Pithy Musings Episode 3 is out! Passion Doesn’t Equal Purpose

Why are so many people talking about “purpose” in life and at work these days?

Pithy Musings’ Episode 3 is out, “Passion Doesn’t Equal Purpose”! Join me, Eva Van Krugel of Fervor Leadership Coaching  and Consulting and Caroline Berglund of Talk Talk with your fave cuppa as we dig into this growing and important topic.

Passionate goals and interests are short-lived without clear purpose to anchor them. Purpose impacts sense of belonging, well being, meaning, contribution and more in life and work. In this episode, we share our own purpose statements, others that standout, top related concepts, resources and questions for you to action on!

PLUS, we have another Pithy Musings mug draw for you: clue to win…listen to the full episode!

Put the “funk” back into your own humanity, community, and at work by tuning in here.

Stay pithy, keep musing, with love from Caroline and I!

With fervor, on purpose,

Eva
PS – Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss fresh episodes!

Pithy Musings Launches Episode 2: Why all the buzz about psychological safety?

Notice a growing and critical need for psychological safety in the workplace, in leadership at all levels, and in communities? The next episode of Pithy Musings is out, and I, Eva Van Krugel of Fervor Leadership Coaching and Consulting, and Caroline Berglund of Talk Talk explore this topic!

Caroline and I share our own experiences, observations and questions around toxic and healthy behaviours at work and in the world. We also offer stand-out practical concepts, ideas and tips from Amy Edmondson, Adam Grant and Google amongst others.

Want to put the “funk” back into humanity starting with the power of you in the world? You don’t want to miss this episode!

Stay pithy, keep musing, and may you live and lead with fervor!

Eva

PS: Subscribe to Pithy Musings on YouTube, find our playlist on Spotify to get your dance on, and contact us anytime with thoughts, questions, ideas.

PSS: Massive thank you to creative partner Jack Adamson of CrackerJackFlash for amazing work on branding and animation, and continuing to bring this work to life!

Pithy Musings Launches Episode 1: Everyone Has a Story

Pump up the volume and check out the very first episode of Pithy Musings, a video podcast that’s all about putting the funk back into being human. Join Eva Van Krugel of Fervor Leadership Coaching and Consulting, and Caroline Berglund of Talk Talk as we dig into curious and contrarian musings on real, raw, relevant subject matter impacting being human in life, at work, in the world.

Episode 1: “Everyone Has a Story: understanding stories within ourselves and with others gives context, creates understanding with one another, enables a sense of belonging and creates connection versus separation and divisiveness.” Click here to watch.

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to Pithy Musings on YouTube, find our playlist on Spotify to dance for days, and contact us anytime with thoughts, questions, ideas.

Massive thank you to creative partner Jack Adamson of CrackerJackFlash for amazing work on branding and animation, bringing our idea to life at a whole other level.

Stay pithy, keep musing and may you live and lead with fervor!

Eva

Pithy Musings is Coming Soon!

Pithy Musings is a video podcast that’s all about putting the funk back into being human. We’ll dig into curious and contrarian musings on real, raw, relevant subject matter impacting being human in life, at work, in the world. If you’re a learner, thinker, feeler or experiencer, you’ll want to tune in. Coming soon, brought to you by Fervor and Talk Talk.

Trying Times: Pathways to Healthier Conflict

Have you ever had workplace conflict that left you feeling positively charged, more connected to a co-worker and maybe the work improved too? Conflict happens and when it’s healthy, it can lead to creativity, innovation and strengthened relationships. The reverse is also true, and conflict can take us down dysfunctional, hurtful and unproductive pathways. Sound familiar?

Have a look at this “Path of Conflict“. What stands out? For what reasons are you noticing it? Understanding what ignites us, how we respond in ways that are constructive and destructive and honing a focus on areas to develop can make a significant difference in the effectiveness, engagement and trust within a team.

What are your responses within yourself and in relationship to others in conflict? In what ways have you explored your own path to conflict? If now is the time in your leadership and possibly your team to enable more constructive, positive outcomes together and in the work, let’s talk. Owning and leading a healthier path is possible.

Fervor celebrates now offering the Conflict Dynamics Profile from the Mediation Training Institute at Eckerd College, with 360 and individual assessments, debriefing and coaching for leaders and teams.

Let’s connect for a no charge discovery conversation if this sounds relevant for you into 2021 to lead in healthier ways for yourself and others.

Yours with fervor,

Eva

What needs to shift in the future of leadership?

There are more and more who are talking about what constitutes leadership, let alone strong (not perfect) leadership. Now more than ever, people are needing courageous, inspired people leaders with learning mindsets. Give us a pandemic, and our world has put a magnifying glass on a call for more conscious, creative, people-first leadership.

I hold deep appreciation of the definition of a leader by John Eades, CEO of LearnLoft: “Someone whose actions inspire, empower, and serve others to produce an improved state over an extended period of time.”

Eades’ definition creates pause to reflect on the leaders I’ve had in a former corporate life, and the leader I was too. I have had a few great leaders, and I think I wasn’t too shabby either. Leadership was the most courageous, vulnerable work prior to leading my coaching practice. And, (drum roll) I’ve seen my leaders and my own leadership be flawed. The big question to get unstuck is – do we want to learn for our own sense of growth and for the greater good we serve?

Growing in Leadership

From my observations, lived experiences and now coaching leaders at various levels, there are themes that lead to heightened capacity to model Eades’ definition of a leader. It looks like a long list and the work is ongoing. I sometimes say “leadership is a lifestyle”, not a job.

  1. Leading with a strong people-focus (even if it doesn’t come naturally, we can learn it, developing EQ with intention can help)
  2. Growing a learning mindset (vs fixed, for example, “it’s always been done this way”)
  3. Leaning into courage and vulnerability (as Dr. Brené Brown says, you can’t have one without the other)
  4. Openness to receiving and giving feedback without judgment or shaming
  5. A lifestyle of learning (informally through content, formally through coursework and being coached)
  6. Developing high level coaching skills to empower, inspire, develop others vs reliance on directive approaches
  7. Inviting, contributing and celebrating new ideas, creativity and experimentation
  8. Enabling psychological safety, no matter what is going on, growing resilience and stress management techniques (especially important for change and uncertainty)
  9. Embracing authenticity and diversity – culturally, personality styles, and the very (sometimes raw) humanness we bring to work
  10. Offering transparency, clear roles, new growth opportunity for others to “stretch”
  11. Being future-focused, clear on vision, purpose, shared values, inviting the voices of those you serve (including your team) into the creation of them
  12. Nurturing trust

 

Chances are, you recognize yourself in a few of these already. The idea is you can continue to grow what you’re good at, and develop in other areas with intention. You might even find this growth work extends well into other facets of life too.

“Being a leader is hard work. It requires a level of self-discipline and commitment to others that most people aren’t willing to have,” Eades states in an article titled “Want to be seen as a true leader? Acquire these 5 habits” on Inc.com. He proposes a few additional ideas to advance in leadership (not in title or rank – in effectiveness, in service of others):

  1. Consider the needs of others more, and proactively
  2. Be clear on what success and accountabilities looks like
  3. Learn everyday
  4. Be humble and vulnerable – it’s okay not to have answers, it’s incredibly empowering to ask for help
  5. Devise a guiding leadership mantra

You might recognize some of the ideas in this post because you’re great at them, you’re working on them, or you know you need to.

The world is calling on every one of us to grow our leadership edges to inspire and empower, in service of others – and when we do, it’s some of the most fulfilling work of a lifetime. When we grow, others do too, and the work is more impactful.

So Many Resources!

There is a breadth of resources to hone a focus on strengths and areas to develop as we continue to grow in our leadership. Here are a few ideas, and I’ll continue to share more on this blog and on regular LinkedIn posts as well.

 

Key Coaching Questions

Back to the question in the title: what are you noticing needs to shift in the future of leadership? And what are you willing to be and do to contribute to that shift? If change is needed into the future, as a leader, how will you show up in it? When you look back at your legacy, in what ways will your leadership have contributed to that impact?

My mother used to say, “if you can’t change the world around you, you can start with yourself”.

May you live and lead with fervor!

Eva

 

The Entrepreneurial Dream and Its Mighty Challenges

In an increasingly complex, fast-paced world that transcends industry sectors, the entrepreneurial economy is on the rise. Profound ideas are sprouting and diverse start-ups are expanding. 

As Mark A. Weinberger, former EY Global Chairman and CEO states, “…entrepreneurs are leading the way into the future.” He continues, “they ask tough questions, drive innovation and compete with big business.”

Sounds pretty inspiring for those with entrepreneurial ambitions and dreams. Being an entrepreneur is very exciting and fulfilling for many – thus the forecast of a continued incline in the decades to come. Yet the entrepreneurial track comes with some of the toughest challenges in business and as humans.

There are Gritty Moments in Living the Dream

According to this Forbes article, some of those discoveries include:

    • The decision to make your move,
    • Cash flow,
    • Raising funds,
    • Use of time,
    • Delegating to scale, and
    • Letting go of ego and perfectionism.

 

As a business owner and coaching entrepreneurs at various stages in their life-cycles, I would add:

    • The need to develop resilience,
    • Ensuring the work is purposeful and values-driven for those the business connects with,
    • Having an ongoing pulse on strategic foresight with agility,
    • Aligning one’s strengths and skills, knowing when to lean in with others on gaps, finding new and creative ways to collaborate (e.g. Where do you sit in your technical, strategic and leadership skills? What’s needed into the future? What resources might you look to, to fulfill those needs?), and
    • Being prepared to redefine what success means in a new context.

 

To grow or not to grow as an entrepreneur?

The dimensions of this question are on the minds of tens of thousands in this moment. Having access to support is foundational. I call it the “circle of support”. It’s something we look for, create, choose and commit to. This circle includes mentoring, coaching and solid community connections who are in your corner. Another component is training for continued skill-building that adds to strengths and enables continued relevance – like “sharpening the saw”. Weave all this together with intention and this circle helps advance mindset, behaviour, knowledge and capacities for a bright entrepreneurial future. You’ll be equipped to navigate future gritty moments. 

Is all of this vulnerable? Heck yes, and bravery inducing too. Who has time for this? Time is a precious currency, so what is your “return on time” worth?  

As a coach and business owner at Fervor Leadership Coaching and Consulting, I am profoundly grateful to my circle of support – a living, breathing, growing entity that nudges me regularly and sometimes, the very “wind beneath my wings”.

Wherever you are in your entrepreneurial journey, may you thrive as you discover what’s possible within you and all around you, when you seek it.

With fervor,

Eva

 

Creative Decision-Making and You

  • by Eva Van Krugel
  • Sep 09, 2019
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There are countless ways to achieve effective decision-making out there. We’re all familiar with the legacy pros and cons lists. Another one I’ve used is AXIS from the Collaborative Problem Solving Institute, for Collaborative Ideation practices: Advantages, Extras, Inhibitors, Solutions. Whatever structure is used, it is often brain-driven. This can be purposeful. From a logical standpoint and in business, structures and processes make great sense especially when there are high stakes and multiple people involved.

But what about when we’re confronting individual decision-making? More than logic is at play. Our emotions and intuition kick into gear to the extent we can lose our objectivity. In some cases, emotions can be so strong they override logic and then we’re stuck in what feels like a dreadful eyeglass prescription.

How do we ensure we’re making wise choices that honour our inner most selves when faced with options that can greatly impact our personal and professional paths?

With thanks to a few mentors who introduced me to these over the years, here are four inspiring, creative ways of informing big, personal and professional decision-making.

  1. Step into who you are. Before you get to confronting your big decisions, how might you first reflect on your purpose, your future vision, your values, your innate strengths? This work is foundational to finding alignment with big decisions such as a new job, accepting a promotion, a new career path, moving countries for a loved one – all big commitments. If we skip over this work, we often come back to the same place of feeling stuck, only more time has passed.
  2. Head, heart and gut check. Head is logic, heart is feeling, gut is intuition. What happens when you reflect on your options in each of those three zones? Write your thoughts down. And if you have a few options, start to look at the themes and see what new clarity emerges.
  3. Go where your energy dials up. When you think about your options, which ones excite, inspire, and invigorate you? Which ones simply don’t? What are you learning about yourself in the process and where you want to go?
  4. Love who you are when you’re with people. In what ways are you able to express your genuine and authentic self in this new opportunity presenting itself? When you think of a sense of “fit” in this new space, do you feel a sense of belonging and confidence in who you are and what you bring? We often have a sense for this within minutes of being with people and it can guide us when we tune in and listen to it.

 

There’s a thought-provoking Buddhist expression, “The trouble is, we think we have time”. Why not make the most of yours by making decisions that feel right for you and a future you design vs fall into?

Today I enjoy the honour, privilege and fulfillment of a second career as a leadership coach with big gratitude for positive influences like these and more. Making the jump mid-life remains one of the biggest most daunting – yet BEST decisions of my lifetime. And yes, I used every possible decision-making tool I could get my paws on, including 1-4 above. It was when I opened myself up to new pathways for other ways of knowing that transcended logic – such as heart, intuition and energy – that clarity emerged.

Thanks to Lily Seto  for first introducing me to the value of tuning into the head, heart and gut, to Bruce McLeod for encouraging me to pause and reflect on my energy field in context and to a dear family friend years ago, Julie Lovitt for the nugget of gold on self-love.

May you step into big decision-making with creativity and fervor!

Eva

Top Things to Consider in a Sea of Coaches

  • by Eva Van Krugel
  • Jul 09, 2019
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I was recently walking to meet a couple of colleagues for dinner one sunny, ocean-fresh evening in Victoria, BC. In front of me walking the sidewalk were two people talking about career options.

One says, “with your background why not go back to school to become an executive coach?”.

The other responds, “why the hell would I do that? There are thousands of coaches out there.”

She’s right, there are thousands of coach practitioners around the world, counted at 53,300 in a 2016 report issued by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and Price Waterhouse Cooper. That doesn’t include other coaches from alternative institutions. The same can be said for practitioners in other kinds of disciplines too.

How do you swim through those thousands of coaches to choose one to partner with?

As an ICF-accredited leadership coach who has partnered many talented and effective coaches I can say we’re not all created equal. We don’t all practice in the same areas or the same lived experiences to bring to our practices. Many of us declare different philosophies and specialized areas. We each have varied ways we might respond to the ROI question with clients based on our contributions. We’re diverse, and that’s a good thing because all of you out there are too and pairing well is foundational to a successful coaching partnership.

Determining if coaching is right for you is half the equation.

If you’re interested in coaching, here are some admittedly overly simplified distinctions between coaching, mentoring and therapy.

    • Coaching is about empowering you to move from where you are today to achieving your desired future state.
    • Mentoring is directive and advice-driven.
    • Therapy is about deep healing from past traumas and pain-points.

Depending on where you’re at and needing to go, any combination of these can be of high value. I have immersed in all three at various points in my personal and professional paths and continue to. It is also my ethical duty to be grounded and whole to offer my best self on behalf of my coaching clients.

The other half of the equation comes down to asking the right questions to find the right partner for you.

If you decide to look into a coaching partnership, here are five things to consider to help guide your choice:

1. Get referrals. Ask members of your personal and professional communities about coaches they’ve worked with who they might recommend and for what reasons.

2. Identify what kind of coach you’re looking for. To find ICF-accredited coaches there is a service on the ICF website to help you find a coach from around the globe. There are filters to customize your search and plenty of options to suit individual needs.

You can also search for coaching categories more broadly online such as business coaching, executive and leadership coaching, team coaching, life coaching, career coaching, whatever niche it is you’re keen to explore. Check out their websites, and ask to talk to the ones that light your fire!

3. If you’re feeling unsure about proceeding with a coach, meet with one or two more. Committing to coaching is an investment of time, energy and money, with a desire for shifts and changes at the end of it. It’s important to feel a sense of “fit” with who you partner.

Many coaches will commit to a first conversation at no charge so you can learn about one another (and yes, Fervor is one of those).

4. Get curious to inform your choice. Ask your potential coaching partner questions to help determine if they’re right for you. Here are a few thought-starters:

    • Are they accredited by a credible institution with strong ratings and operating under or a clear, visible Code of Ethics?
    • What experience do they have in the area(s) you’re wanting to be coached in?
    • How might they characterize their unique style, approach and abilities (and do those align for you?)?
    • What do their clients have to say about working with them?
    • What cost arrangement do they offer and does it meet with your needs? Coaching isn’t inexpensive, however there are ranges out there based on qualifications and experience which enable us to meet with varying needs.

 

5. During and after conversation with a coach, check-in with yourself. How do you feel in your head, heart and gut, and what are those messages telling you that can inform your choice?

Practicing what I preach means you can ask me about a no charge, no expectation discovery call to see if coaching with Fervor is right for you. I also have an incredible, trusted network of coaches specializing in a diverse range of practice areas in my community around the globe. I’m thrilled to refer them too once I understand more about what you need.

Over to you, and may you live and lead with Fervor out there!

Eva

A Leadership Epidemic and 5 Things You Can Do About It

I am obsessed with advancing healthier systems, teams and individuals in the working world. I’m observing what I believe is an epidemic of many leaders in organizations around the globe who are climbing the ranks as subject matter and technical experts. Some don’t necessarily have the skills to be leading teams, yet they’re plunked into the chair with a circle of diverse, talented human beings surrounding them. These people have high hopes and expectations, or they’re traumatized from prior experiences and sitting in fear of what’s to come. They’re all determining if they can trust one another within minutes. Everyone, the leader in particular, is under the magnifying glass.

As an example, if a leader isn’t people-focused or collaborative but very high on IQ, driven and outcome focused, how deeply engaged will the team be? Or, if a leader has no experience leading teams and ridiculously qualified on paper, the strategy might be exceptional but the culture on the team might be flailing. Without the culture to support it, fulfilling on that amazing strategy is at risk (and so are your people).

“Innocent ignorance” is a term I like to use when referring to people who have good intentions yet make questionable choices. They know what they know, and don’t know how to choose otherwise because of what they don’t know. They’re not bad people. They also have free will to inform their future choices.

As a leader, what do you do if:

  • You know you’re qualified to get the work done, but the part involving leading people simply doesn’t come naturally?
  • You’ve gotten by this far leading with what you know, and deep down you know there’s room for improvement?
  • You’re in a leadership role yet you’ve never led an actual, multi-member team before?

 

Last year I consulted on a recognition research project for a public service entity to determine interest in a new potential program that might motivate more innovative thoughts and behaviours to address complex challenges. Of many findings that came of this work, the top insights included:

  • People care less about coffee cards and higher pay, and more about learning and growing in their work
  • They want better leaders who know how to mentor (e.g. offer advice from experience), and use a coach approach with them (e.g. looking ahead from today and how to get there using appreciative inquiry, active listening, feedback, co-creating new possibilities)
  • There is no shortage of ideas; people want to know they can voice them freely, that they will be heard, and their ideas might even go somewhere
  • People want sense of belonging, to feel valued, to experience positive self esteem
  • They want to experiment, be creative, and to experience psychological safety, including in the line of failure

 

What do you notice about these findings? I’ll share what stands out to me: people yearn to bring their whole, capable, empowered beings into their work and they need leaders who get that and will enable them to thrive. This means reflecting on what we think we know as leaders, challenging our assumptions and seeking learning to expand our capabilities. Our people are calling on us to do better. It is our duty and lies in the integrity of strong leadership.

Here are five ideas to up your ante:

Read Dare to Lead by Brene Brown.

Study what it is to step into vulnerability, courage, and more, founded on years of Brene’s research. This stuff is core, inner work to get grounded and step into “brave leader[ship] and courageous cultures”. As a leader in my network recently said while reading this book, “where the hell have I been?”.

Find a mentor you trust and respect and build a lasting relationship.

Chances are you’ve got them in your network. They’ve got lived experiences and wisdom and often pleased to share them. Many mentors simply love the gift of paying it forward with hopes you’ll do the same one day.

Get a coach, and not just any coach.

I’m a leadership coach, and before that I was coached as a senior leader for years one-on-one, in executive retreats and in teams. The impact in my journey and those around me was profound. Coaching provokes deep neurological connections that significantly advance learning. Get a coach, look to having your organization sponsor it. Talk to a few to get a sense for fit. Just make sure they’re accredited by the International Coach Federation as the global standard of excellence, abiding by the Code of Ethics for practice.

Dig into your emotional intelligence.

Unlike IQ, EQ can be developed and pivotal in advancing how you show up with your team on the basis of how your emotions impact your behavior (this also connects in with team trust). Look into Daniel Goleman’s work, the gent I like to call the “guru of emotional intelligence”. Ask me about the Emotional Quotient Inventory work I do with leaders to assess where you’re at, and co-create areas and an action plan to be developed.

What development opportunities exist around you?

Consult your partners in HR, culture, and learning and development in your organization. Find out what programs they’re offering to hone leadership skills and attributes. Some organizations have excellent internal offerings when we start looking. There are also diverse formal and informal external offerings available from universities, leadership development companies, other coaches and facilitators. For example if you simply want to use a coach approach with your team, there are reputable coaches putting on 1-3 day programs to help you get there, and I know a few I’d recommend!

I’ll stop there because we’ve got work to do. As Brene Brown says, “you can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both”. As a leader your teams are calling on you to choose courage.

May you lead with fervor!

Eva

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