Sally Mabelle

The 'Bigger Picture' of Being a Leader

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1200

A couple months ago, I learned a painful lesson which made me realise the importance of focusing on 'the bigger picture' of whatever I’m doing. I was preparing to facilitate a leadership workshop for over 200 managers at one of New Zealand’s largest companies. As this was a pilot program being launched, the company’s course development team kept changing the workbook and power point slides up until a few days before the event. In preparing myself, I spent 8 full hours matching the power point slide numbers to the workbook page numbers. In other words, I was focussed on getting the details right and making sure I knew exactly what slide went with what page.

After a full day with my nose buried in the details, I found out the page numbers I'd carefully matc ...

Source: The 'Bigger Picture' of Being a Leader

Inspire Others with your 'voice of leadership' - published in NZ Herald Business

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1200

If you'd like me to send you a copy of my article published in the NZ Herald Business Section,on the 12th June, 2010, please email me and I'll gladly send it to you. (It was not published online - just in the Weekend Herald, so I scanned it and can forward a soft copy to you.) ...

Source: Inspire Others with your 'voice of leadership' - published in NZ Herald Business

The Art of Empathy: A Key for Leaders

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Imagine a company culture where team members feels aligned and connected with a clear sense of purpose, and there is consequently a great sense of goodwill, cooperation, productivity, and innovation as a result. It's well known that emotions as a leader are contagious, and that you set the tone for your company's culture. So, how about setting the tone of empathy in your company?
Empathy is that secret ingredient which helps people to feel cared for and important. It gives people a sense that what they feel and who they are is valued, and it gives them more a sense of safety to really express themselves and their full potential to make a difference.

How can you create such a positive environment with your team?
Start with the simple practice of empathy.
< ...

Source: The Art of Empathy: A Key for Leaders

Are you Comfortable in your Own Skin?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +1300

How comfortable are you in your own skin?

How much of your authentic self do you share with the world?

What stops you from expressing yourself fully?

I’d like to invite you to look at what stops you from confidently expressing yourself and what holding your full self back is costing you. I also aim to inspire you to find your courage to commit to expressing your authentic voice and authentic leadership more and more.

I believe there's one major emotion that blocks you from being all that you can be. That emotion is SHAME.

When was the first time someone put you down?

I first remember being shamed when I was about five and in kindergarten. I was on the teeter totter (the name for a seesaw in the USA) ...

Source: Are you Comfortable in your Own Skin?

Why You are Afraid of Public Speaking

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +1300

How confident do you feel when you stand up to speak?
How connected do you feel to yourself and to your audience?
If you're like most people, you are a bit glossophobic (afraid of public speaking).
Let's look more specifically of exactly what you are afraid of when you
consider getting ready to speak in public.

Dr. Roger Flax, President of Motivational Systems, an executive consultancy
in the States surveyed 12,000 sr. execs which he'd worked with over a
period of 10 years and asked them what there reasons were for being fearful
of public speaking. His results were published in 'Why You are Afraid of Public Speaking

Assertiveness:the Difference Between Life and Death - Success and Failure

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +1300

How confident are you being direct and open with your prospective and current customers or with your sales team?

Do you avoid telling people things that you’re afraid they might not like to hear?
Do you alter your message to make it more pleasant?

Assertiveness is a critical skill for sales as well as for life in general. It is crucial to your success, both at work and at home.

What is the cost of not speaking up?

See if any of the following scenarios sound familiar:

You waffle because you are afraid the customer will say ‘no’ How much business does this cost you?

Your top sales person has some offensive habits - you don’t say anything because you’re afraid he mi ...

Source: Assertiveness:the Difference Between Life and Death - Success and Failure

Dealing with Conflict Directly

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Have you ever had your mouth washed out with soap?
I have.
I remember when I was eight years old saying 'I hate you' to my mom and having her grabbing me by the arm and marching me over to the sink and holding down my head while she squirted dish soap into my mouth.

My mother used to say,
"If you can’t say something nice….don’t say anything at all."

OR if you don't like something, you should not admit it but be polite instead and say 'that's interesting'.

Have you ever held your tongue for fear of the consequences of speaking up?
OR have you ever overreacted then later regretted it?

When we grew up, most of us learned to express our feelings and deal with conflict in unhealthy ...

Source: Dealing with Conflict Directly

Six Words to Discover Your Leadership Purpose

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Are you on track with living your passionate purpose?
Are you a leader in that you inspire those around you?
Are you moving in a clear direction?
Would you like to take more intentional action in all you do?

Here is a short, easy process to help you discover and/or clarify your purpose. It will help you to better identify and value your unique contribution to humanity. In just about 10 minutes, you can create your own focused purpose statement to help inspire you. Anytime you need some clarity and direction, do this simple exercise:

To begin, get out a pen and take a minute to brainstorm all of your best qualities. Make a list. Now, pick just three of those qualities which you believe are your three top qualities. List those three qual ...

Source: Six Words to Discover Your Leadership Purpose

Speak Like a Leader

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Do you speak like a leader?
Whether you're speaking to a large group, a few people, or even to one person,
do you consider yourself to be inspirational and motivational?
Why or why not?
I attended a recent talk by Australian 'Thought Leader' Matt Church at The National Speakers Association of New Zealand which inspired me to ask myself these questions.

Are you the CEO or 'Chief Energy Officer' that you could be?

Matt was talking to our group about becoming 'world class presenters' and 'leaders in our field' and letting us know what it took for him to succeed as a speaker. He gives between 50-100 speeches a year internationally, and charges $5000-$10,000 per speech…not a b ...

Source: Speak Like a Leader

How To Assert Yourself in a Stressful Meeting

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Have you ever held in your feelings during a meeting, not wanting to offend by speaking your mind? Then, afterwards, you think of all the things you SHOULD have said?

Have you ever felt angry when someone wasn't giving you any space to express your point of view? Have you ever felt frustrated when someone was dominating the conversation and not seeming to be interested in what you might have to say?

If you answer 'yes' some or all of these questions, and would like some practical advice for overcoming your frustration, keep reading...

Here's an easy process you can use to help you feel more confident in changing the course of your meetings.
It will assist you in you transforming your frustration into constructive action. Rather than silen ...

Source: How To Assert Yourself in a Stressful Meeting

How To Better Connect in Your Relationships

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Would you like to feel more connected in your relationships?
How happy are you in general with your friendships and other relationships?

If your answer is not 'VERY HAPPY', I suspect that you may have some challenges expressing how you feel and what you'd like from others.

Do you ever judge your feelings sometimes as 'unacceptable' or 'embarassing' and so don't communicate them as clearly and directly as you could?

Here is a simple process to better listen to your feelings and to better communicate with significant people in your life:

First of all, practice encouraging yourself to allow all your feelings to make themselves known to you so you can hear the important messages that those feelings are trying to tell you.
< ...

Source: How To Better Connect in Your Relationships

The Grass IS Greener where YOU are!

Sat, 23 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Why is it that when I google 'books on happiness' I get, 34,700,000 results!
If I just google the word 'happiness', I get 78,000,000 results. It's obviously a hot topic.

Everyone keeps searching for happiness and obviously a lot of people haven't found it yet!
Do you ever get the feeling that you 'should' be somewhere else or with someone else, doing something else, perhaps 'bigger' and 'better'? That's a common feeling which keeps you from fully enjoying your OWN life as it is NOW.

Do you want to 'be somebody' or to do 'something significant'? How much of your current life are you passing over and taking for granted? Are you missing the preciousness of this moment NOW always in pursuit of something better tomorrow?

As an example, ...

Source: The Grass IS Greener where YOU are!

The Key to Successful Relationships

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Have you ever had your mouth washed out with soap? That's what my mother did once when I talked back to her.
"If you can't say anything nice," she said, "don't say anything at all."
When I was angry, I soon learned to express myself in less direct ways. I was sometimes sneaky…I hid her favourite necklace in a little pink and white striped jar in the bathroom with the pink plastic roses in it…I secretly delighted in my revenge when I heard her yell out when she couldn’t find it.
“Where’s my necklace?!!” I gloated in silence.
When she started being 'nice' to me again, I put her necklace back in its place.

These patterns of unhealthy expression of our feelings start early in life…our c ...

Source: The Key to Successful Relationships

Speaking with Humour: How to Be Funny!

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

Last weekend, I attended a workshop with Geoff Dolan on how to be 'humorous'as a speaker. Geoff is a member of Con Artists group and regulary work as an entertainer, comedian, and emcee.

My biggest fear in attending the workshop is that I would discover that I didn't have the natural talent to be funny, yet I came away with the reassurance and confidence that I COULD be funny and so can most people.

As part of the workshop, each participant had to get up in front of the group of about 25 people and tell a joke. Geoff encouraged us to used different voices for the different character in the joke as well as to use lots of body movement, gestures, ...

Source: Speaking with Humour: How to Be Funny!

The Courage to Voice Yourself: ( One Person’s Radical Transformation Story)

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +1200

It's not in every voice class I teach where a 'Bob' transforms into a 'Sarah', but that is exactly the radical transformation that happened.

It's expected in all my classes that students will report feeling more confidence in expressing their authentic selves, but one student mustered up a particularly noteable degree of courage. I interviewed the new 'Sarah LaMont' just a couple weeks ago, and here is her story.

Born in the early 40's, Bob Stanton (little 'Bobbie') grew up in Christchurch and described himself as a very lonely boy with few friends or social skills. Bob first noticed he had an interest in crossdressing when he was seven years old, although he didn't discover the term until he was in his mid-teens.
His first memory of this yearning was ...

Source: The Courage to Voice Yourself: ( One Person’s Radical Transformation Story)