Category Archives: Videos
Lighthouses and Leaders: How to Live Better and Lead Brighter
I’ve always been drawn to lighthouses. And this summer we traveled to visit one of my favorites…
But this trip was unlike previous visits – and it led me to some powerful insights about what lighthouses and leaders have in common.
We look to leaders to light the way. But sometimes even the mightiest lights begin to dim. What do you do when that happens?
This week’s video will give you some powerful tips on how you can live better and lead brighter.
You likely have a few of your own practices for refreshing and reviving yourself… I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment here so others can benefit as well.
Here’s to reigniting your light!
Diane
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, Diane Bolden, executive coach and author of the “Pinocchio Principle: Becoming a Real Leader – How to Unleash Genius in Yourself and Those You Lead.” And I just wanted to tell you a quick story of something that happened over our summer vacation.
We went up to Northern California and one of our favorite places to visit up there is the Point Reyes Lighthouse. It was built in 1870 and back in its heyday, its light was so bright that it could be seen all the way to the horizon for 24 miles. The path to get there is beautiful. It takes a little while to get to the viewing point but once you do, it’s well worth the trip… …except for the time we were there.
It was so foggy you could barely even make out the lighthouse. I almost didn’t even snap a picture of it. But when I got home, I was really glad I did. Because I was reflecting on the whole nature of lighthouses and I realized that the fog doesn’t really matter.
The whole purpose of a lighthouse is to cut through the fog, to show a path for other people. And the lighthouse doesn’t change the fog… doesn’t take it away. It just shines its light so that other people can find their way. And I think that’s exactly what a leader does.
Regardless of your title, your vocation or your role, you have the ability to show other people a way through the thickest of challenges and to help yourself find your way too. But every once in a while, our lights as leaders start to flicker and dim and it’s really important when that happens that we tend to the light so that we can continue to help other people.
In fact, if your light’s starting to dim, one of the most generous things you can do as a leader is reignite it and do whatever you can to lead brighter. And maybe that just means slowing down long enough to catch your breath or connect the dots or reflect a little on what life’s trying to teach you. Maybe it’s about getting connected with what’s most important to you, what it is that you want, and how you can create more of that.
Maybe it’s about making the decision to recognize and release habits that are no longer serving you or just doing some things that bring you joy. Spending time with people that make you smile and laugh or doing whatever it is that lights you up. Maybe it’s taking a walk in nature or gardening or writing or listening to some great music or playing music.
I don’t know what it is for you, but you probably do. And if your light’s starting to dim a little, chances are you probably haven’t let yourself do it for a while. Regardless of how bright your light is, regularly tending to it will allow you to cut through the deepest of fog so that you can help other people find their path too.
Do you know somebody whose light could use a little brightening? Share this video with them and a little of your own light. And don’t forget to take good care of yourself – so that you too can live and lead brighter.
How to Have More Good Days at Work – and at Home
Work. Some days are good, and others not so much… Just like life, right?
Since we spend so many of our waking hours working, it’s likely that a good day at work will spill over into your life after work. Unfortunately, a not-so-good day will do that too.
You can’t always change what comes at you in your professional life, but there are some things you can do to have a better experience of it.
What’s interesting is that improving your experience of work won’t just allow you to enjoy your life more. It can also boost your performance, leading not only to greater satisfaction and fulfillment – but also increased effectiveness and better results.
This week’s video expands on that idea and gives you a simple example of how to have more good days at work – and at home. The audio is a snippet of some opening comments from a previous Pinocchio Principle Unleashed group session.
Though enrollment for the fall program has now closed, the Executive Track (an individualized version that blends the curriculum with 1:1 coaching) is available anytime.
You can also bring the group program into your organization and customize it to meet your unique needs. Get more information or join the waiting list to be notified of the next group session at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com.
We all have plenty of work in our lives. Here’s to putting more life into our work – and watching both grow infinitely richer!
FULL VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
One day when my son was 8 years old, he came home from camp with a riddle. He said, “Pretend you’re in a box with four walls all around you and it’s airtight. There’s no handles and no latches. How do you get out?”
“Hmm, I responded. “I don’t know. I think I would punch my way out.”
He said “No.”
“Okay, then I’d use my legs. I’d kick my way out.”
“No.” He was emphatic.
I thought for a moment. “Hmm. Maybe I’d try to chew my way out.”
He was getting more and more irritated with me. “No.”
I was out of ideas, “I don’t know. I give up. How do you get out?”
“Mom,” he said. “If you’re pretending you’re in a box with airtight walls, the way you get out is you STOP PRETENDING.”
Wow, this from an eight year old.
It’s crept into my thinking several times over the years because I think it’s such a great analogy for what we do.
How Beliefs Can Become Boxes
We have these beliefs…
Have you ever thought about how your belief about work shapes your experience of work? To a large degree, we’re pretty much conditioned to believe that work is not supposed to be fun – that work is something that you do in order to earn a living, pay your bills, feed your family, and be a responsible human being. Work is something that you do and you just get through it.
And living… well, living is what you do after work, right?
It’s part of our societal conditioning. Have you ever noticed that?
You Can Break Out of Your Box
The people who enjoy their work are people who have realized that doesn’t have to be true.
“What if I didn’t think that? What if I approached it differently? What if I thought of work as an opportunity for me to do something cool, to contribute to something bigger than me? What if I thought of work as an opportunity to be around people or to partner with people that I really enjoy, or that are really interesting to me, or that I can learn from? What if I think of work as a way that I can somehow grow?”
What a novel idea.
Work is What You Make It
What’s interesting is that people who believe work is a chore, experience it that way. And they get bogged down, and they have so much to do, and they feel like they’re never going to be able to finish it. And it’s one more thing and everything’s going wrong. And then there’s this and there’s that and they can’t wait to go home.
And that person could be working side by side with somebody who believes – even just for that day, even just for that moment, that work is something different. And they will have a whole different experience. They will tell you something entirely different.
It’s not that they won’t have a whole boatload of work to do. It’s not that they won’t have pressure or deadlines and people relying on them and more to do than there’s time to do.
But there’s something about people who believe different things about work that changes the way they interact with everybody. EVERYBODY.
Learning How to Have More Good Days at Work is About Making a Choice
If you think about the last time you went even just to get a cup of coffee… the difference between somebody taking your order that never makes eye contact with you, that’s having kind of a crappy day, that is kind of wearing it on their body and the way that you feel when they serve you…
…the difference between that and somebody who when you walk in, looks you in the eye and asks you how you’re doing and maybe shares something funny or is genuinely interested in you. And really you can tell that when they ask you how you are, it’s not just part of their script. There’s something about their presence that is with you.
I guarantee you they are having a better day than the other person… not because anything different is going on, but because they made a choice to see work differently.
Make YOUR choice.
For more, visit www.UnleashtheExtraordinary.com
Make the most of your mishaps
We all experience our share of mishaps. But with patience and ingenuity, you can turn those setbacks into springboards. This video provides 3 examples of how it’s done. It marks the last day in the countdown to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track launching on 9/20.It’s an excerpt from one of the video lessons in the program.
If you’re thinking about attending, it’s not too late to register. Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. For alumni or group enrollment, email us at Support@DianeBolden.com.
How to keep life’s obstacles from stopping you
Imagine that you’re cruising along in your car headed smoothly toward your destination. And then traffic slows to a stop.
Is there an accident ahead? Construction? Some other impediment?
No worries. Your GPS has an alternate route that’ll get you exactly where you need to go.
What if you could find your way around life’s roadblocks with the same ease and efficiency as your GPS system?
You can!
The video below will show you how. It marks Day 2 in the countdown to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track launching on 9/20…
It’s an excerpt from one of the video lessons in the program. If you’re thinking about attending, it’s not too late to register. Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. For alumni or group enrollment, email us at Support@DianeBolden.com.
Are you on autopilot?
The beauty of a habit is that it allows you to take automatic action without thinking all that much about it. Unfortunately, that is also the DOWNSIDE.
More about that in this video – which marks Day 4 in the countdown to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track launching on 9/20…
This week, pay attention to what automatic behaviors and patterns you are falling into, and notice to what degree they are helping or hindering you.
If you’d like some support unlearning old habits and patterns and swapping them out for something more aligned with your desired results, consider joining me the next seven Fridays from 1 to 2:30 pm EDT for The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track.
The program is a compilation of tools, techniques and approaches my most successful executive coaching clients have utilized over the years. It’s designed to help high achieving (and often overextended) executives rise above old habits and patterns and lead from a Genius mindset.
In addition to the group meetings, the program includes lifetime access to seven modules of video and audio content and bonus access to my Navigating Change, Challenge & Uncertainty self-study.
Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. For alumni or group enrollment, email us at Support@DianeBolden.com.
Is this you?
High achieving executives, particularly those with a heart for service and contribution, are prone to a very common pitfall…
And it keeps them from doing some of the very things they most pride themselves on.
Take a look at this short video and see if you can relate.
If it strikes a chord and you’d like some assistance avoiding (or recovering from) a similar fate, consider joining me next Friday, September 20 for the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track. You’ll have lifetime access to seven modules of practical tips, tools and approaches to help you overcome stress, pressure and overwhelm and lead from a Genius mindset.
And each Friday for the next seven weeks we’ll meet via Zoom for additional training, support and live coaching.
Here’s what one participant had to say about her experience in the Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program:
Diane helped me uncover the thoughts I didn’t realize Iwas having and the things I was holding onto that were getting in the way – answering the question for me about why I couldn’t execute. I was able to let go of a lot of self-blame and really be in the present moment, deliberate about how I want to show up. I feel more intentional and more empowered in my work and my life. And I’m committed to being more thoughtful about creating my schedule and not allowing things to overwhelm me.
Your greatest gift that you‘ll get if you’ll invest this time is that you’ll reconnect with yourself and find the answers you need – open up your mind and your heart, which is something you can’t do when you’re going a 100 miles an hour. The whole experience was very authentic. Diane is truly invested and engaged in creating something better for the people she works with.
– Connie Phillips- President and CEO, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest
Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com.
5 Phases for Unleashing Genius
Sometimes growth presents itself in ways that make us uncomfortable. The things that used to work may no longer be effective (and in some cases begin to work against you). You begin to recognize a desire within yourself for something more – more meaning, more fulfillment, more connection, more impact… and perhaps a whole new way of experiencing your work and your life.
I believe these are signs that you’re ready to more fully live from that wiser, greater part of yourself that I like to call Genius.
To mark Day 9 in countdown to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track launching on September 20, I wanted to share the Five Phases of Unleashing Genius that I teach in the program.
It all starts with awareness and desire. Watch the video to learn how to navigate each of these five phases to move confidently toward what you most want in your work and your life.
And if you’d like more support, consider joining me in this 7-week leadership development program, designed to help high-achieving (and often overextended) executives break out of limiting habits and patterns and lead from a Genius mindset.
It’s a compilation of approaches, techniques and tools that my most successful executive coaching clients have utilized over the years. Through a combination of video and live training and coaching, you’ll learn to rise above stress and pressure and take your performance to the next level – while enjoying your life more both on and off the job.
Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. Enroll with a friend or colleague and you’ll both save $500. Email us at Support@DianeBolden.com for group or alumni registration.
Here’s to your success!
Diane
P.S. Have you already been through The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program? Alumni are eligible to re-enroll at a special rate.
Let me tell you why…
It’s Day 10 in the countdown to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track launching on September 20. It’s a program I’ve taught in some form since 2017. I’m incredibly passionate about it and thrilled to bring you the Fast Track version. Today, in this short video, I want to share WHY…
Simon Sinek tells us “Happiness comes from what we do. Fulfillment comes from why we do it.”
The fulfillment this program has led others to experience in their work and their lives allows me to find fulfillment in mine as well. Come join me!
The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track is a 7-week leadership development program, designed to help high-achieving (and often overextended) executives break out of limiting habits and patterns and lead from a Genius mindset.
It’s a compilation of approaches, techniques and tools that my most successful executive coaching clients have utilized over the years. Through a combination of video and live training and coaching, you’ll learn to rise above stress and pressure and take your performance to the next level – while enjoying your life more both on and off the job.
Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. Enroll with a friend or colleague and you’ll both save $500. Email us at Support@DianeBolden.com for group or alumni registration.
Here’s to finding your fulfillment!
Diane
P.S. Have you already been through The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program? Alumni are eligible to re-enroll at a special rate.
Find your winning approach
When the game you’re playing is not designed to let you win, it’s time to play a different game. You can be in the most horrendous of circumstances and still rise above it if you have a winning approach.
This video will explain why. It marks Day 11 in the count down to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track launching on September 20.
If you want to find a winning approach that is unique and custom designed for you, consider joining me in this 7-week leadership development program, designed to help high-achieving and often overextended executives break out of limiting habits and patterns and lead from a Genius mindset.
It’s a compilation of approaches, techniques and tools that my most successful executive coaching clients have utilized over the years. You’ll learn to rise above stress and pressure and take your performance to the next level – while enjoying your life more both on and off the job.
Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. Enroll with a friend or colleague and you’ll both save $500. Email us at Support@DianeBolden.com for group or alumni registration.
The hidden forces that keep us stuck
Did you know that even your best efforts to make change are often counteracted by equal and opposite forces that’ll keep you stuck? But once you become aware of them, you can dismantle those forces and move unobstructed into your most brilliant future.
This short video will give you a leg up on doing just that. It marks Day 16 in the countdown to the kickoff of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed Fast Track, which launches on September 20.
If you want to deactivate the forces that are keeping you stuck, consider joining me in this 7-week leadership development program designed to help high-achieving and often overextended executives break out of limiting habits and patterns and lead from a Genius mindset.
It’s a compilation of approaches, techniques, and tools that my most successful executive coaching clients have utilized over the years. Through a combination of video and live training and coaching, you’ll learn to rise above stress and pressure and take your performance to the next level – while enjoying your life more both on and off the job.
Get more information and save your seat at UnleashtheExtraordinary.com. Enroll with a friend or colleague and you’ll both save $500.
Here’s to your success!
Diane
P.S. Alumni are eligible to re-enroll at a small fraction of the cost. Email Support@DianeBolden.com for alumni or group enrollment.