EGO - How Helpful Is Yours?

Our ego is our interpretation of ourselves and forms our identity. It’s the opinions we hold about our capabilities, our intelligence, our importance. It moves between our conscious and our unconscious; somethings we’re aware of, and somethings we’re not, and the more we can be consciously aware of our ego and its traits and triggers, and how to manage it, the better we can be at remaining in control of how we want to show up in the World.

I know I have an under-inflated ego. My ego brings me down which can help me to remain grounded, and humble, but more often negatively affects my confidence and holds me back. My ego can stifle my potential. I’m very aware of this therefore I am familiar with what it sounds like, feels like, and looks like in myself. This places me in greater control of what to do when it’s being overzealous in its attempt to ‘protect’ me, and I can make different choices about what to do instead to help me move forwards more productively and effectively to aid my growth and success. This awareness has taken time, commitment, and investment to cultivate and it remains an activity I’m committed to maintaining and improving.

I recently met the brilliant Leadership Coach and facilitator Mary Gregory at a networking event who is the author of ‘Ego: Get Over Yourself and Lead’. Gregory shares:?‘From what I observe from myself and working with leaders, navigating our own ego and those of others is at the hub of being an effective leader and creating workplaces that bring out the best in everyone. To make sustainable change happen, we need to get to the source of how we empower or limit ourselves, and ego is right there in the centre.’

Ask yourself; How helpful is my ego right now? What can I do differently? Read Mary Gregory’s book for further insights and ideas. Available on Amazon.

Stop Doing It All

I think we all have our own version of ‘doing the juggle’ when it comes to our lives. My January was brilliant but A LOT and I found myself trying to juggle work, family pressures, friends, our dog’s poor health, our new house and renovations, and relocation plans to South Africa. It’s unsurprising that I ended the month feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, And it’s only the start of 2024...!

I love spending time with people and I’m also a people pleaser so I struggle to say no to things. However I’ve had to learn that saying no is sometimes the best thing for me in the long-run. Boundaries are crucial for our success, our health, and our happiness but they’re not always easy to initiate or maintain. They’re also the foundation of great relationships. May sound contradictory but it’s true!

We understand, connect, and respect one another when we’re clear about one another's expectations. This is really important in work and when you’re leading teams so they understand what’s required of them and what they need to do, and how, to achieve. Knowing to delegate builds trust, creates an efficient team, and aids growth - business and personal. So, if you’re juggling too much right now, start to identify how you can say no, and who can help you.

What I've Been Up To

January has been a busy speaking month as I’ve had the privilege of attending the women’s networks at?both EDF Energy and Thames Water.

Earlier in the month, over 120 women and their allies joined me at EDF for a discussion with their network lead Tamsyn Burrows to talk about personal development and what gets in our way of doing it. We discussed the challenges we put in our way, like the lack of time, and how we can prioritise the actions which are going to deliver us results.

On 23rd January I presented to 100 members of Thames Water’s Women’s Network about taking control of their success. We covered mindsets, stress, supporting ourselves to be in competency mode, how we can take action and move ourselves forwards, and celebrating every win. Thank you to both EDF and Thames Water for having me!

What I've Been Watching

I celebrated my 40th birthday in December and as part of my 40th year of celebrations I was spoilt by my Mum and Sisters by being taken to the Royal Opera House in London for the very first time to see La Boheme.

The Royal Opera House was beautiful, and was just as much a part of the experience as seeing the opera itself. There is a stunning rooftop bar and restaurant called Piazza which I urge you to visit if you’re ever in Covent Garden. The views over the square are amazing!

I laughed, I cried, and I was enthralled by the performances of each and every one of the incredibly talented opera singers. I think I’m now hooked!

What I've Been Listening To

I was recently a guest on The Hospitality Leadership Podcast with Andy Jones where I joined him to discuss the impact and benefit of coaching in the workplace.

We discussed the challenges in the hospitality industry, specifically for developing and retaining talent, and managing performance, sharing our own personal experiences of working in the industry, leading teams, and being qualified coaches.

Andy and I share a lot of the same philosophies about coaching and leadership, and passion for hospitality, and I really loved joining him on his podcast to offer our ideas and tips top his listeners.

You can listen to my episode with Andy on Spotify now.

Being Humble : We Chat Humility at Work on The Coaching Cast

On 6th February Suzy and I published our 84th episode of The Coaching Cast talking about humility at work.

Being humble in challenging environments can be difficult; especially when our egos get in the way. We discuss what humility means, why it’s an important virtue to have, how we can improve our humility and better manage ourselves, and offer our top tips and self-coaching questions to support you to #bekinder to others to achieve success in your career.

Listen to the episode now across all major platforms, watch on YouTube, and find the episode links, and further details about the podcast on our website thecoachingcast.co.uk

Ways You Can Work With Me

Clarity Hour If you’re an Entrepreneur or Middle Manager and feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, now is the time to focus on you and what you need to restore your confidence, balance, and energy. Why not try my Clarity Hour? 1 hour with me, virtually, on a day and time of your choosing. In the hour we'll explore together: What’s going on for you right now, what you want instead, what you’ve tried already, what’s getting in the way, what strengths and opportunities you have, and finally the steps towards achieving what you want. All of this for just ￡150.

Focused Have a? current challenge you wish to resolve or goal you want to achieve quickly but unsure how? Choose this package for 3 coaching sessions over 6-8 weeks

Midterm If you want a plan to take action over a short to medium timeframe then choose this package to give you greater support for an extended period. Includes 6 coaching sessions over 6 months.

Nurture Are you seeking support, and guidance, and someone to be your cheerleader as you progress through a transition or change in your career? Choose this package to give you that long-term support. 12 sessions over 12 months.

All packages include a DISC personality profile report to give you detailed insight into your preferred behaviour and style, to contribute to increasing your skills and knowledge, and achieve your goals. Get a 10% discount on all packages when purchased after a?Clarity Hour?(cannot be claimed in conjunction with any other offers). Group coaching and training for teams is also available upon request.

If you’re interested in grabbing any one of my coaching packages then visit gripcoaching.co.uk/services to book yours now or email [email protected] to book a free chat to discuss what's right for you. I'd LOVE to work with you.