by Kelley Black, Founder of Balancing the Executive Life

"Women start careers in business and other professions with the same level of intelligence, education and commitment as men. Yet comparatively few reach the top echelons." ~ McKinsey Leadership Project



Does the statement above make you cringe? When I first read it I felt my stomach turn and I realized I was holding my breath. Why? The biggest challenges in modern work, life and organizations need and respond to what are traditionally thought to be "female" strengths and styles. Here are some examples...

Managing and developing global teams - requires more sensitivity than traditional localized structures

Approaching cultural diversity as a strength - requires enhanced intuitional, projective and protective intelligences for greater perception, awareness and openness to possibilities

Creating inclusive, responsible plans and making ethical decisions - requires compassion, humanity and a spiritual connection

Again, these strengths and styles are all traditionally female.

Centered Leadership is a new approach to leadership that helps women gain confidence, optimal health. It is a model for thriving in business and life. 

Centered Leadership is about expanding your spiritual, mental, emotional and physical capacity so you can achieve peak performance without burning out in the process. Centered Leadership makes you a better strategic thinker, inspires others and positively impacts the bottom line at home & work.

Naam Coaching gives you the support you need to be a Centered Leader. Naam Coaching expands your capacity, connects you to your feminine spirit and the strength therein. It is a game changer for business and life.

Here are some best practices that we encourage you to integrate into each day to achieve Centered Leadership:

Establish a Collaborative Mindset - View your colleagues as potential allies rather than threats. The same with your spouses, partners and anyone else you may be having a conflict with. Ask for their opinions and listen to what they have to say. Work on inclusion and resist exclusion. Use collaboration and cooperation to remove tension.

Reach out to others - Find ways to connect on a personal level. Proactively look for opportunities to help others. Focus on what you can do to benefit the other person NOT vice versa.

Raise the bar on your health/wellbeing – Your health is more than an annual checkup. Commit to optimal health by taking care of your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical bodies. Do daily practices to alleviate stress. Build a true partnership with your healthcare providers and consider them to be “trusted advisors.” Understand your energetic imprint, karmic influences and ways of bringing self-healing and a permanent cure to symptoms that manifest in the physical body.

Develop and use your intuition - Trusting your intuition is a great way to enhance your decision-making skills. Listen to your instincts and debrief with a trusted advisor, colleague or mentor. Note the outcomes of your intuitive decision-making and capture them in writing. Doing so will help you develop your intuitive ability.

Meditate daily - Meditation is essentially a deeper state of thought and relaxation then we normally achieve. It is good for health, healing, de-stressing and will heighten your connection to your intuition. Naam Meditation will open your heart, awaken and enhance your feminine strengths. It makes you grounded, authentic and attuned to who you really are and your vision.

Build your confidence - Get comfortable in your own skin by valuing your inner worth. This helps you get rid of jealousy, pettiness and the tendency to gossip. You will be able to assess situations and people neutrally and objectively for mutually beneficial outcomes.

Put yourself out there - When it comes to connecting with others take a risk. Go out of your way to greet a colleague. Be the first to say hello. Don't wait to initiate contact and never ignore another person. Everyone longs for connection and it can simply be a big friendly smile.

And remember what Katherine Graham, the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 enterprise (the Washington Post Company) famously said, "To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?"

Are you interested in being a Centered Leader? We have support and proven strategies for you raise your personal bar on Centered Leadership through our monthly Naam Coaching Group for Women @ Oriens beginning September 20th, 2011.