When I was starting up my coaching business my initial focus was on helping people with stress and overwhelm. I could see the impact all that intense thinking was having on the way they showed up – suffocating their natural spark, and taking them out of the game.
But the more I spoke to people the more I was drawn towards nurturing and growing their spark. Instead of dealing with the cause of the stress, I found that as they shifted their focus to the things that they were passionate about and that lit them up, they discovered that different things mattered, and the difficult stuff seemed to fade away.
This can happen on many levels, but the deepest is when someone clicks with something that’s true for them. When they touch the authentic space within, a new energy seems to emerge.
Instead of setting goals that they think they should achieve, and slogging their way through all the things they think they need to do, there’s a natural creativity and flow that starts to happen.
And as they start to show up differently, more comfortable in themselves and knowing they believe in the thing they are championing, others are drawn to them and start to follow.
I’ve found it for myself – doodling my doodles, walking the coast-to-coast path, and infused throughout my coaching. I find that I take action without thinking about it, opportunities emerge without me trying too hard, people support me without me needing to push and before I know it, things start to fall into place.
I’ve also seen it in my clients – new roles appearing at the right moment, opportunities emerging as a result of an off-hand conversation, being asked to join a project that’s perfectly aligned…
I’m not suggesting it’s all easy – tough stuff comes up. But when you’re tuned into the things that light you up, it’s easier to say yes to the things that work, and to recognise and step back when things aren’t quite right.
This is the core of authentic leadership – connecting with our inner spark, and then providing it with the oxygen it needs to flare up and shine out for others to see.
This is where the inspiration for my Authentic Tech Leaders Mentorship Programme comes from – creating a space where women can let down their guard, question their beliefs, be vulnerable and discover the things that really matter to them, with the support to get out there and take what they find into the world.
Step away, find the things that excite you and connect with your spark. It’s amazing how it can fundamentally change how you show up in the world!
If you want to connect with your authentic spark, a good first step is to create some space to reconnect with the things you love to do. Whether that’s setting aside a bit of time and space for you to play each day, or going and doing that thing that’s on your bucket list.
Listen to what’s inside you, give it some attention and see what comes through.
If you’d like some support to turn your spark into a flame that guides you and others to make a difference in the world, there are just 4 spaces remaining in the next cohort of my Authentic Tech Leaders Mentorship Programme, kicking off on the 26th September 2022.
It’s a flexible programme of 12 months of coaching, training and community designed to help you discover the things that are important to you and find the resilience you need to take them out into the world.
Contact me for more info, or set up a call with me here.
And if you’d like to get these blog posts delivered directly to your inbox on a weekly basis, sign up for my email newsletter here.
