful and harmful. To the point where you can calmly be in conversation and say, “No thank you. I don’t subscribe to that ideology.” When you craft your own equity lens, you will have a tool for yourself that shifts your consciousness and truly changes the culture around you. And, big picture: shifts the consciousness of humanity. (Pre)order Matthew Reynolds’s book: ‘BIGGEST, FULLEST, BRIGHTEST: Shifting the Consciousness of Humanity’ https://www.mrrconsulting.org/store/biggest-fullest-brightest More about Matthew: www.mrrconsulting.org More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

People have a life beyond their work desk. They have a mental health beyond the smile in your Zoom call. And they have a measure of success that is not, and should not be, the same measure of success for the organisation as a whole. Our guest Susanne Grant, Dutchie living in Scotland, is an award-winning work-life balance expert and bestselling author of the book Drop the Motherf*cking Struggle. She supports organisations and individuals around the world to redefine success. With that new definition of success, they can have the impact they really desire without sacrificing health, relationships and well-being. A degree, job title, money. Chasing the next thing and the next. So many hats we seem to need to wear in order to be good enough, to be successful. What’s your measurement of success? And who set that standard? Susanne talks with us about where to start with finding your own real version of success, and about taking your health seriously as a success factor. She shares her own story of redefining success, the symphony orchestra that includes our physical health and mental health, and how paying attention to that massively improved her health and well-being. Success starts with how you define it for yourself individually, and grows through as many iterations as you need during the course of your life. Susanne’s book: Drop the Motherf*cking Struggle https://www.grantmethod.com/books.html More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Fitting in is not the same as belonging. In this new People Impact podcast episode, Lisa and I discuss a shift and a deepening in perspective around this useful distinction. Belonging is not, does not look like or feel like fitting in. This is an intentional levelling up beyond ‘cultural fit’. Belonging means not trying to ask a square peg to cut off its corners to fit into a round hole – because those corners are part of who they are. No one should be expected to cut off parts of who they are. That’s fitting in. Trying to fit in is toxic on a personal level. It can be exhausting. The world is moving on from the idea that you decide what normal is, what fits. Requiring people to fit in – or excluding them when they don’t – is not constructive. You lose out. Belonging means letting people be more of themselves. Bringing more of their talents, skills and energy. You get so much more of a person when they get to bring themselves, especially those corners. It’s so much more conducive to collaboration and innovation. It means that in your organisation, you get to be YOU-shaped, belonging and acknowledged for who YOU are. Knowing that all the parts of you matter. Your voice is welcome at the table. So, in your organisation, are people really feeling, sensing, experiencing that they can bring all sides of their identity, and that they matter? Making that happen for your team is truly human leadership. Look around you and see who’s there. More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

There is something kind of really genuinely dramatic going on. We’ve faced exceptional stress over the past year-and-a-half and it’s breaking open something that’s been simmering below the surface for a long time. This is about facing a moment of reckoning. People are choosing to leave jobs; it’s harder to find new people for certain roles. The Great Resignation, what’s actually happening? Feeling * sigh * resigned (pun intended) about that? That passive energy may come from organisations having been too resigned, too passive about their actual people impact. The effects that seemingly minor but really essential choices have brought onto the human beings inside your organisation. And people not willing to put up with that impact on their lives anymore. The good news: there are a lot of tools, initiatives, knowledge available now – to act differently. To reflect and choose to create a different people impact. Be honest about what hasn’t been working for you anymore. Face forward. This is where we are today. The world is in a different place. What are you saying no to, going forward, and what are you saying yes to? What impact do your organisation and yourself want to have, what are you contributing to in the world? More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Tap into your true resilience in order to cultivate your impact – in your organisation and in the world. We had a great talk with Meg Mateer about her old definition and new definition of resilience: From thinking resilience is about powering through, pushing yourself beyond your limits, “just get over it” and letting work be the ultimate priority in order for yourself to grow. To acknowledging what is going on with you, understanding yourself as a system, with parts that are both ambitious and resistant, excited and anxious. When you grow a better understanding of yourself as a system, you will also see more clearly what is going on in larger systems, in organisations and the wider world. Meg is an organisational psychologist and consultant working at the intersection of strategy and emotional intelligence. She shares her personal story and rich learnings with us in this new episode. The key insight Meg brings: When you shift the way you relate to yourself, you shift the way you relate to others. Meg’s podcast: Break Down Wake Up – the wisdom in our distress. https://www.breakdownwakeup.com/ Breaking down is wisdom waking up: transform distress into fuel for personal and professional growth More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Beyond the static caused by assumptions and cliche, what is authenticity, really? And how does it infuse your people impact? Authenticity comes from a really good understanding of yourself. It is about the impact you choose to make from a deep, grounded place, that doesn’t feel quick. A quiet clarity. “Sometimes I can really feel it in my toes, bubbling up from my feet,” Lisa says. In our brand-new People Impact Podcast episode, we address what authenticity is and what it isn’t. How to get there, and how you know you’re ‘in it’. The effect your own authenticity has on yourself and the people around you. What is that people impact that you see happening when there’s more authenticity in your actions? More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com <- our brand new email address