If you think you are a leader-you are.

Lessons in Leadership.

An interview with Emily H. founder of Mind Tools For Kids

Emily Harbrecht has spent the last fifteen years building a toolbox of strategies and resources to help families and schools navigate big emotions and life's challenges.?

She set up Mind Tools for Kids to deliver those strategies to as many children and families as possible, determined to help children avoid the heavy emotional baggage many adults carry.

I was interested to hear how Emily delivers her coaching, what she's learned from her life, and why she has focused on children. It is wonderful to discover her treatment of Mind Tools for Kids as a movement rather than a business, and we discover how she is continually recruiting new members. ?We discussed the vital fact that a postive mindset is crucial for any business leader.

Working with children

Emily learned lessons about her own issues later in life, as did many of her adult clients. 'I thought, 'If I could turn the clock back and work with those people when they were younger, how would their lives be different?' Emily wondered if they would have had more opportunities, still carrying 'the same limiting stuff with them.'

Emily believes we simplify things, thinking children cannot grasp concepts about mental issues. 'They actually dive right in and run with these things,' she said. Consequently, Harbrecht started to reverse engineer the process: "I asked myself, 'Looking back, what did I wish I had?'"

Her ethos became to reveal the root cause of kids' issues and give them the tools and strategies to make the most of their lives. The possibilities become endless. 'There are things I wish I'd known that I've had to spend a lot of time, money and effort learning along the way,' she reflects. She is determined that children today will not have to do the same.

Whatever goes in your mind shows up in your body

Emily has developed a wide range of tools and strategies to help children, but one overarching message underpins her training: 'Fundamentally, whatever goes on in your mind shows up in your body. Many adults don't understand the ailments they suffer stem from how they think and feel. But kids get it.'

Emily realised this from her NLP training, understanding the quickest way to change how you feel on the inside is to change how you feel on the outside. Such connection makes it easier to work with kids, giving them tools they can practically use. 'One tiny thing can give massive payback in their lives. And the great thing about kids is when they learn something, they go and teach all their friends and family.'

Awareness of mind and body

I wondered how Emily changes the way kids feel. 'Often, it's as simple as how we hold our body. So, if a child loves a superhero, we'll look at how that character stands and how it shifts their feelings when they mimic that stance.’ Sometimes, Emily uses nature as a guide, for example, getting a child to be grounded like a tree. Ultimately, the aim is to create awareness of the connection between mind and body: 'Once you have that, the possibilities are infinite.'

Expanding the business

Emily started out training kids but she then expanded so is now working with parents and teachers as well. Her reasoning? 'I wanted to make a greater impact, so I needed more people to share in this stuff. I now train parents and school leaders to coach Mind Tools for Kids to their children.' She adds, 'I've created a collection of things that work, and it's essential that I don't keep it to myself.'

Dealing with adults' baggage

Emily recognises that training adults to deal with mental issues can open up deep-seated issues that stem from childhood. 'I have always taught using my childhood experiences and encourage the coaches to do the same,' says Harbrecht. She believes that when we apply things to ourselves, we have a more effective learning experience.

Emily states clearly, 'It's vital we notice things that come up, and when they do, we need to be ready to do the work. My message is that it's a continual process.' As a coach, she emphasises success or failure is not founded on lack of confidence or not being good enough. It is about being present for the person you are with. They need to be able to model your behaviour, feel vulnerable, and borrow beliefs and positivity for their journey. As Emily says, 'Human experience is a gift whether good, bad, or indifferent.'

The Mind Tools For Kids Book

To spread her message further, Emily has written a book to share many of the tools she teaches. The Brilliant Brain Friends was created to make it fun for kids to learn these techniques through three characters. 'Lenny Lizard' runs the body, 'Milo Monkey' runs the emotions, and 'Orla the Owl' runs the thinking brain.

Emily wrote the book to help kids understand that the thinking part of the brain does not always work well and that the different parts of the brain are not always friends. Her focus is on showing that there are things that can be done to help them understand each other.

'It's about starting them on a journey of understanding those negative feelings in our bodies. When we reflect and work holistically, we're in more control of our life experiences.'

Emily created puppets for each character and wove them into her training. 'If you can give them a concept they understand, it becomes a great foundation. Even teenagers love those characters.'

I reflected that such an approach would be perfect for the National Curriculum in schools. Emily agrees but is not waiting for governmental support: 'It's why I've expanded with coaches from all walks of life, with people doing trauma work with kids, and offering specific skills that benefit children. It's all helping the movement grow.'

A key turning point

Emily was introduced to a business and visibility coach some time ago and found herself holding back as they worked on new ideas. Her blocker was the belief that it was egotistical to be seen online and to do videos.

'My coach told me I had to produce a video every day for two weeks. I went blood-red. She asked if I was OK. I was literally recoiling.' Her coaching was happening around the time she was doing her NLP training. She was questioning whether she could step into an authority role. 'It brought up all these things from my childhood, experiences in the workplace, and I just thought, "I'm going to do that first video"'.

So, she did and kept on doing them. Suddenly, she realised it wasn't about her anymore. 'There was somebody else who needed me to show up. They needed to hear my message and hopefully get something from it. I understood it was selfish to keep those messages to myself.'

Finally, Emily let go. She declared, 'If you have something that can benefit others and comes from the heart, then you MUST share it.' The result was that she felt more confident, comfortable, and less self-critical. She said, '80% is good enough. Generally, no one cares what we're doing or saying other than those who resonate with your message. And it might not be now; it may be in 3-4 years. It's a true ripple effect.'

Mindset is fundamental

Mindset is fundamental to Emily's teaching.

Her advice is simple, 'Whatever you do, if you think you are a leader, you are.' She continues, 'You must reflect, look in the mirror and decide how you will move your life forward. It's important to connect it to your beliefs and values.'

She points out that many people live on auto-pilot, losing sight of why they do what they do. 'Life is such a precious gift, so leading yourself and doing good with whatever you do is vital.'

A powerful leadership lesson indeed. Emily is acting as a role model, helping to develop young people who are better adjusted, more emotionally intelligent, and able to understand the connection between the different elements in their brains. If her movement continues to grow, it could have a material effect on our children's futures.

The Brilliant Brain Friends is available from Amazon in paperback and kindle: https://shorturl.at/sTy38

Visit Mind Tools For Kids for more information and resources.

?

?

?