Welcome Note

It’s that time of the year when we all have to make a sudden shift away from daylight savings. I’m always fascinated by the strong opinions I hear about the upcoming early nightfall – how it evokes a sense of loss in some, and how others look forward to snuggling in, with soup and fireplaces in mind. Once again, it’s about change, and moving into a new season.

Of course, November is election month – what a relief to get the bulk of this nastiness behind us! I do not envy whoever has the challenge of becoming our President. However I will be voting, and I urge you all to do so as well!

Oya News

I’m excited to be going to Iowa in early November, to be the presenter and workshop leader at the annual Fall Medical Directors’ Forum for a large Emergency Room group in the Midwest. We’ve planned a full morning that is focused on self-reflection and personal growth.

Feature Article: Leadership through Lenses

In my work with organization and small company leadership, I have been intrigued by how leaders are perceived by their employees and colleagues. No matter how consistent the leaders believe themselves to be, when assessed by their peers and those reporting to them, they start to resemble cubist paintings. Their talents and skills are not arranged into a recognizable single person; in fact one interviewee might name a perceived talent, the presence of which is actually denied by another. There seems to be a distortion when all those differing lenses are used to evaluate a person.

In reflecting on this observation, I realize that, if we attempt to see ourselves through the eyes of others, we learn that we are simply the projection of others’ desires onto our beings and roles.

How do you gain a unified sense of who you are as a leader? Or a spouse? Or a friend?

By knowing:

what it is you that is most important to you – honestly!
what you want to accomplish in your role
what success will look like in great detail, and
who you want to be as a person.

It all comes from the inside. It’s the best you can do to minimize the distortion.

It may take clearing enough mental space and time to establish the parameters – a leadership workshop, a workbook, some coaching, daily journaling or any other activity that gets you to stop, and think, and feel about the above four topics.

Thereafter, it requires regular “pulse-taking” –

“How am I aligning with my values?”
“How close am I to accomplishing my goals as a leader?”
“How close am I to the success I imagined?” and
“Am I becoming the person I want to be?”

Please forward this newsletter to a client, friend, relative or acquaintance that might enjoy reading it.

On Track: “Masterminding”

I had the good fortune recently of joining one mastermind group, and starting another of my own. The former is the outgrowth of a workshop I attended - its greatest value has been as sounding board for marketing ideas I have for my coaching, workshops and teleseminars.

The latter group is so special that I want to write about it this month, in the hopes of encouraging you to consider joining one, or creating one yourself.

Just what is a “Mastermind” group?

The "Mastermind" concept was described by Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich”. It is based on the concept that many minds working together will have better success in helping each “mind” achieve its goal than one mind working alone. He wrote: "No form of human exchange is more profitable than the exchange of ideas. If I give you a thought in return for one of your thoughts, each of us will have gained a 100% dividend."

A successful Mastermind group will contribute something to each member over time, and encourage the members to make requests of each other – opinions, contacts, new angles on ideas, opportunities to work together if there are synergies, and even emotional support for taking courageous steps.

In forming my group, I sought women who were accomplished, energetic, gutsy, entrepreneurial out-of-the-box thinkers. I invited three special women to join me and over three months, we have grown to six - a good size for a Mastermind group. I have come away from our two-hour luncheons with my mind spinning and with a special affection for our members and their generosity.

If you wish to create a Mastermind group, take the following steps:

Identify what you want your group to help you accomplish – what need a Mastermind group fills for you
Be prepared for surprises – the results may stun you with the energy that is created
Identify the characteristics you want your members to have and find two people who fit the bill.
Invite them to an initial meeting and, if it goes well, ask each of the two others to invite one more person, who they believe will fit in well and enjoy the experience.
Meet at least every 4 to 6 weeks in a comfortable location and plan on being together for two hours in order to have enough time for each person to reap the benefits.
Be brave in the group. Make requests, and lay bare as much of your soul’s needs as possible. Give honest feedback. Be authentic.
Have fun – you will come to love these special people!

Book of the Month

I flew cross-country this month, almost unaware of the length of the flight, as I was absorbed in “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki. I’m not usually a big fan of pop-psychology best sellers, but I confess to being grabbed by the book’s premise. It centers on the idea that most of us middle and upper middle class folks, and particularly professionals who spent years acquiring our skills, are trapped by the need to work for money to keep abreast of our expenses and lifestyle desires. The driving emotion for this group is fear – fear of not having enough money.

The author’s Rich Dad taught him at a young age that, to free ourselves of this burden, we must have our money work for us instead. This requires the acquisition of financial knowledge that includes financial literacy (accounting), knowledge of investing, understanding markets and knowing the law as it pertains to taxes. He goes on to explain how to become knowledgeable, and how to handle money emotionally.

It’s a book that tapped right into my own desires and dreams, and got me setting my next six months’ goals before we had even landed. It couldn’t have come at a better time!

Have a great month!

Philippa Kennealy MD MPH
The Vision Realization Process
President, Oya Consulting

Dr. Philippa Kennealy is an Executive and Personal Coach, dedicated to your professional and personal success and fulfillment. To schedule an initial FR*EE consultation, to learn more, or to inquire about having her speak to your group or organization, contact her at:
pkennealy@oyaconsulting.com or click here.

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