Coffee Cup Coaching: Express Yourself!

In She's a Heroine, She's an Entrepreneur by Victoria Peterson

Let’s DeW This – Let’s Express Ourselves. This post is dedicated to all the Goddesses in the DeW community . . . and trust me, you are ALL Goddesses.

Goddess is another word for Leader.

If you are a mother, daughter, lover, sister, wanderer, employee, volunteer, you are a leader.

However we DeW our Goddessness, it’s always fun to discover ways to express even more of our Goodness! Ready to take command of your personal leadership? Let’s DeW It! One of the greatest examples in American History of True Goddess (for me) is Eleanor Roosevelt. Although she never thought herself a physical beauty, every biography ever written about her describes her as beautiful, charming, charismatic. She was often said to be “charming, beautiful, compassionate . . . and also brilliant.”

She served as First Lady for the four (3+) terms her husband Franklin was president. That’s more than 12 years folks! She then went on to serve as Diplomat to the United Nations. Her philanthropy spread coast to coast. Check out the redwood forests dedicated to her in California. Eleanor was DeWing Activism, Environmentalism, Feminism, EqualIty, and all the “ism” long before we were born (1884 – 1962). We owe so much to her legacy. Because she expressed herself – we have a stronger platform!

What was Eleanor’s secret power? Three simple things that we all can master:

  • Presence
  • Communication
  • Stance

Presence

When you walk into a room, DeW people notice? This week practice standing a little taller, talking a little louder, being a bit more direct, make eye-contact just a second longer. In other words – let your Presence be known, let your presence be felt. True Goddesses claim their space.

Communication

Through the work of Judith Glaser [Conversational Intelligence], we discover that 9 out of 10 conversations are misunderstood. I know that seems true for me. Here’s two life hacks to quickly clarify communications.

  1. Use fewer words. Pause for one second before responding, ask yourself “What is the main point that I want to communicate?” Then get to it as quickly as possible.
  2. Summarize and Restate: Before ending a conversation, particularly if there is action steps involved, take a moment to quickly summarize back what you heard, your part in it, and the due dates for the action items.

Stance

Eleanor Roosevelt was certainly not afraid to take a stand. The same can be said for stand-up comedian Ellen Degeneres. They both voice their opinions and then back them up with action; regardless of the personal cost. Is this just an “Ellen” thing? I think not.

DeW women, it’s a great time to claim your power, own your presence and reap the rewards of communicating with clarity. In my four decades in dentistry, the common factor for respect came through leaders that weren’t afraid to take a stand.

To get you in the mood to breakthrough and fully express yourself, check out this YouTube video. Put on your dancing shoes and have some fun!

 

Read More