Libby Wagner is the President and Chief Visionary Officer at influencingOptions®, a business consulting and training firm that creates high-performance teams and leaders. She is also the Co-founder of The Studio, a change consultancy that fosters innovation through artistry. As an entrepreneur, mentor, and leadership coach, Libby helps executives create impactful organizational cultures. She is the author of The Influencing Option, What Will You Do With Your 90,000 Hours, and three poem collections, including Like This, Like That, Somehow, and Dancing on the Summer Lawn.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [3:40] Libby Wagner’s nonlinear journey from college professor to business owner
- [9:59] How honing her strengths allowed Libby to launch her business
- [13:16] The impact of nature on creativity and leadership
- [19:53] Libby talks about her speaking and writing endeavors in Ireland
- [24:27] How Libby creates high-trust and performance teams
- [30:18] Why Libby created a TEDx about owning your voice
In this episode...
Women are well-recognized for their innovation, empathy, and communication, especially in leadership roles. How can you own your voice and strengths to become a high-performing leader?
Writer, poet, and speaker Libby Wagner has harnessed nature and art to connect with her inner self and deliver authentic work. She notes that women leaders often struggle to trust themselves and question their intuition based on negative past experiences. When you become confident in your voice, you can deliver impactful messages that build trust and authority with teams and audiences.
In today’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Libby Wagner, the President and Chief Visionary Officer at influencingOptions®, about cultivating high-trust leadership. Libby shares how connections with nature foster creativity and leadership, her nonlinear career path, and how she honed her strengths to launch her business.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
- Andrea Heuston on LinkedIn
- Lead Like a Woman
- Artitudes Design
- Stronger on the Other Side: The Power to Choose by Andrea Heuston
- Libby Wagner: Website | LinkedIn
- The Influencing Option: The Art of Building a Profit Culture in Business by Libby Wagner
- What Will You Do With Your 90,000 Hours? The Boardroom Poet’s Thoughts on Work by Libby Wagner
- Like This, Like That by Libby Wagner
- Somehow by Libby Wagner
- “Own Your Voice”
Quotable Moments:
- “An inspired path is not linear; they are curving, wild, and inspired.”
- “You have to like getting the business as much as you like doing the business.”
- “I would like to help teams and groups get better and especially be nicer to each other.”
- “The whole person shows up. And I do think that’s one thing that women can bring to leadership and to work.”
- “I actually do think that my superpower is the ability to notice and listen deeply.”
Action Steps:
- Cultivate deep listening and noticing skills: Developing the ability to listen deeply and notice the nuances in conversations can enhance empathy and understanding. This addresses the challenge of effective communication in leadership, helping leaders connect more authentically with their teams and stakeholders.
- Reflect and self-assess regularly: Engaging in self-reflection and assessment allows leaders to understand their strengths and areas for growth. This action is crucial for personal growth and ensures leaders can bring their whole, authentic selves to their roles.
- Embrace nonlinear career paths: Leaders should be open to exploring diverse experiences and learning from them. This approach can lead to innovative thinking and adaptability, addressing the opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to leadership challenges.
- Harness the power of storytelling and poetry in communication: Using storytelling and poetry can make communication more impactful and memorable. This strategy effectively engages teams and conveys complex ideas in an accessible way, leveraging the power of language.
- Prioritize building trusting relationships: Focus on creating high-trust environments within teams to enhance collaboration and performance. This fosters a supportive and productive work culture.
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