Why Extraordinary Leadership?

In 2021 I decided to make a shift in my career - from leading in corporate procurement organizations for over 15 years to starting Extraordinary Leadership that transforms people's lives.

My mission is to empower leaders to become positive change-makers who empower others and build a culture of connection, growth, collaboration, and fulfillment for themselves and others.

Extraordinary Leadership is a result of my own transformation and experiences as a leader who wants to make a positive impact and live a full potential.

Where does it all come from?

Part 1 - What shaped me initially

My childhood shaped 2 key aspects for me - 1 positive and another that I discovered later was holding me back.

I come from a small village in Poland and was born during times of communism and a lack of many things. My parents are very ordinary people. On top, I was born with a hip disability and experienced several orthopedic surgeries from the age of 2, which affected my confidence. I felt initially limited and unsettled.

Inspired by a visit to Germany as a 9-year-old kid, I started to envision my ideal life surrounded by open-minded diverse people, leading in global corporations, traveling, and having a family. This vision helped me to stay determined and focused on gaining a good education and I realized it in my early 30s.

My key discovery here: Our past does not define us. It's who we envision and believe we can become and the determination to go for it taht matters.

There was another story though that shaped me early on.

It was a story of being not good enough - ' there is something wrong with me that needs to be fixed, 'I've not accepted the way I am'.

It shaped me to be a high performer who has very high expectations of myself, and who has limited time for breaks. It led me to doubt myself and be hard on myself. I did not celebrate many milestones or victories. I took my talents for granted and saw mostly who I'm not.

These beliefs and behaviors held me back from being the leader I wanted to be initially, and I was glad I discovered and breakthrough them early on the leadership journey.

Part 2 - The pivotal point

Fast forward, after my studies, I ended up in a 15 years career in automotive procurement, which I was very passionate about, as procurement is a truly transformative function that adds value.

I was always fascinated by driven, visionary leaders who inspire, ask great questions, make you feel motivated, and help you grow.

Mid of my career, I faced resistance and conflicts in leading a change. I felt disappointed in myself and I knew there is more potential inside me but I did not know how to unlock it. I was absolutely not aware that my unconscious mind is holding me back from stepping into the version of a leader I wanted to be.

This is where I decided to invest in my personal growth and chose a coaching program, I did not know that time would be a pivotal point in my life.

I understood myself and others better, but above all opened my eyes to how I stood in my own way and how all was linked to childhood experiences, which affect each of us. It was an eye-opener.

Transforming my inner limitations helped me build better trust & connection, be more confident and relaxed, and be empathic.

I also crafted my leadership identity - by discovering my values, and purpose, and crafting my leadership vision, which helped me prioritize my focus, and be more clear and confident.

My key discovery: To be a leader you desire to be, you need to discover & transform from inside out.

And this is why at the beginning of my work with leaders we start there - uncover & transform mindset limitations that each of us has and craft their identity.

Part 3 - Gaining access to powerful leadership tool

Thanks to my coaching education I built crucial leadership skills, such as listening actively, asking powerful questions, and being present and empathic.

They helped me build trust, motivate, empower, and develop people.

My key discovery: asking open ended powerful questions and listening actively with presence help to motivate, build ownership, unleash potential.

Therefore I started to focus more on coaching and less on mentoring people. Shifted from convincing to co-creating solutions, changed engagement, collaboration, and results.

This is when I discover my passion for coaching and my drive for organizational transformation was growing so I pursued further accreditations. (5 dysfunctions of a team, P. Lencioni, Psychological safety of Dr. T. Clark)

They helped me turn a dysfunctional team into a positively engaged one.

My key discovery: To transforma team, we need to focus on creating a shared purpose and vision, building a culture of trust and psychological safety, healthy conflicts, owenership and growth.

Part 4 - Making a change

I saw a positive impact growing up thanks to working on myself and bringing coaching into leading and how it brings me positive energy.

This was when I started to ask myself the question 'What do I really want to do'?

This question opened a journey of finding a bigger meaning and purpose, which was a deeper discovery of myself and confrontation with fears of change.

In that phase, life gave me another painful experience which was a gift in the end. I experienced being bullied by my own leader, which affected severely my overall well-being and inner confidence. It was devastating and the best gift was to be let go, despite having created another opportunity inside the organization.

My key discovery: Poor leadership devastate people and talent. Setting boundaries and leaving is an act of courage and self care.

This experience was another eye-opener for me and gave me additional motivation for my mission. In my last corporate role, I had the great opportunity to put all those experiences in transforming teams and empowering people.

Also, by speaking more about my passion and connecting with other leaders outside of my organization, I had a great opportunity to design and lead successfully my first leadership development programs outside of my organization. It was the first step toward a change.

My desire to make was bigger than my fear, so I decided to take the leap of faith to live to my full potential.

My key discovery: Follow your passion and desire, as it will bring you into an alignment and living a fulfilled life.

Part 5 - Fulfillment and thriving

Stepping out of a corporate career, was for me to pursue 2 objectives - make a positive impact in the area I'm passionate about and live an intentional life.

I knew it depend on investing in my next-level transformative work, so I proceeded with several transformative programs.

Along the way, I discovered Mental Fitness from Positive Intelligence, which is a game changer for well-being, relationships, and performance. It helped me to access my inner power, gain peace of mind, build agility in navigating challenges, and create more joy in my life.

I'm grateful to live a fulfilled life and make a meaningful impact on leaders, their lives, and their organizations by breaking through my fears and leaning in to discover my potential.

My key discovery: Fullfillment depends on curiousity to discover and courage to follow your passion. Thriving depends on mastering self.

Helping Leaders to be positive change-makers

Extraordinary Leadership stands for transformation.

I believe organizational transformation depends on leaders' transformation.

Therefore when working with leaders my focus goes on helping them to:

• shape their identity, breaking through ineffective patterns and beliefs
• craft their inspiring and tangible vision
• build a supportive mind and habits
• access their empowered state of flow from where all is possible
• access effective strategies to develop people and build an engaged culture
• bring more meaning, connection, and joy into our organizations and lives.

In all my work, I focus on helping leaders unleash their potential.

Interested to become an extraordinary leader or develop more extraordinary leaders in your organization?

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