Many of the leaders we help grow their careers share with us the wish they had more time. We sometimes hear: ”I need better time management”. What we tell these leaders is that what they really need is a better activity management. Do you recognize yourself being more busy than you’d like and yet not achieving your big goals with life-work balance? You’re not alone. The first question we suggest you ask yourself is: Are you committed to changing your habits or are you just interested? The difference is: If you are committed: you’ll do whatever it takes If you are interested: you’ll do what’s easy to do and give up when you meet stronger inner or outer resistance If you’re interested stop reading right now since this will not help you. If you’re committed keep on reading… The first thing we suggest you do in order to get out of your current situation is to be aware of what is happening in your leadership and life. In a calm state of mind look at your leadership and life as if you were watching a movie, without any shame, blame, guilt, judgment or justification. Then ask yourself empowering questions like: How can I do even more impactful things today? What is the highest income or impact activity I need to focus on today? Take a small powerful step towards your new habits and do this no matter what, day in day out until it becomes your new default pattern. If you like us prefer faster and easier, take help of an expert. Book a 15 min exploratory meeting with us. We have only a few slots to offer. Looking forward to help you find your new leadership identity.

The conception that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity is a myth. Newer research show our brain uses all its capacity at all times. It’s an amazing bio-computer. However it is true that we don’t use all of our potential. The question: Why is it so?, is not as interesting as: How can you use more of your potential. We meet many leaders and this is a challenge we hear often. Leaders experiencing this share with us they feel unmotivated, with low energy, not certain of the kind of change they desire. They sometimes even have a feeling of overwhelm, unsatisfaction or frustration. If you’re experiencing any of these feelings we’d like to help you overcome them and change them for feelings of fullfillment, energy, motivation, achievement, happiness. The process might be longer or shorter depending on your particular situation. If you would like to book a discovery call we’d be happy to assess the nature of your challenge. We only have a few time slots of 15 min to offer. In the meantime we’d like to share a simple exercise that you may try on your own straight away, why wait! In a quiet and peaceful state of mind, take three deep breaths and be present. Be aware of your physiology, the room or space you’re in, the environment surrounding you. In this state of awareness find in your mind the situations in time were you felt completely invigorated, happy, fulfilled. What were you doing? Who were with you? Try to recover as many details from your memories as possible and right them down, even if it’s just loose words. When you’re done, step back from your writing to create some physical distance. Move in different direction while looking at the words. Then let your amazing brain and intuition do the rest of the work. Share your experience with us in the comment section below. If this exercise wasn’t easy for you, you might do better with some guidance. Book a discovery call with us, we’d be happy to help. We only have a few time slots of 15 min to offer. Good luck!

Maybe you’ve been a leader for a while or you might be relatively new to your leadership role. If you find yourself having these thoughts: Why am I not progressing in my career Why is everyone else getting the promotions and not me Maybe I need a university degree that will give me the quality label How can I motivate my team better Why is my up-line not clearer Stop for a while and take a time-off. One very important thing you need to understand about questions is that every question has a presumption. So what are the presumptions of the above thoughts or questions? (Why am I not progressing in my career) I can’t progress (Why is everyone else getting the promotions and not me) I can’t get a promotion (Maybe I need a university degree that will give me the quality label) My experience is not enough (How can I motivate my team better) I don’t know how to motive my team Let’s therefor change the presumptions before you ask yourself a question or allow yourself a conscious thought. Let’s for instance have as a starting point the following presumptions: I can progress I can get a promotion My experience is enough I know how to motivate my team With these new presumptions I would like you to give yourself 5-10 minutes and write down new questions. These questions will empower you to take the actions towards what you wish and desire. We help managers and c-level executives be in the best shape of their careers and stop worrying about their leadership. If you would like us to challenge you with our questions that empower and create positive change in people’s lives book a 15 min call with us. There’s a limited number of calls we will be taking. Early birds will benefit. When the available calls are gone we won’t be taking any more. So please don’t get upset if we can’t take yours if you’re late.

Let us start with a short description of what rationalize (rational-lies) is... very briefly described it is when you desire something at a conscious level but it is not in line with your unconscious thoughts, feelings, beliefs and behaviors. The part of your brain that is running the show, accounting for 97% of all your actions, thoughts, behaviors, is doing it at a level underneath your consciousness. So even if you say to yourself you wish and desire certain things in your life when they are not in line with your subconscious brain your brain will tell you it is not good for you since one of the main functions of the brain is to keep you safe. This is when you will start hearing yourself saying ”rational-lies” to yourself, something in line with: - This is not for me really - I’m not sure this step is the right one for me right now - I will be better of as I am - I can park this and think about it later Or any other kind of ”lies” that will keep you in your comfort zone even if you are uncomfortable there. Your brain will rather have you uncomfortable in your comfort zone. The way the brain works, we now know thanks to Harvard University’s research as well as other institutes in the world, is being super great at doing its job: keeping us safe and using the less amount of energy. In other words your brain doesn’t like change, let alone big change. The question now is how to get past this or are we doomed to stay uncomfortable in our comfort zone? Yes, there are ways to stop the rational- lies and no, we are not doomed to stay uncomfortable. Here are a few things you can try: #1 Visualize what it is you desire. Write down your vision with as much vivid description as possible. What are you doing, saying, feeling? Who are you with? What are they doing, saying, feeling? Include colors, sounds, textures. #2 Read your vision daily emotionalizing it as you read it out loud When you’ve done this get in touch with us so we may guide you in your journey towards becoming the leaders you wish to be and that you know you are in your mind. We know there are a couple of obstacles every leader encounters and we know how to help you overcome them with a proven process and with 100% customer satisfaction. Get started

Are you a leader that longs for a change? If this is the case allow me to share some good news. You and you alone can make this happen. How? If you knew you would've already done it. What you probably need is some outside perspective from a professional. Someone that can give you the tools and show you the process for you to get out of your current situation towards what you envision. Even if your vision is not yet clear in every detail you do know you wish a change. Then use this momentum and make a promise to yourself that you won't brake: I will now take action towards a change in my life! You know the feelings of: "I'm not using all my potential" "I'm not growing and developing" "I wish a change and new challenges" What we at Brighter Leaders do is get you be in the best shape of your career with coaching programs that have 100% client satisfaction, guaranteed results and proven processes. When would be a good time to invest in yourself and your team? It not now, when? Get in touch with certified and accredited executive coach Lizzie Claesson and start a new journey that will finally make your vision come true!

Do you know that feeling of focusing your energy on low impact activities that leave the sensation of not moving forward at the fast pace you would desire? This feeling can be amplified if you are working in an environment that is not encouraging your curiosity and growth. An environment where things are done the way they always have and employees have been working there for many years making any new-comer feel like…. Well, like a new-comer even after some years of working there. Let us share with you three things you can try to improve your sense of purpose and belonging: Dare challenge the status-quo with empowering questions like: what could be the effects and benefits of trying X and Y? If we do things the way we always have we’ll get the outcomes we’ve always gotten: what could we do differently? What is the cost of not changing? Establish as many interpersonal relationships as possible within the company to have a broader understanding of where to find the allies to change, people that resonate with your desire to grow and develop Work with your own mindset and management of your emotions. There are different ways to do this. We help our clients with proven processes and effective tools that help them get unstuck and develop their careers and personal lives. Book a strategy call with us so we may learn more about your situation and how to improve it.

When your needs are bigger than your resources or when the demands upon you are bigger than your abilities, your brain will trigger the stress center. In some cases you will feel overwhelm in others you might even feel worry. When the stress network in your brain is activated your motivational network will shut down. There are two ways of answering to stress: Threat response: is when you experience an overwhelming force you feel you can’t handle Challenge response: is when you experience stress as a source of initiative and energy In the first case you will most probably suffer. In the second you will have a feeling of surfing over the situation. While in the first case your intuitive reaction might be of fight, fly or freeze in the second case you will be relaxed, calm and focus. Let me share 3 easy steps to manage any challenge you are facing so you may answer with a challenge response that helps you be on top of the situation: Identify the situation. Be aware of what is happening to all the involved, including yourself. Do this in a neutral way. Do not blame, shame, put guilt or try to rationalize Ask yourself empowering questions: what can I learn from this, what is this telling me, what do I wish to do with my findings Choose a very small action step and DO IT Our clients experience positive results of using this process and other processes and tools that we teach them. Be one of the many leaders surfing through your challenges! Get in touch with us for a free consultation.

One of the hottest topics in business today is up-skilling, re-skilling, and redefining jobs. Soft skills such as creativity, initiative, critical thinking, influence, negotiation, flexibility have been skills managers have been developing under the past years. However the power skills that you will need to focus on in the near future are: Collaboration and influence Taking ownership Empowering leadership Storytelling Intentional learning Resilience Diversity and inclusion Analytical thinking Collaboration, effective communication, empathy, conflict management, trustworthiness will be needed to combine taking initiative/direction, working on a project basis, taking action when circumstances compromise the result, informing stakeholders, planning realistically and setting goals. Having difficult conversations with colleagues, giving feedback, motivating others as well as communicating a vision to others clearly and captivatingly, speaking in a relaxed manner in front of an (online) group, using data to tell your story will be decisive. You will need to develop even further your growth mindset, lifelong learning, being open to receive and apply the feedback you get from others and dealing with change, stress management as well as managing your own energy independently of the energy around you. An extremely important factor and leveler up will be being aware of unconscious prejudices and pointing them out to others, having sincere and open conversations, communicating in a way that makes everyone feel seen and understood. Having a problem-solving behavior, prioritizing, making connections and being able to sort data with advanced data analysis skills is also an important power skill you will need to develop further. No disagreeing this will be a challenge for many. Let us get you up and running as soon as possible. We offer you a free 15 minute consultation to speed up your career or the career of those in your company. > We offer you a free 15 minute consultation <

Does reflection come to you naturally or do you need some techniques to put yourself in a reflective state of mind? Knowing how to be reflective is a skill. It can be trained and improved. Many find it easier to reflect when going on a walk or a jog out in nature. If you have a hard time giving yourself the time for a walk to reflect or if you already do the reflective walks but would like to level-up and be able to reflect even when you aren’t taking the time for a walk, then you’ll find these techniques very useful. The first step for good reflection is to be in a quiet state of mind. Once again it depends on how developed your reflective skills are. The more develop the easier it is to quiet your mind even in the noisiest of environments. But if you are a beginner at this then our suggestion is to start by doing the exercise we’re going to share with you in a quiet environment. You may do this exercise with your eyes open or closed. Closed eyes will make you aware at a different level. Try both and find what works best for you. If you’re a visual person you will take in many details in your surroundings through your eyes. If the stimuli is too much your other senses will work at a slower pace. So start by just being aware. Feel the temperature around you. How are you sitting or standing. How is your breathing. What sounds can you hear. What are your thoughts. What emotions are you feeling. Be aware without judging, blaming, shaming or justifying. Ask yourself some empowering questions: What have I learnt lately? What recent experiences have given me the highest return on joy and energy? What would I like to release? How would I need to feel and act differently about? Do this exercise for 7 days in a row and write down your findings and impressions. Get in touch with us so we can guide you to higher heights in your professional and personal development.

You might be surprised when you read that stress doesn’t exist in the physical world. It is a creation of our minds. This however, doesn’t make it less difficult or painful. Would you agree that the more we understand something the easier it is to handle with it, whatever that is. If someone yells at you, your reaction might be of surprise, anger or disappointment. You might fight, fly or freeze, activating the oldest part of your brain called the amygdala also known as the reptile brain. On the other hand if you have a very clear explanation, say for instance that someone is yelling at you because a tree branch is braking and you are standing right underneath it, then your reaction will most likely be different. Understanding how stress is created by our minds will also help you manage it in a better way. Without getting into too much detail since I’m not a brain researcher I can share with you that the when the brain’s stress center is activated, the motivational center gets blocked out causing you to feel panic or overwhelm, known also as stress. When the stress center is at is full the most common behavior is to go round in circles without getting things done, simply to procrastinate. This in turn reinforces the feeling of stress. When the stress level is way to high you start feeling other effects in your body, like difficulty to sleep, loss of hair, loss or gain of wait, pain in varied parts of the body, as well as anxiety and irritability. People around you won’t find you much pleasant and before you notice it your work and personal relationships will suffer. So here’s a good exercise to do in order to get your stress levels down: Identify in an overall way the big things you need to get done, or the big topics that are keeping you awake at night For every one of these big topics identify some actions to take Prioritize those actions Do them. If you don’t you will reinforce the stress. It is of utmost importance that you commit with yourself to do whatever you decide needs to be done This process works better when lead by a professional coach. Need more help? Get in touch with us here. Brighter Leaders’ team wish you a pleasant summer!

Navigate the Corporate Career Path – 3 Steps to Faster Uncovering Your Leadership Gaps Webinar. Navigating the corporate path will become faster and easier. Are you ready to make more impact, have more influence & grow your career? With certainty and without the hassle of putting lots of time... by: - getting clarity on what needs to be done - identifying and overcoming blockers This webinar is for you who is a: - Manager - C-Level Executive - Manger-to-be - Leader Welcome to 30 minutes of pure dynamite! Sign up here to secure your free spot This is what participants say: "The workshop reminded me that anything can be trained." "I now feel that anything is possible." "So rewarding to reflect on my leadership." "I feel stone hard determination." "Got clarity on what to focus on." "You were great at delivering the webinar. Thank you very much!"

The latest neuro-science research reveals that we have not one but two brains. If not at a physical level at least at a neurological level. Our conscious brain, answering for about 2-3% of all of our mental activity and our sub-conscious brain taking the lead of all we do. This means that approximately 97% of all our activities happen at a level we’re not aware of. Thoughts, emotions, behaviors, decision making, happening underneath our level of consciousness. As manager or director you probably see and hear how some of your team members are every now and then struggling with different challenges. Many of these challenges would be solved easier by lifting the level of awareness. Being a healthy organisation can be defined in many different ways. However the majority of leaders we meet agree that when the following are present work becomes easier and goals are achieved faster creating a healthy environment: More work done in less time Higher efficiency Feeling less stress More organized Develop personally and as a Leader Feeling more stimulated at work Investing in your leaders in a methodized way with well proven processes will save you both time, heartache and money. Let US do the heavy lifting so you may focus on the core of the business. Make your team a priority by giving them the tools to grow as individuals and in their roles. It's in human nature to want to feel connection to people, to feel a sense of purpose. As a leader you probably wish to inspire your team and others in your company. Brighter Leaders can help you create a better, more fun and creative work environment where you all can prosper together. It's also important to meet your team where they are in their progress of reaching their full potential. Your team is only as good as you are. Are you ready to walk into a more conscious leadership and break free of any sub-conscious blockers? Feel free to book a 15- minute consultation with us.