My strong belief is that each and every one of us strives to become the best version of ourselves, both personally and professionally. And we do this in our own way. In my search for understanding more about who I am and how I can become a better human being and coach, I embarked on an ashram journey.
My stay in the ashram in India, where the lifestyle fosters introspection and self-discovery, alongside physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, was a transformative experience that offered me profound insights.
Reflecting on these lessons, I realize they have not only enriched my personal growth but have also deeply influenced my coaching practice.
More than that, based on my work with my clients, leaders in organizations, I find it relevant to translate these insights into powerful leadership lessons that can greatly support their developmental journey from good to excellent.
Here, I share the six essential lessons from my stay and how leaders can apply them, each accompanied by a reflective coaching question to inspire full integration of the learning.
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Connectedness
Smiling, through its natural eye contact, is a universal language. It brings me into a state of total presence and connectivity.
Leadership Insight: Presence. In leadership, a smile symbolizes approachability and openness, fostering trust and connection within a team. A leader’s presence can significantly impact team dynamics and morale.
Coaching Question: How can you cultivate a presence that fosters trust and connection within your team?
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Wholeness
We are all profoundly connected in our humanity. Understanding each other comes naturally when we consciously connect. When I deeply ‘see’ the other, I know that we all are, beyond everything, wounded and whole at the same time.
Leadership Insight: Empathy. Great leaders recognize the individuality and shared humanity of their team members. By seeing and appreciating each person’s unique contributions and struggles, leaders create a more empathetic and cohesive team environment.
Coaching Question: How can you better understand and appreciate the unique contributions and challenges of each team member?
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Integrating Own Shadow
All the others are my mirrors, whether I like it or not. From each one of them, I have the opportunity to learn something about an aspect of myself.
Leadership Insight: Self-awareness. Self-awareness is crucial for leadership. Recognizing and accepting one’s flaws, as reflected by interactions with others, allows leaders to grow and lead with authenticity.
Coaching Question: What recent interactions have highlighted aspects of yourself that you need to address to become a better leader?
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Accepting Own Greatness
Limits exist only in my mind until the pain is so intense that it forces me to give up on what I believe. This allows me to fully sense and experience that, in fact, I have no clue where the limit is, if there is one.
Leadership Insight: Potential. Effective leaders constantly push boundaries and encourage their teams to do the same. Embracing one’s potential and fostering a culture of continuous improvement can lead to exceptional results.
Coaching Question: What limiting beliefs do you need to let go of to reach your full potential as a leader?
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Being in the Present Moment
Silence is the space of deepest listening, connection, awareness, and healing.
Leadership Insight: Mindfulness. Active listening and mindfulness in leadership lead to better decision-making and deeper connections with team members. Creating moments of silence can foster creativity and reflection.
Coaching Question: How can you incorporate moments of silence and mindfulness into your leadership practice to enhance your decision-making and team connections?
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Living and Dying Gracefully
The line between life and death is so fragile. So, the most logical thing for me to do is to have the courage to be and express myself exactly as I am, in the time that I have, and to enjoy it fully.
Leadership Insight: Authenticity. Authenticity and courage are hallmarks of exceptional leadership. Leaders who express themselves genuinely and encourage the same from their team members create a vibrant, innovative, and resilient organizational culture.
Coaching Question: What steps can you take to express your authentic self more fully in your leadership role?
With every coaching conversation I have, I find that the lessons learned in the serene yet challenging setting of the ashram in India represent must-develop skills for leaders striving for excellence.
By integrating these lessons – Presence, Empathy, Self-awareness, Potential, Mindfulness, and Authenticity – with the support of challenging yet humane coaching interactions, leaders can cultivate a more effective, authentic, and inspiring leadership style.
This approach has the great power to generate significant improvements in results, success, and fulfillment at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
Despre autor
Alina M. IONESCU
Alina is double Master Certified Coach – MCC (ICF) and AMC (IAPC&M), Senior Practitioner Coach & Mentor – EIA (EMCC), Accredited Supervisor – ESIA (EMCC), and Certified Mentor Coach in the ICF register. She has a background in electrical engineering, a master’s degree in business administration (MBA), and knowledge in clinical psychology & diagnosis as well as developmental psychology.
With nearly 20 years of leadership experience in top multinational companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Muller Dairy, and S&T, and 10 years of entrepreneurship experience – providing professional coaching services to leaders in international organizations, Alina aims to make the world a better place through every coaching conversation that she has.
What makes her feel alive is connecting from soul to soul and continuously evolving, together with her clients, towards excellence and mastery.
As Master Coach for Top Performers, Alina loves empowering leaders to connect with their unique inner power and express it in the world with clarity, compassion, and courage. She is passionate about inspiring her clients to become the best version of themselves, enabling them to achieve the desired performance, build healthy relationships, and create fulfilling experiences in their work and life.
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