Episode Description:
Leadership involves being able to tackle new situations and deal with failure, because we don’t always lead others into the known. If your burning desire is to maintain the status quo, go ahead and stick with the safe. But if you want to move the world or even better your organization, you need know how to navigate the uncharted and the scary, so you can bring others confidently with you.
That kind of leadership takes gumption, and one way we can get it is by pushing beyond what we think of as our boundaries in all kinds of ways. Dressing differently, traveling solo, jumping out of a plane, learning to sing – they can all make a person a better leader. By giving ourselves proof of our own courage we give ourselves the confidence to lead others.
Biography
Shelagh has spent a lifetime balancing family, work, and pets with her need to do adventuresome things. Learning to fly small planes, riding horseback across the Mongolian steppes, living in the UK, Italy, America, and back to Canada (with kids and pets), and drastically changing her career several times led her to believe she knew something about making adventures happen. Then she started investigating just how she and other women managed it, and realized there were other acts of daring-do – such as singing in a rock band, or wearing pink, or indeed creating Gumption – that were way scarier.
The creation of Gumption has therefore been a very personal journey, as well reflecting the intrepid experiences of all those lovely women whose contribution of wisdom and know-how has made it all possible.
Tell us about your business
The Practical Woman’s Guide is all about teaching women how they can do the things they’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet dared. Whether those are big things or little things – adventures come in all shapes and sizes – we’ve put together a program that gives you the tools and strategies for making stuff happen.
Want to make your dreams come true? Here’s what you need to understand first:
Being adventuresome is not something you’re magically born with, it’s something anyone can learn.
I have proof! Gumption is based on the experiences of dozens of women – not only me – who have managed to do all kinds of things they found scary, felt were beyond them, or thought they’d never pull off. These aren’t super-women, either. They’re regular ladies just like you, with all the usual fears about their capabilities, looks, love, money and so on, who juggle jobs and kids and husbands and pets.
How did they do it? With a toolbox of approaches and tactics for tackling obstacles, busting through fear, and planning for success. And now that toolbox can be yours.
It’s not woo-woo. It doesn’t involve turning your life upside down, or trying to become someone you’re not. Gumption is a simple, 6-step, very practical program to expand your whole idea of what you’re really capable of. Be prepared to amaze yourself.
What advice would you give to attendees?
Being adventuresome isn’t something you’re just magically born with. It’s a life skill anyone can learn. Why bother? Because when you learn how to step outside your comfort zone, your possibilities expand immeasurably. Regardless of your fears or other obstacles, you can get from ‘I wish I could’ to ‘I can’ in everything you do, in business, love, and life.
Connect on Twitter @GumptionGuides and at http://Gumptionguides.com and at facebook.com/gumptionguides on pinterest
