KATHY ARCHER
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My Favourite Books of 2019

31/12/2019

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Make reading a part of your 2020 leadership plan!

Ongoing growth and development is a critical component of leadership! You should be reading! Maybe you think you don't have time. Make time! Seriously. Create tiny pockets of time that you can read or listen to a book. It will change both your leadership and your life!
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​📚My Favourite BOOKS of 2019 📚
LEADERSHIP
  • Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership With Solitude - Raymond M. Kethledge, Michaell S. Erwin
  • Theory U: Leading From The Future As It Emerges - C. Otto Scharmer
​

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
  • How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life Of The Brain - Lisa Feldman Barrett

 
WILLPOWER
  • The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-control - Walter Mischel

 
GOAL SETTING AND HABITS
  • The Highly Sensitive Person - Elaine N. Aron
  • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way To Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones - James Clear

 ​
AGING & MENOPAUSE
  • Flash Count Diary: Menopause And The Vindication Of Natural Life - Darcey Steinke

 
SPIRITUALITY
  • Seeker Of Stars - Susan Fish
  • The Shack - WM Paul Young
  • The Bible
​
AND MORE
  • Talking To Strangers: What We Should Know About The People We Don't Know - Malcolm Gladwell
  • The Courage To Be Disliked: How To Free Yourself, Change Your Life And Achieve Real Happiness - Fumitake Koga, Ichiroo Kishimi
  • The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*Ck: A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A Good Life - Mark Manson
  • A Million Miles In A Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life - Donald Miller
  • The Moment Of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes The World - Melinda Gates
  • Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain
 ​
YOUR TURN: What made your list of 2019 books?
​Comment below and tell me what books I should put on my 2020 reading list!
Related articles
Why you need an Audible account right now
3 Strategies to make time for Personal and Professional Development
​
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Do this now to THINK your way to thriving!

10/10/2019

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 I bet you are so done with survival mode, and you want to move to thriving 😀
You are looking for some work-life balance, more success in your career, to be doing fulfilling work and enjoying the people you are working with.
That's not much to ask for, is it?
No, my dear, it's not!
You have every right to have all of those things and what's more…
It is possible!

Keep reading to find out how!!
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Let us start with the question: Why haven't you attained all of that yet?
My guess is that you have not found balance, fulfilment and confidence because your THINKING is tanking your success. 

It's time to learn how to shift your mindset to the mindset that it is actually going to help you get the success you desire!
  • You need to THINK that it is possible to have all of that. 
  • You need to BELIEVE you can learn, grow and find balance. 
  • You need to TRUST you can develop increased confidence and create strong leadership skills.

Yet, my guess is instead, you doubt yourself!
  • You doubt you can do all of that
  • You doubt your team and organization will be there to support you and come alongside you.
Let me show you what I mean
There are 3 reasons why your mindset, or the way you think, is getting in your way. Consider these 3 "truths" and see if they apply to you. 

1) - Hope with no action.
  • Ugh... I wish things would get better.
  • OMG I can't wait for things to get change.
  • I hope that things will be different after we finish this/that etc.


That blind hope alone is not going to change anything. In fact, it will leave things exactly the same way they are.

Hope is the belief that tomorrow will be better than today. But hope alone doesn't change anything. You must take action to make that happen.

❓️ASK YOURSELF: Do I have hope without action?

2)  - Blame without responsibility.
  • I don't have time to do any training. 
  • If only my boss would send me to that course.
  • So and so got the promotion and they didn't even consider me 
That's blame without responsibility.

We spend a lot of time being in victim mode:
  • Nobody cares about me.
  • Nobody ever invests in me. 
  • Poor me was me, nothing's ever going to change. 
  • Nobody ever puts time into developing me and my skills. 
THINKING that way is not going to get you anywhere.
That is blame, finger-pointing, or waiting without taking responsibility.
You need to take responsibility for your growth and development.

❓️ASK YOURSELF: Am I blaming without taking responsibility?

3 - Being random instead of focused
We spend a lot of time taking whatever course shows up on our email. We tend to take the flavour of the month training:
  • Everybody's taking courageous conversations, I better take "Courageous Conversations" too!
That randomness is not going to get you where you want to go.

THINKING that you should take whatever course is available might keep you feeling ok, but my dear, you are settling. THINKING this way keeps you in the tolerating or coping point on the surviving to thriving continuum — Ho hum, mediocre or just ok.

But here is the problem, if you're competing to advance your career, and everybody has that same training, that's not going to make you stand out. Nor is it going to help you develop YOUR gifts, talents and strengths.You need to create your OWN learning curriculum that is going to grow YOU!

❓️ASK YOURSELF: Am I randomly taking whatever training shows up?

If you want to make the changes that you're looking for, 
you need to take responsibility for 
creating your own personal & professional learning plan.
You need to become response-able.

If you didn't get the promotion, you could respond to that feedback. That's feedback. That's just information. I didn't get the promotion. So what is it that you need to do to get the next promotion?
  • I need to develop this skill.
  • I need to have this training under my belt.
  • I need to be able to manage teams a little bit better. 
  • I'm not very good at running staff meetings
What is the skill that you're lacking that is holding you back from getting a promotion? Whe you ask that question, you are taking responsibility? You are being response able. 

❓️ASK YOURSELF:
  • What am I able to respond to? 
  • Where can I take action? 
  • What can I do?
Maybe it's going and sitting down with your boss and saying, 
Tell me why I didn't get the promotion, what can I do to improve? That's taking responsibility. ​
This kind of THINKING is called a curriculum mindset. 
When you have a curriculum mindset, you are always asking yourself:
  • What are the skills I'm learning?
  • How am I learning these skills?
  • What tools am I using to develop those skills?
  • What am I developing in myself by learning this?

​The 3 components of a Curriculum Mindset

If you want to change your life, I need to get clear on these 3 components: 
  1. GOAL
  2. PATH: 
  3. TOOLS

Curriculum mindset example # 1 
GOAL: Create more work-life balance.
PATH: I need to learn how to set boundaries 
Great, but how are you going to learn to set better boundaries?

You just can't wish that you're going to be better at setting boundaries. You can't just hope that one day you're just going to magically feel more confident and be able to set better boundaries. That is hope with no action. You need tools to help you.

TOOLS: In my mind, if you don't have a binder or book and a pen to write things down, you are not learning strategically. Your tools are:
  • The book you are reading and when you are reading it
  • The course you are taking
  • The practice (i.e. meditation, journaling) that you are doing that is scheduled into your calendar. 
  • It might also be the person you connect with, a coach, mentor or guide. 


Curriculum mindset example # 2
Maybe you want to be able to maintain your composure during tough conversations. But remember, you are not going to become a more emotionally intelligent person by wishing it would happen,

You're certainly not going to become more emotionally intelligent by waiting for your boss to stop being such a jerk. That's not going to change you.

You have to become response-able!
Take responsibility by developing your curriculum mindset:
What do I need to learn, and how will I learn it?

GOAL:: Stay composed during tough conversations. 
PATH: Learn more about emotional intelligence and how to control my thoughts and emotions
TOOLS: Watch Kathy's webinar: Saying composed during those tough conversations is to increase your emotional intelligence.

When you create your learning curriculum, things start to change for you.
Your curriculum mindset will get you out of survival mode and moving towards THRIVING!!! 

⭐️MY CHALLENGE TO YOU⭐️
  • Develop a curriculum mindset, 
  • Create your own personal and professional learning plan,
  • Get clear on what your goals are, what your plan is to get there. And then I want you to know what tools you're using.
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR TOOLS!!!
THINK of it this way: I need to develop my personal and professional learning plan and be strategic about that. 
  • What's my goal? 
  • What's my plan?
  • And what are my tools?
  • Where are my books? 
  • What course am I working through? 
  • Who's helping me?
  • Where does my curriculum show up in my calendar?

🆘 A TOOL TO HELP WITH YOUR LEARNING CURRICULUM
If you need some help with the tools, I've created The Training Library for you!!!! Inside of The Training Library are the courses to help you get out of survival mode. There are courses to build your competence and confidence. I've included webinars for you on emotional intelligence and maintaining your composure.

AND...I'm doing a study group on one of the courses!
For 7 weeks, I'm going to be guiding you through the Willpower Essentials course, week-by-week in the Willpower Essentials Study Group.
  • > MEMBERS: If you are a member of The Training Library and want to join in, just reply to this email and say you want to join.
  • > NON-MEMBERS: If you are not yet a member, you can join now or purchase the course separately.

Don't forget to watch your THINKING!
​Think you can and then take responsibly for making it happen! 
🤗

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3 Strategies to make time for Personal and Professional Development

16/8/2019

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YOUR QUESTION:
Kathy, How do I find the time to be the best leader I can be? 
  • You have all of these wonderful courses and worksheets, but I struggled to fit it all in.
  • What would you suggest I do to find the time to grow myself as a leader?

MY ANSWER BELOW:
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What this question says about you:
First, I applaud you for the question 
What that tells me is that you have a desire to be your best self and that you recognize that there's room to grow. That's true for all of us. None of us is perfect. None of us will ever stop growing. 

What that also tells me is that you have a growth mindset. You are willing to put time and effort into growing and developing yourself to be your best self.
  • The opposite of that would be a fixed mindset, which says; I'm stuck just as I am.With a fixed mindset, you believe that you can't change, grow or develop. That often leaves you feeling like a victim and acting like a martyr...Not fun!

Instead, you are choosing to be Response-Able...choosing to make a difference in your life — Bravo for you ​
Personal and professional development is your path to success in leadership and life! 
MY ANSWER
Now, how to find the time to do some of the work to grow and develop yourself.
Things to consider:
** You will never FIND time. You need to CREATE time.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. It is what we choose to do with those 24 hours that makes the difference for each of us.
  • You have to prioritize in some tiny way growth and development.

** The time doesn't have to be perfect
We often think it has to be the perfect time with the right pretty journal and candle lit beside us. Nope.
  • If you keep waiting for the ideal time, you'll never do it!

** It doesn't have to be a big chunk of time
You don't need a full hour to do personal development work. A few minutes here or there will keep you moving forward. Certainly, you'll want more substantial chunks of time to do some of the work. But you can also do parts of it in smaller segments.
  • You'll find a mix of both short and longer timeframes works best.

** You may need to be creative
This goes back to the perfect time idea. We often have a vision of what reading or journaling looks like. Don't think it has to be that way. 
  • I've read books while stirring a pot on the stove. 
  • I've watched videos while straightening my hair in the morning. 
  • I've jotted notes down on the back of an envelope about ideas that have come to me hours after reviewing a lesson.
 What it means is you need to find opportunities that already exist. ​
3 places to create time to do the work necessary for growing and developing yourself as a leader
1️⃣ Make use of existing downtime
The best example is all of the times in your life when you are waiting! For example:
  • Waiting for your kids to finish their extracurricular activity or while they are at the dentist. 
  • Waiting for a meeting to start
  • While on transit or driving

2️⃣ Look at current time wasters / time fillers 
Consider changing what you do during some of these times:
  • What you could better do with the time you currently spend watching T.V. or scrolling through your favourite social media app.
  • How many times do you go back and check the same email without responding?What if you set aside specific times for checking email and specific times for doing your personal development work?
  • How much time are you complaining that you don't have time, rehashing what's not working for you and your team or shuffling piles on your desk?
What could you do to be proactive about creating time for growth and development with these time-wasters?

3️⃣ Carve out time
Find 15 minutes 4 times a week here in these spots (That's a whole hour each week!!)
  1. Get up 15 minutes earlier one day to journal
  2. Make time on a lunch break for 15 minutes of reading
  3. Schedule 15 minutes in the evening to watch a video
  4. Plan 15 minutes on the weekend to organize your notes, schedule time in for the following week and respond to a question in the online program.

Tada....
YOU just CREATED a whole hour each week to work on developing yourself!
?WHOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! ?

Personal and professional development is your path to success in leadership and life! 

Do this right now.
✅Schedule at least two 15 minutes into your next week to begin the work you need to be your best self!
You'll be thankful you did!
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Ongoing training to grow women leaders in ​?? Canada's Nonprofit Organizations.

​Not a member of The Training Library yet? 
​
​Join for $24.97 and enjoy a monthly webinar plus a library of courses to support your ongoing personal and professional development that is affordable and easily accessible!
Discover the details here
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Schedule in these 3 MUST appts if you want to thrive as a leader!

14/3/2019

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So, you want out of survival mode. You want to enjoy your job more. You want to feel that you have time to get to the meaningful work, not just the crisis of the day. And of course, you also want to enjoy the rest of your life.

What are you doing to get there?
What are you actively doing to move from survival or a place of tolerating, to that point where most days you feel like you are thriving?

In this blog, you'll learn the 3 things you MUST schedule into your daily agenda if you want to get out of survival mode and move to a place of thriving in both leadership and life!
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​I start with the phrase ACTIVELY DOING for a reason. Wishing, hoping and praying things will get better won't change them. But I know, you maybe saying you can't actively doing thing yet. Ugh...I know, but....

Please DON'T tell me you are
  • Waiting for the right time.
  • Waiting for things to slow down.
  • Waiting to see if they will leave, change or give you a chance.

These ladies certainly DID NOT wait!
  • Rosa Parks did not wait for the right time to stand up for what she believed in.
  • Florence Nightingale did not wait for things to slow down before she did her most passionate work.
  • Anne Frank did not wait to feel joy and gratitude until they stopped looking for her family.
You don't have to wait anymore either.
You need to realize this:
Let me tell you a little secret: Intentional personal and professional development is your path to success in leadership and in life.

To be intentional about your personal and professional growth and development, you need to treat it like anything else important in your day — You need to schedule it in!


Specifically, what do you need to have actually scheduled in as appointments in your day-timer, calendar or appointment book? These 3 things

The 3 things you MUST have in your agenda!
Self-Care:
Yes, I am serious. This is the first one. And by self-care, I am not talking about your manicure. I am talking about the fundamentals of eating healthy, moving your body and getting a good nights sleep. If you don't have lunch breaks booked in, time for a 15 min. walk in the afternoon and an alarm that reminds you it's time to start getting ready for bed, you might want to consider those as starting points.
  • You CANNOT be your best on an ongoing basis if you are not taking care of you.
  • This is a MUST!


Self-Reflection:
To grow personally and professionally requires you to contemplate, ponder and tune in. You will NEVER find time for that if you don't MAKE time for this piece. You may do this on your afternoon walk around the block, create the habit of shutting off the radio, podcast or audiobook on your drive home and use the silent time to reflect about your day and you may make a point of sitting for 15 minutes in the morning journaling.
  • However you schedule it in, just ENSURE you have INNER WORK booked as an appointment with yourself.


Self-Improvement:
By self-improvement, I DO NOT mean the training that your organization or sector requires of you. I DO mean learning and growth that YOU want to do. This could be sector related, but it's over and above the mandatory requirements. This is something that you look forward to, want to do and enjoy. I'd encourage you to do both personal and professional development if you see those as different things (I'd argue they aren't, but that's a whole other conversation). Scheduling this in might be the webinar you are attending, time to read or do the online training you are working through.
  • But it MUST be on your agenda, not just "when you have time."
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​Get immediate access to THE TRAINING LIBRARY
Ongoing training to grow women leaders in ​
🇨🇦​Canada's Nonprofit Organizations. 
I will not tell you it's easy to schedule these things in. It's not. It requires courage to stand up for yourself, your beliefs and desires. Become your best self by scheduling in self-care, self-reflection and self-improvement. It will be awkward and uncomfortable at times, but that's ok. We are not in a popularity contest. We are here to make a difference in the lives of others, in our families and communities. To do that, we need to be at our best. Please don't apologize for that!
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This book will help you and I kick butt on our 2019 goals!

10/1/2019

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What goals have you set for this year?
I'm doing a mini survey to see what kinds of goals women leaders set for themselves both at work and in their personal lives. I'm curious about yours. Message me and share your goals with me.

What plan do you have for achieving those goals?
Now onto your plan for achieving your goals. Wait...let me back up. You do have goals right? I am not talking about random, vague New Years Resolutions such as I'm going to be healthier this year or I'm going to be a nicer person. I am talking about specific goals.
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Are you the type that doesn't set goals? Think again!
We all need goals. It is when we have goals and targets that we perform at our best. You know this simply by thinking about how good you are at getting something done at the "11th hour."
  • If the funding proposal is due at 3 pm today, you will be nailing your productivity habits.
  • If the wedding is 3 weeks away, you will have amazing healthy eating habits.
  • If you just had a significant health scare, there is a good chance you'll bump up your habit of gratitude journaling.

And...Do you have a plan to go with your goal?
Targets and goals are critical, but your goals are dead in the water if you don't have a strategic plan for how you will achieve them.
If you don't know that you will head to the gym at 5:30 on Mon - Wed - Fri.,
how do you know you will fit into that dress?

You need an implementation plan...
When the clock strikes 5 pm, I will pack up my stuff, leave the office and head to the gym.


You need a strategy to help you implement your plan
An implementation plan is how you will establish the habit of working out...which performed consistently over time, regardless of your workload or how motivated you feel...is what will allow you to achieve your goal. It's the small daily habits that help you to achieve your goals.

It is the plan and your strategy that will allow you to establish those habits!


Do your goals include becoming a stronger leader?
If your goal is to become a stronger, more confident and capable leader, how will you achieve that goal?
  • What will you need to do regularly to make that happen?
  • What skills will you need to learn?
  • What habits will you need to install?
  • What resources (people, books, training, etc.) will you need to help you?
That's your strategic plan. Do you have one?

The book that will help you and me kick butt on our goals this year!
If you have been following my logic here, you realize that one of the things you need to focus on is building good habits. Habits are the bricks that when compounded over time allow you to achieve your goal.
  • Going to the gym once doesn't help you be fit.
  • Hitting the gym 3-5 times each week over the span of 3 months will.
  • Reading a few pages in a book won't make you a more confident leader.
  • Establishing the habit of skill development via reading 20 minutes per day will grow your competence and confidence.

​What is the book that will help you and me?
It's called Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'm reading it and applying the concepts to my 2019 goals. I think you should as well, because women like us, who strive for excellence, need to find ways to create systems we can put on autopilot...so we become our best.
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I'd love to hear about your goals for 2019 and when you start to read Atomic Habits, let me know how you are applying the ideas!

Here's to an amazing 2019! 🙌🏻
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Your path to competent and confident leadership

15/11/2018

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You want to feel capable, credible and in control Confident & Competent! Yet some days you find yourself feeling fearful, flawed and foolish! 

​It’s time to get you going down the right path!  
This week’s training will plant you firmly in front of the path to confidence and competent leadership!
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Watch this video on YouTube

LINKS FROM TODAY’S SESSION
Grab this week’s Guide sheets:
  • THE5 MISTAKES LADIES MAKE WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR LIFE
  • The SURVIVING TO THRIVING CONTINUUM
  • Create your THRIVING TARGET

Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADERS COMMUNITY here:

Find MY BOOK -  Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system
  • On AMAZON
  • On Audible → 
  • Listen to it on ITunes
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Master this tool and see your confidence soar

17/5/2018

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When you get hit with something, your confidence can quickly take a deep dive. We get thrown off by a comment, email or event. If we aren’t careful, that doubt can begin to snowball leaving us feeling incompetent, incapable and like an imposter.
In this week’s Facebook Live, I am going to share a tool that can help you when you get knocked off kilter. It will help you to regain your footing and your confidence.
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Watch the video on YouTube here
Listen to just theaudio on Soundcloud here
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LINKS from today's session
  • Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADERS COMMUNITY here 
  • Get today’s GUIDE SHEETS -  The Inner Guidance Cycle
  • Get all of the FREE Mastering Confidence goodies
  • Find MY BOOK -  Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system
    • On AMAZON 
    • Get my book FREE on Audible
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Why you need an Audible account right now!

14/2/2018

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​You want to enjoy leadership more, find you are making a greater difference, feel happier and more satisfied in life and rid yourself of a bit of the daily turmoil you feel. Doesn’t that pretty much sum up what most leaders are looking for? Perhaps you also want a little more love, a smaller waistline, and an increase in your bank account. That’s not a bad list of desires.
 
Striving for more is a good thing. Yes, we need to be grateful for what we have, but a healthy determination to continue to grow, figure out the next challenge and navigate our way to a greater sense of peace in work and life is really the essence of aging. 
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​New insights lead to growth
Learning from our mistakes, failures, and setbacks as well as our achievements, wins and successes happen best when we gain new information that challenges our current way of thinking and behaving. The different material assists us to find fresh ways, adjust our actions or shift our mindsets to get improved results. At other times, the insights we gain affirm we are on the right path. One way to get new ideas to challenge your assumptions, perspectives, and values is to read.

But who has time to read?

Let’s boil it down to some basic truths about leadership, learning, and life.
Effective leadership truths
  • Leaders are readers
  • Leaders are learners
  • Leaders grow themselves

The realities of today’s leader’s schedules
  • You are busy
  • Your life is hectic
  • You don’t have a lot of time to read

​Sooooo try listening & learning instead!
The Audible Secret
I discovered Audible a few years ago when I was in a program that made reading the forefront. There was no way I could find the time to fit the required reading in. I downloaded the books to Audible and listened my way through them.

What I realized was that I’ve always listened to book. From the Steven Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People cassette tapes to the David Allen time management revolution Getting Things Done CD’s boxed set. I’ve been a listener for years and years. I used to borrow audio CD’s from the library to take them on business trips so I could drive and learn. Now, I still borrow some audiobooks from the library, but most often, I use Audible. I think you should too!
 
Let me tell you why you need an Audible account and how easy it is to use.
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The Audible Story 
Here is what you need to know about Audible:
  • ​Audible is an Amazon company that provides the audio version of books.
    • I recorded myself reading my book Mastering Confidence and published it on Audible. If you want a sneak peek of the first bit of the audio version of my book listen here.
  • ​Audible is a monthly subscription service ($14.99/month) that allows you to listen to audiobooks at a highly discounted cost. Consider what any book would cost you to buy in the hardcopy version, most likely more than $15.
  • Each month you are given one credit, which you can use to buy any item in their catalogue regardless of their respective cost, rating, or length.
  • The membership fee is $14.99 Canadian each month.
  • You can end your Audible subscription at any time.
  • Your first book is free.

But how does Audible really work? 
  • Audible allows you to listen to books on your computer. However, most people download the Audible app onto their phone or tablets.  When you purchase a book, you download it to your device to listen to.
  • You can have your books on multiple devices, and the app remembers where you were on the alternate device and brings you right there to keep listening.
  • Books stay in your account as long as you are an Audible member. You can listen to them as many times as you wish.
  • You can do fancy stuff like make a bookmark, write a note or share sections with friends.

You may be wondering, if I can’t find time to read, how would I find time to listen to books. That my dear is easy! You just play it while you…..
10 times in your day when you can listen to an audiobook
  1.  In the shower
  2. While you are doing your hair / makeup
  3. While you are eating breakfast (You do eat breakfast right???)
  4. On your commute to work
  5. At lunchtime (you do take a lunch break rights????)
  6. When you are driving to a meeting, alternate site, even potentially with colleagues or clients. They can learn too!
  7. While you are preparing supper
  8. When you are folding laundry
  9. While you are waiting for the kids at school, dance, hockey or the dentist
  10. With a journal or notebook in front of you, at your kitchen table in the evening instead of watching Netflix or scrolling through Facebook.
Need some ideas of what books to download? Grab this guide that I made for you with my 20 favourite leadership books to listen to.
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There you have it. Grab your Audible membership today. Begin listening to leadership books to grow and develop yourself, a financial book to help you increase your bank account, healthy living authors who will share their wisdom about weight loss and of course, one particular leadership coach who gives you a system to Master your Confidence. That way, you will move from surviving to thriving in both your leadership and your life!
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If you want to be an exceptional leader fix your eyes and ears on this

7/11/2017

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​Leadership could be summed up by saying personal growth.
​OMG, think of all the things you’ve learned since you started supervising, managing or leading. I’m not talking about spreadsheets, reports, and contracts. You have learned soooo much about yourself, what makes people tick, unwritten rules of meetings and when to speak and when to hold your tongue. 
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The learning twist in leadership positions
​When you advance into a leadership position, you suddenly must understand more than the mechanics of the job. You are no longer concerned with the intricacies of frontline work. You now have to discover how to get people to work together, how to motivate them and how to navigate the ongoing drama between co-workers. Now that everyone’s eyes are always on you, you need to figure out how to be calm and composed even when you feel like freaking out, falling apart or running away.
 
That learning for you is all personal growth.
 
A different kind of learning is required
As you work to develop your leadership skills and competencies, much of what you are doing requires you to look inside of you.
  • You must challenge your assumptions and beliefs.
  • You need to get clear on your values.
  • You must learn to change how you talk to others, the words you use and the attitude you have.
  • You need to figure out how to understand and manage your own emotions and be aware of the moods and feelings of your team members. 
Phew! That’s a lot!
 
How to fit the learning in
The question is how the heck do you do that in the midst of your busy schedule? Most leaders don’t have the time or the luxury to go back to school in the middle of their career.
 
The truth is, the most effective, influential and successful leaders have added learning in by becoming voracious readers.

Yes, they read books. Lots of books.

​On a regular basis, you will find leaders reading on an airplane, in their office, before they go to bed or first thing in the morning. They put reading into their schedule and make it a part of their life. 

​Leaders are learners
Leaders are readers

​3 ways to add reading to your already busy schedule
1) Make a commitment to read.
Just decide that you will add 10 minutes of reading into your day. Write that down on a piece of paper right now. I don’t care if it is on a sticky note, a scrap piece of paper or napkin, write it down.
 
I commit to reading for 10 minutes every day.
 
2) Create a habit of reading.
Decide when you will read. Preferably make it at a time you can commit to every day. That might be before you leave the house, immediately when you get to the office, at lunch or in the evenings. Now, set an alarm to go off on your phone or watch for that time to remind you to read. Yes, pause right now and set the alarm. Trust me, if you don’t you’ll forget to read or put it off.

Set the alarm now. Right now ;-)
 
3) Consider Audiobooks
If you're struggling to figure out when you will fit time to read into your day, consider audio books.

​The benefits of audio books
  • You can do listen to audio books at times you normally couldn’t be reading. For example, you can listen when you are commuting, working out, folding laundry or cooking supper. It’s much easier to add in reading time when you are listening and still have your hands free for other activities.
  • Often you hear the author read their book. There is something incredibly powerful about listening to Brene Brown’s voice as she talks about Daring Greatly. It’s like you have your own private training session.
  • Even if you can’t pay close attention to what’s being said, it’s subliminally going into your brain. That’s way better than some of the negative subliminal messages that would be going in otherwise. You can listen to books repeatedly to really get the message!
  • When you buy an Audible membership, you will read 90% more books than the average reader. That’s right; Audible members read an average of 17 books per year compared to nonmembers who are lucky if they read 2 books per year. Just think of all the extra learning you will have by reading 17 books per year!
More about Audible Memberships
You are probably wondering what Audible is. Audible is an Amazon company that provides the audio version of books. Audible is a monthly subscription service that allows you to listen to audiobooks at a highly discounted cost. You can download books right to your phone, tablet, or computer.
 
Each month you’re given one credit, which you can use to buy any item in their catalog regardless of their respective cost, rating, or length. The membership costs you $14.99 Canadian each month. You can end your subscription at any time, so really there is no risk! And, your first book is free!
 
Learn More About AUDIBLE Here
 
What should you read?
To help you out I wanted to give you a sneak peek into my library. If you want to know what I’ve been reading and rereading grab this guide and get my 20 favorite leadership books. In it, you will find the Audible links to each of the books starting with my very first suggestion Mastering Confidence. When you use this link to Audible, you will get it for free!
 
You can also purchase books on iTunes. Here’s the Mastering Confidence Link to the iTunes version.
 
Leaders are Readers
Remember, leaders are learners. Most leaders find the best way to learn is by reading books. Leaders are readers. Figure out how to add minimally 10 minutes of reading to your days and see your leadership success, impact and enjoyment skyrocket!

​Get your first Audible book free here!
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The powerful impact on you when you join a learning community

25/10/2017

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​What do you remember about the last conference or training event you attended. The food? The conversation? The entertainment?
 
What about the content?
•    What did you learn?
•    How much of that material did you retain?
•    How are you applying it now?
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Good Course - Zero Retention
I’ve been to countless sessions over the years that were wonderful. They were chocked full of great information and ideas. I left thinking; “Wow! I can’t wait to put this into practice.”
 
I got back to the office the next day and dealt with the piles of emails that amassed while I was away. Then I moved onto the mini-emergencies that erupted over the few days I was absent. Finally, I attended to the day-to-day challenges of leading a team.
 
The stack of notes I took from the training sat on the side of my desk.
  • A few weeks later the stack got moved to the file cabinet
  • A few months later, it was forgotten.
 
I didn’t retain a great deal of the information, and I certainly didn’t apply much of it either.
 
The same could be said for books I’ve read. Many books, have gone in one ear and out the other.
 
Good Course - Tons of Retention
Contrary to those training events or books, I've received immense value from other courses I’ve taken, seminars I’ve participated in and books I’ve read. The difference is, I learn and retain the most when I studied the material. Even more was remembered when I studied in a learning community.
 
We need to study the material
Studied. You know, read, review, and then practice. Fail. Go back and review the content again. Do it over. Talk about it with someone. Try once more. Get some feedback. Notice some improvement. Teach it to someone else. Study.
 
I studied Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen.  I took notes from the book. I applied the suggestions. I re-read certain sections. I became a student of GTD. More than that, I talked about GTD with others GTD geeks. I created a learning community of my peers studying the GTD method. It was that shared connection that allowed me to strengthen my understanding and application of this profound time management philosophy. 
 
It is even more effective to study in a learning community
A learning community according to Wikipedia is a group of people who share common academic goals and attitudes and who meet semi-regularly to collaborate on classwork. That makes sense of course of those in school. But, it also makes sense for you now. Maybe even more so!
 
Your personal learning plan should include others
I am a firm advocate for creating your learning plan for your career and especially your leadership journey. As you identify the type of leader you want to be and work to develop yourself, you will need to learn. I strongly suggest finding a community to aid in that learning.
 
A learning community doesn't need to be formal.
  • Yours may look like meeting with a mentor regularly.
  • You could create a learning community with a few ladies that get together on a conference call once in a while to talk about a particular piece of content you are all studying.
  • I have some clients who set up book clubs with a few of their peers.
  • Others clients have joined online courses and participate in the Facebook leaning community.
 
The bottom line, is that learning communities enhance your learning. Here are 3 benefits of joining a Learning Community

3 benefits of joining a Learning Community

Deep learning happens over time, not in a single one-off training session.
​Participating in a learning community allows for a longer commitment to learning and applying the ideas.
 
Learning is deepened when we share it with others.
Leaning communities create an opportunity to connect people around a shared mission or goal. That connection creates warm fuzzies. We feel a part of something and find a place that we belong. Those good feelings intensify the learning.
 
Learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in real life.
A learning community allows for shared conversation around the experiences and subsequent emotional connection. The development of relationships with others going through similar experiences, while you learn, that strengthens the understanding of and application of concepts.
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    Kathy Archer

    Women leaders often hit a point where they find themselves in over their heads and wondering if they have what it takes to lead.
    ​In my online courses and coaching I teach them inner and outer tools to restore their lost confidence so they can move from surviving to thriving in both leadership and life.

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