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What is it like to be a consultant these days? Are you greeted with eye rolling, or enthusiasm by your clients? The media sometimes portrays consultants as an opportunistic shiver of sharks just waiting to grab their next victim. In the past I, as a member of this profession, have internalized some of this poor reputation and as a result have felt some shame in selling my services. The good news is, there are consultants out there who are trusted, trustworthy, heartfelt, conscious leaders who are oriented to being of immense service while guiding their clients to empowerment, ease and the creation of sustainable business performance and leadership effectiveness. I'm honoured to be part of a community of people just like this and am thrilled to be speaking with our leader this week. Join me in a rich conversation with Bill Adams, the CEO of Full Circle Group and The Leadership Circle to explore what it is to powerfully and effectively consult with heart, integrity and consciousness.

What do these two things have to do with each other, and why would leaders care about them? Join me on Stories from the Heart of Leadership and find out. Can't wait to be with you!

Many of us would include ourselves in the category of people who practice loving kindness - to others. We spend passionate energy being helpful, of service and on purpose. But how many in that group can also claim to practice loving kindness to themselves? I have not been particularly good at this inward practice, but am starting to turn the tides on this more now. What is the balance between being selfless and selfish? Where is the middle way that includes healthy respect and regard for self while continuing to serve others and spread good intentions and well-being out there. Join me today to discuss this radical offering - loving kindness to the self.

Are you like me? I'm so good at talking about what I'm up to from the inside, but I struggle sometimes to talk about it in an outside way. To put this in sales terms, I know the features of what I'm offering and can talk about this all day long, but when it comes to the benefits, there isn't as much flow. As my practice evolves to serve more and more people on a global scale, it is imperative that I learn to frame my offer in terms of what's in it for my clients. Join me today and learn about what is in the works at Anjali Leadership, and help me turn this upside down so that you and others like you can put this into service for your own success.

Have you ever tugged on a loose thread on a garment, thinking it's a random errant piece that will slide right out, only to find that it is much longer and actually weaves through the entire thing? Life is like that. Threads wind through your life story, often without you even realizing it. These threads have themes or patterns that are hard to see when you're in it. It's only when you are listened to by another, or when you slow things down enough to take a broader perspective, that these threads can be revealed. I've found there can be great value in taking this sideways look at these threads...and I trust you will too. Join me as I pull out a couple of my own threads and take a look, and learn how to pull out your own. I look forward to being with you!

We've talked at length on Stories from the Heart of Leadership about how to change the mindset of individuals. What about organizations? Can they too shift, grow and develop new mindsets and actually expand their consciousness? What does it mean to be a truly conscious business anyway? Join Shahmeen and her guest, Koray Parmaks, CEO of Telax Hosted Call Centre, as he shares his responses to these intriguing questions. Learn what it was like to navigate yet-uncharted terrain, what it took to make the organizational shift in consciousness, and how customers, employees, leaders and business performance have benefitted as a result. Bring your questions and your curiosity and join the conversation live on the show. We look forward to being with you!

After 10+ years of working with humans to create greater leadership effectiveness, it is apparent to me that the number one thing that will determine our success is what mindset we hold. Mindset is not the same as values or purpose...although they are definitely related. I like to think of mindset as a lens that we look at life through. Imagine putting on a pair of glasses that filter the information received from out there, then deciding based on that filter, what it all means in here. This week I am joined by a new colleague, Judy Murray, who is a master at helping people to shift their mindset (or put on a new pair of glasses!) for optimal success in all areas of life. Join us and hear her story: what led her into this work and how she has helped so many. As well you will hear about how she and I are going to be working together to bring the power of Anjali Leadership to the established and growing success of Jeunesse Global. We look forward to being with you!

I've expressed and discussed gratitude many times on Stories from the Heart of Leadership, but never has it felt as important as right now. In a time of such fear, violence, polarization and harshness I see gratitude as one part of a powerful remedy and counter-balance. Sure, I could spend my time bemoaning the downhill slide, complaining about the political players, and fighting or defending against what I don't like in the world. (And I really do find myself shocked and dismayed daily when I read the newspaper.) However, when I come back to myself and the foundation I continue building for myself and my life, I'm always led back to gratitude and a commitment to focusing on what I DO want to see, hear and experience. Join me for this check-in on where things are at, how things are and then let's turn our attention to gratitude as a vehicle towards the kind of life and world we'd like to co-create. Looking forward to being with you, as always!

No matter how high you've risen in the organizational ranks, or how successful you are in your area of expertise, there is always an opportunity to continue tuning your primary instrument: yourself! This episode arises out of a continuing theme for me: coming back to the awareness that I'm a work in progress; not a finished product. Now, I'm sure that very few of us actually consciously think of ourselves as having reached some sort of destination with nothing left to learn, yet I've noticed that I, and others, sometimes operate unconsciously in this respect: believing we have to have the right answer, know everything, do it perfectly, and generally have it all together. If you know this can sometimes be true about your behaviour, join me and my guest this week and learn practices you can put into place to aid with tuning your instrument, reducing the burden of your perfectionist tendencies and increasing your overall consciousness.

Leadership is not limited to the boardroom, the office, the client meetings or the networking functions. It includes how we conduct ourselves at home, with our spouses, children and other family members, and yes, with those with whom we are in dispute. This week we will talk about leadership as it pertains to our role in fostering the best for our children, especially when we are having issues in our relationship with their other parent. Having navigated the separation with my former spouse with dignity and grace, I'm often shocked when I witness how other separating couples behave and am dismayed by how blind they seem to the impact it is having on their children. Join me today as we take on this challenging topic - for the sake of the children.

I used to think the best thing I could do was wear my strongest face, put my best foot forward and present with the most shiny, positive and sunny version of myself. In recent years I'm learning that pretending everything is just fine isn't a particularly useful strategy. What if it was OK to include everything and be present with it all? In the past few weeks life has tested this hypothesis in my world, big time. Join me for a heartfelt and courageous conversation about what it is like to include everything: the joy, the sadness, the pain, the sorrow, the elation of accomplishment, the defeat of helplessness, the satisfaction of success. Imagine what would be possible for you, if you could accept and include it all? Clear an hour of your day to nourish yourself in this deeper conversation about life and leadership. Looking forward to being with you!

You may recall an article written for Harvard Business Review by Bill Oncken, Jr., entitled Managing Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? I had heard the term monkey on my back but was quite young when the article was written, so never knew about it until recently. It was as if someone hit me over a head with a baseball bat when I realized...I'm addicted to carrying monkeys and most of the time they don't even belong to me! I do this most of all at home, in my personal life, but I can see how I carry monkeys of an emotional nature in my work life as well. Join me for a conversation about monkeys, how to know whether you are carrying them, figuring out who they actually belong to, and the journey to identifying them and being at choice before you actually hoist all of those monkeys onto your shoulders and stride bravely forward. Call in and share your experience of carrying monkeys and together let's learn to lighten the load!

What does it mean to be a model? In the fashion industry, it's all about perfection - at least the projection of perfection as it is defined in the moment. I've seen plenty of posts on social media recently contrasting the full curves that were fashionable years ago with the slender models of today. Today we will focus on a different kind of modelling - that of transparency, courage, and even raw authenticity. It's not about projecting an image of perfection, but rather about being real, open and human, even when it's not pretty. What kind of model do you want to see? What kind of model do you want to be? Join the conversation today!

What is your primary default style when things get hard? Is your tendency to criticize others for what is happening to you? Perhaps you are the type to take the entire burden onto your own shoulders and carry it alone. Or maybe you put your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine, despite the gnawing feeling in the pit of your belly that something is very, very wrong. Whatever it is, there is hope! It lies in finding the middle: between aggression and passivity, between defensiveness and taking 100% responsibility, between not speaking up and being harsh and judgemental. There is a path in between that offers more grace, more peace and more ease. Join Shahmeen today as she shares her own challenging and lifelong journey from one side of the spectrum to the other and into the middle possibilities, and explore how walking towards this Middle Way can serve you, your leadership and your life.

Many of us would include ourselves in the category of people who practice loving kindness - to others. We spend passionate energy being helpful, of service and on purpose. But how many in that group can also claim to practice loving kindness to themselves? I have not been particularly good at this inward practice, but am starting to turn the tides on this more now. What is the balance between being selfless and selfish? Where is the middle way that includes healthy respect and regard for self while continuing to serve others and spread good intentions and well-being out there. Join me today to discuss this radical offering - loving kindness to the self.

Sometimes all we can do is sit in the space in between one chapter and the next. Reflecting upon what has passed, celebrating, summarizing and just allowing it all to settle...this is what I call the bridge that connects one place to another. It requires self-awareness and trust to tolerate crossing this bridge, as there are no prizes or accolades for doing so. Nothing remarkable seems to be happening, yet I trust that this neutral bridge-crossing is very valuable! Join me as I stand on the bridge between what was and what is yet to come. Looking forward to being with you!

We’re all evolving on multiple levels. Why should the same not be true here with me. Here is what has unfolded recently: The old way was for me to say “yes” to everything, then deliver it all by myself. I was finally able to admit to myself a few months ago that the performance I was getting with this structure was much less than optimal. Though my clients may have been well served, I was not. What to do? Join me on Stories from the Heart of Leadership this week and find out what options presented themselves, how life challenged me to change my story and what has unfolded since then. Consider what evolution YOU are in the midst of and how you can cooperate with it, or stand in its way.

Ever wonder how someone could possibly see that thing that you're so clear about, in a totally different way from you? Every day we have the opportunity to make meaning out of the things that happen around us. Most of us default to one perspective: our own. Yet you might be surprised to learn that everyone has the capacity to look at things in multiple ways. What would be possible if we could pause and look at things in more than one way, as if we were trying on different coloured sunglasses and observing how the same things appear different? How would this help us to create more choices for action, for connection and for effective and sustainable performance? Join me and uncover the stories you tell yourself about yourself, other people and the way things work, decide whether these stories are useful now, and choose the way forward that will be best for you!

Pay yourself first. People have said this to me in many ways, shapes and forms over the years, but I don't think I really heard the spirit of this message until recently. I've begun an experiment with myself: paying myself first with money, with energy, with nourishment and with enjoyment. The fruits of this have been illuminating and have shown themselves surprisingly quickly. If you know that your tendency is to give your gifts away before receiving payment yourself, this show is for you! Join me in this conversation and consider how paying yourself first could improve your leadership and well-being. I look forward to being with you!