Transforming lives with HEART and SCIENCE

On this International Women's Day 2021, I am inspired and motivated to #ChooseToChallenge the status quo of inequality everywhere and anywhere in honor of the many women who did so before me and for the benefit of many women to come after me.

With overwhelming gratitude to reflect on how far we have come together and I am not satisfied. What we #ChooseToChallenge will change the way we live and lead our work and our home. I am hopeful for the next generation of leaders.

I shared my relentless passion of inclusive leadership during my TEDxJNJ talk. Earlier in my career when I heard, "As a young, asian, woman, triple XXX. What do you think you can do?" I really took that to my heart. I asked a series of questions : What could I do? What would I do? What is my why and purpose? What am I supposed to do?

I've always wanted to be different. How about you?

As a scientist based leader with intellectually curious mind, with many years of trials of learning and development I developed my leadership. I wholeheartedly believe that inclusive leadership starts with "I". I am channeling my energy and passion to foster culture of inclusion and belonging, increasing engagement and empowerment, creativity, productivity and innovation. Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome. Start telling women they are enough. Let us empower, encourage and elevate one another.

You are more than one can put you in a box. You are not meant to fill a box. We are here to think outside of the box and crush the box with our limitless potential.

I am a intellectually curious life long learner, empathetic active listener, resilient body and mind builder, change instigator, growth cultivator and inclusive leadership amplifier. Who are you today? How are you showing up everyday?

Today, I salute to you, cheers for being YOU. Be different and celebrate who you are. You are brilliant, brave and beautiful just the way you are. Lead fearlessly. You are enough.

I show up everyday rain or shine and #choosetochallenge because that's what my mom, sisters, cousins, working mama bears at work did before me and I get to do that for our daughters, nieces, friends and mamas to be. Be yourself and change the world.

I celebrate this day with brilliant women authors and leaders who shape and build my leadership (they don't know this yet..because I learned and met them by reading their books).

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Our favorite bedtime reading book series!

GRIT by Angela Duckworth "I would add that skill is not the same thing as achievement, either. Without effort, your talent is nothing more than your unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done but didn't. With effort, talent becomes skill and, at the very same time, effort makes skill productive. (p51)"

Mindset by Carol Dweck "In this mindset, the hand you're dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way - in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments - everyone can change and grow through application and experience (p7)."

More time to think by Nancy Kline "A catalyst in biochemistry is a amazing thing. It is a substance that increases the rate of a change without being consumed or changed itself. A catalyst also lowers the energy required for the change, allowing the change to proceed more quickly or at a lower temperature. This is what Attention does. It brings about change in a person's thinking by firing up connections and leaps and drivings. And, like a catalyst, this Attention is constant. (p36)"

Quite by Susan Cain, "Soft power is not limited to moral exemplars like Mahatma Ghandi. Consider, for example, the much-ballyhooed excellence of Asians to fields like math and science. Professor Ni defines soft power as "quite persistence," and this trait lies at teh heart of academic excellence as surely as it does in Ghandi's political triumphs. Quite persistence requires sustained attention - in effect restraining one's reactions to external stimuli. (p200)."

Presence by Amy Cuddy "Your body shapes your mind. Your mind shapes your behavior. and your behavior shapes your future. Let your body tell you that you're powerful and deserving, and you become more present, enthusiastic, and authentically yourself. SO find your own way to starfish up! (p241)"

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant "Resilience is not just built in individuals. It is built among individuals - in our neighborhoods, schools, towns, and governments. When we build resilience together, we become stronger ourselves and form communities that can overcome obstacles and prevent adversity. Collective resilience requires more than just shared hope - it is also fueled by shaped experiences, shared narratives, and shared power. (p130)"

Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh Demoss " Thankful people are refreshing, life-giving springs, while unthankful people full others down with them into the stagnant pools of their selfish, demanding, unhappy ways. (p91)"

Brene Brown by Dare to Lead "Empathy is not connecting to an experience, it's connecting to the emotions that underpin an experience. (p140) ...Again, it's only when diverse perspectives are included, respected, and valued that we can start to get a full picture of the world, who we serve, what they need, and how to successfully meet people where they are.(p144)"

Pacing for Growth by Alison Eyring "Focus requires saying no to opportunities, tasks, and ideas that have less merit than other opportunities, tasks, and ideas...Vision become realities only when. there is absolute clarity about what needs to be done. (p81)"

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. "People thought that being one of a kind made you special. No, it just made you lonely. What was special was belonging with someone else. (p88)"

Becoming by Michelle Obama "All of them have had doubters. Some continue to have roaring, stadium-sized collections of critics and naysayers who will shout I told you so at every little misstep or mistake. The noise doesn't go away, but the most successful people I know have figured out how to live with it, to lean on the people who believe in them, and to push onward with their goals.... and in the end, I hadn't needed to show anything. I was only to showing myself. (p67)"

If you want to lead, read first. Happy International Women's Day all day and everyday!

With Gratitude,

Seina

?GROW with SEINA