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Nina reflects on the three leadership lessons from Season 4.  The meta questions we asked this season included: how does a leader cultivate a culture of belonging and inclusion?  What's the most effective ways to navigate a difficult conversation?  And what role does creativity play in self-awareness and leadership development?   While the answers are more complex than one conversation or even the full season,  Nina had fun summarizing some of her personal take-aways from talking to leaders, coaches and authors.      InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Maria Gerea is the founder and owner of Coevolution.  As an experienced executive coach and team development facilitator, she supports leaders and teams to connect the dots between collaboration and innovation to elevate their impact and results. In this conversation, we explored what it is like working with social impact leaders and visionaries.   As a Romanian-born founder, Maria also shared early challenges in establishing herself in the United States.  We also talked about our new program for mission-driven leaders and what we are discovering about our own working relationship including how to view conflict as an opportunity.   Leadership for Real Impact Course CRR GlobalMarshall McLuhan Quote   InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Dr. Nancy Dome is the Founder/CEO of Epoch Education who’s primary charge is to provide  accessible and transforming professional development for educators and business leaders in diversity, inclusion and belonging, and equity.   She is also the author of Let's Talk about Race (and Other Hard Things.)  In this conversation,  Dr. Dome outlined a process that is both an effective and compassionate way to talk about hard things and in the process create stronger relationships.     I opened up about one of my own triggers when it comes to addressing microaggressions.   Dome also shared the origins of the  Compassionate Dialogue model and the RIR (Recognize-Interrupt-Repair) protocol that has helped hundreds of educators and leaders navigate difficult but essential conversations.  The two of us also talked about the importance of intentions in any attempt to initiate a high-stakes conversation.Dr. Nancy Dome Leadership and Self Deception Center for Non-violent Communication  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

In this quick take,  I share three ways leaders can hold change, whether it's a job loss or an organizational initiative.    These three approaches may seem paradoxical but can accelerate growth and help you tap into what's trying to happen. Holding Change by Adrienne Maree Brown Wu Wei: The Powerful Path of Non-Action  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Andy Simonds is the co-producer and sound engineer for the show but his new day job is as the Chief Product Officer of Talent.com.   Since Andy has been  leading product and organizational transformation in tech for 20+ years including leadership roles at Microsoft and Blizzard Entertainment, we  thought it would be relevant and fun to have Andy on as a guest to talk about leading change.  We explored how his creative outlets help him manage the stresses of leadership.  Andy shared candidly about when his strengths have worked against him and how he has learned to stay true to himself.  We covered some great ground including the power of a diverse team, the bro culture in tech and the increasing lack of trust for corporations today.  Talent.com OC Simonds (Andy's great grandfather) Meg Wheatley's Work Atomic Habits  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

The Anatomy of Trust Unleash your Complexity Genius The Ministry for the Future Let’s Talk about Race  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Clients often come to me focused on learning tactics or strategies for being a better leader.   What I have learned over time is that effective leadership is as much about who you are being, your presence, as what you produce or accomplish.  Still there are a few misconception of what presence is and how to develop it. In this quick take,  I share the three critical access points for an effective and compelling leadership presence.  One-Moment Meditation  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Sharmin Banu is an executive coach and the former president of the Washington State Chapter of International Coach Federation.   She is also the Pacific Regional Lead for Braver Angels, a grassroots organizations that seeks to depolarize American politics.   Sharmin shared candidly about a time when she moved from self doubt to self confidence.   We also explored how my cultural bias affected our collegial relationship.  Sharmin walked through an approach to being more empathetic with those who have different beliefs than our own.  Braver Angels Greenleaf Coaching Nina Simonds Coaching  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Nina shares four ways of being that cultivate empathy.  It's easy to focus on techniques and skills for building empathy. Your mindset and way of approaching others is equally important in being able to step into someone else’s shoes.  In this bite-sized episode Nina defines empathy and walks through the four mindsets that matter most for truly understanding and caring about others.   Satya Nadella on The Power of Empathy Microsoft's Cultural TransformationDesign Thinking  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Abigail Morgan Prout is a professional leadership coach and a midwife for emerging patterns toward a more feminine-forward leadership.  She is the author of a new collection of poetry - Walk Deep. In this conversation Abigail and I explored how writing fuels reflection and self awareness.  Abigail shared her passion for the written word, her accidental discovery of her own inner poet, and poets who inspire her  We also talked about how poetry gives us new language for not only our own experience but the times we live in. Walk Deep by Abigail Morgan ProutAmanda GormanDavid WhyteAda LimonMary OliverTa-Nahisi CoatesPoetry Unbound  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Jenny Leman is the President at CareerPlug, a software and service company that makes hiring easier for small and mid-size businesses.  Native to Texas, Jenny graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 and joined CareerPlug in 2017.   She works to build healthy and scalable internal systems to equip and empower the CareerPlug teams to bring the best for their clients.   In this conversation,  Jenny and I explored the trending topic of Quiet Quitting and what is most foundational in creating a workplace culture where people will thrive. Jenny also shared what identities matter most to her and what makes inner work so crucial to healthy and effective leadership.  The two of us also riffed about the power of tools such as The Hoffman Process and non-violent communication for creating personal and relational  transformation.  CareerPlugChiefQuiet Quitting The Hoffman ProcessNon-violent Communication  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

I share one of the essential tools for self-mastery - understanding the difference between your inner critic and your true nature.  This is the first of several conversations I will be having directly with our listeners.   Soul without Shame Mindfulness and the Ego  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

In this Season 4 Opener I spoke with Akasha of Cultivating Leadership, a professional coaching and training firm that supports organizations in developing the workforce of the future.  Akasha's deep interests in spirituality, adult development, and intercultural consciousness give him a unique and powerful perspective on leadership development.   We talked about how to help coaches find cultural common ground in developmental conversations.  I was also inspired by Akasha using an early traumatic experience as a catalyst for working with leaders to create more inclusive spaces.  Akasha also shared an acronym that gives us a pathway for repair when we have done harm. Leading Inclusively Lab  Cultivating Leadership  Susanne Cook-Greuter  IDI  Resmaa Menakem InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Matt Scott is the Manager of Storytelling & Engagement with Project Drawdown, a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. Since the 2017 publication of the New York Times bestseller Drawdown, the organization has emerged as a leading resource for information and insight about climate solutions.  Matt Scott focuses on passing the mic to those who often go unheard in the climate space.  In this conversation Nina and Matt explored how storytelling and data work together to shift thinking and behavior.  Matt also shared the five barriers to climate action.  Nina was happily surprised to learn Matt is a fan of co-active coaching!  Project Drawdown The 5 D's of Climate Drawdown's Neighborhoods InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Executive Coaches Neil Edwards and Jeff Jacobson, guests from Season One, joined Nina again to have a conversation about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at this year's Academy Awards and the subsequent fallout from it.  Neil shared his perspectives on the overreaction of many white folks in his circle and the complexity of the situation for the black family.   Rules that were broken (or not) and patterns that remain in our collective response.   InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Camille Lee is the founder of WearEmOutTees, a circular t-shirt brand focused on getting pre-loved tees back into the economy to help divert them away from landfills, which extends their lifecycle. She hand-selects each shirt and creates the vision for the images screen-printed on every piece.  Camille explains circular fashion and what inspired her to create a business that diverts textiles from landfills.  Nina and Camille also explored the ups and downs of running a social impact business.  WearEmOutTeesFast FashionWearEmOutTee on IGLet's Get Real on IGNina Simonds Coaching  InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Kristy Drutman, otherwise known as “Brown Girl Green” is passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism.  As a youth climate activist, Kristy has worked with youth from around the world to create collaborative, intersectional online media with the goal of creating conscious, culturally relevant content.  Kristy talked about her experiences at the UN Climate Talks and the harm that happens regularly to BIPOC activists.  Nina and Kristy shared their inspirations and the importance of well being and mental health for activists.  Kristy also talked about why DEI is not just nice to have, but an essential safety net for BIPOC leaders in the green movement.  Brown Girl Green Brown Girl Green on Instagram Octavia Butler Morgan Harper Nichols on IG InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Carlos Deal is an entrepreneur, a chef and owner of Alternativeats, a restaurant with a focus on Navajo and Japanese food.  Carlos shared his vision for opening up a commissary kitchen and developing the next generation of chefs in his community.  Nina and Carlos talked about the importance of local foods in addressing our carbon footprint.  Nina also learned what a hoop house is.  Alternativeats Facebook pageChange Labs Uranium Poisoning on Navajo NationPeabody Mine Shutdown InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Dr. Irina Feygina is a social psychologist who applies behavioral science and facilitation approaches to climate change policy and program development.  She served as the Director of Behavioral Science and Assessment at Climate Central, and as a fellow on the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team.  Irina joins Let's Get Real to talk about how our need for belonging affects our belief in climate change,  how some of our core assumptions endanger us, and what actually influences people to take positive action.  Nina and Irina also talk about what it really takes to have productive conversations with people who have different beliefs than our own.  Irina shared openly about her own struggle to integrate the scientific method with more intuitive ways of knowing and how her own inner work mirrors what needs to happen in society.   Process WorkPolarity Management The Master and his Emissary   InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com

Andy and Nina talk about the impetus behind a season about climate activism.  Nina busts some climate change myths and the two of them riff about how sustainability is influencing their plans to buy or build their next home.   Andy shares a bit about his recording methodology. Nina also gives a sneak peak into some future episodes of Season Three.Drawdown Project The Last Glacier InstagramLinked Inninasimondscoaching.com