What does sailing and women’s empowerment have in common? The answer is The Maiden Factor. It is not just a gorgeous sailboat crewed by a team of impressive women competing in the Ocean Globe Race– a race…
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When someone is sabotaging you at work
Have you ever found yourself in the situation when someone at work is trying to sabotage your work? There are signs or behaviors that a team member is undermining your leadership. You cannot really put…
On caring, leaving our comfort zone, and being wild and free at a yoga and meditation retreat in Costa Rica
Have you ever felt as your responsibilities are tying you down like the mooring ropes of a boat that keeps the vessel from recklessly floating out to sea? I have. Even if I proudly built…
Times are uncertain and ambiguous – How can we cope with a constantly changing reality that is mostly out of our control?
The most popular podcast episode of my podcast Leading and Living Well- with Kat during 2022 was the March 2022 episode Living and Leading during VUCA Times- Pandemic Flux Syndrome and much more… So I…
International Women’s Day – On women’s well-being at work – menopause
Being a woman is wonderful and complicated. We are the creators of life as we cycle through the periods of life. From girlhood via womanhood to motherhood and wise-woman. Women’s health has been and still…
Cleaning away hurdles to move on
After a four month break I finally repaired my painting. It was smudged during transportation from art class in May. I had big summer plans for my painting projects. Did nothing. Not even doodle. So…
Working Virtually – The Hyperawareness Trap
Living during a pandemic (and now also during very uncertain and volatile times) is a high stress situation. Our health and physical wellbeing and that of our loved ones’ is threatened. Living under social distancing and isolation are also stressful situations, as are experiencing a threat to global safety and stability. We need human togetherness to thrive.
Working Virtually – The Distorted Self-Image Trap
Are you obsessed about how you looked recently during that virtual meeting? Those bags under your eyes seem to get heavier each day. What about that double or triple chin and shiny forehead? There is a word for the hyper awareness of our looks ‘Zoom dysmorphia’.
Yikes! I’ve Lost the Ability to Interact in-person at Work
Anecdotal information from my network is telling me that we have grown comfortable with zoom and teams’ meetings while live in-person interactions now feel stressful, and even odd. We are experts at expressing and reading emotions with our eyes and foreheads only. Smiling with our eyes as we wear a facemask. How to transition back to in-person work?
Pandemic Flux – A Life in the Extended Liminal Lane
Living on ‘surge capacity’ for a long time can result in exhaustion, loss of motivation, and anxiety – the Pandemic Flux Syndrome. How to cope with a constantly changing reality that is mostly out of our control? How do we stay motivated and positive?
Who am I as a Leader? – On Finding your Leadership Style
How do you discover your own authentic leadership style and is there only one style that is truly your personal leadership approach?
These are questions we often ask ourselves.
A quick online search on ‘leadership styles’ will give you several different answers. Some articles list five, others six, another one ten and so on.
How do you know what expert to listen to and what list of leadership styles to use when selecting yours? Is there one style that fits everyone everywhere and always?
A Mindful Mountain Moment
The part of Finland where I grew up had no mountains. It was flat. With a hill popping up here and there. We would drive six hours north beyond the arctic circle to find a…
Gardening Therapy – Corporate Gardening for Wellness
Many books and articles have been written about the benefits of gardening. I am a constant gardener myself having inherited the gardening bug from my parents. Gardening, however, has shown to be very good…
The Seascape Escape
My favorite Disney movie is Moana. Set in the giant Pacific Ocean on an island. Why do I love Moana? It is not just the music, which I do enjoy, or the diverse characters. It is the splendid, friendly, dangerous, luring call of the sea that I love. And Moana, of course, a sensitive, strong and stubborn girl who listens to her inner voice telling her to ride the waves and save her community in the process of her own self discovery.
What does Moana have to do with wellbeing at work?
Force From the Finnish Forest – How nature is your secret to success
Nature and as such the forest provides for us a well of wellbeing. The environment where we live influences our mood. Research shows that our environment can increase and reduce our level of stress, anxiety and even our heart-health. Spending even a short time in nature lowers our blood pressure, reduces anxiety, improves our mood and physical health.
The Power or Perspective – Changing your Scenic View
Creating some mental and emotional distance to what your are experiencing or to your past can help your find new opportunities, creative solutions and reframe a painful past.
Think about what a frame is. It is something we place around a painting. The picture stays the same, but the frame can be changed. Different styles of frames bring out different aspects of the painting, or perhaps completely overwhelms it?
Difficult Conversations made Easy – Part 2 During the Meeting
In episode 11 we looked at the six steps to take to prepare for a challenging conversation, they included among others, to have a clear goal, to check your assumptions, and to try to understand and anticipate the other’s goals and needs.
Let us imagine that you are now having that so called difficult conversation. Perhaps you are connected virtually by video conference. How do you start?
First focus on creating trust. How do we create trust? By communicating positive intentions, being honest and transparent in our messaging and my listening.
The Perfectionism Trap – On Leadership, Excellence and Letting Go
Perfectionism is the enemy of innovation & creativity. Playing with a new perspective can help us break free and discover a new world. Let’s commit to this.
Resilience Needs Company to Grow
Staying motivated and resilient into the new year feels like biking on a long flat road, with a strong headwind. I’m pedaling hard but I seem to stand still. Here are five tips how to keep on moving