Unleash Your Awesome

Is Goofy really about to visit violence on my gorgeous nieces? 😱 This snap from a recent family cruise as an early 80th birthday celebration for my mum made me laugh... ...then it made me think. How often do we catch a glimpse of a behaviour, and instantaneously believe that we "know" everything we need to know about the situation? ▶ You see someone "slacking off" at work, and "know" that they're lazy and unmotivated. ▶ You see someone break a rule, and "know" they don't care about doing the right thing. ▶ You see a Disney character with a raised hand, and "know" they're about to beat up innocent children. Or, 🟩 You get curious about why their heart isn't in their work right now. 🟩 You dig into the reasons for the rule, and check whether it has some negative unintended consequences. 🟩 You remind yourself that Goofy was reacting to a really enthusiastic low-five from the littlest member of our sailing party, and laugh at how well the person playing the character interacted with all the kids, reminding them of the magic and power they carry inside. It's really easy to see something and jump to a story, and then act like it's true. So, next time you want to give feedback, pause for a moment and think about the story you've made up about what you've seen. Then get curious about what other stories you could tell with the same set of facts. Maybe you don't have enough info to support the feedback you plan to give. Even if you decide it's valid feedback, by thinking about the other stories that might exist, you'll be holding lightly to your original story. That way, you can have a conversation about what you observed, instead of delivering a monologue that assumes you've interpreted things correctly. _________________ For those playing along at home, this was a 3-night cruise on Disney Wonder. It was an absolutely fabulous experience, especially seeing it through the eyes of the three littlest family members. A great reminder to play, laugh, and fully embrace the delight of the present moment - and to always, always leave room for more icecream 💜 _________________ Hi, I’m Daria 👋🏻 ✨ I help leaders develop for good through coaching, workshops and programmes that develop you personally and professionally 📖 I created The Lightning Leadership Lab to help first-time leaders to build their competence, confidence, and community to lead for good 💡 Follow me for tips, strategies, and tools to lead more effectively by building self-awareness, influence, and trust #feedback #leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #TheLightningLeadershipLab _________________ Image description: A person dressed in a Disney Goofy character costume is standing in a cruise-ship corridor near a large portal. One hand is raised beside their head, slightly blurred as though it is moving quickly. In front of the character stand three small girls, looking towards Goofy so you can only see their backs.

Is your business at risk? Christmas and New Year are traditionally where we see "spikes" in people making moves to change jobs. If you've got someone in your business who is seen as an "ineffective" leader, then you can expect that at least half of that person's team is actively thinking about moving on. And when they walk out the door, they take a whole lot of organisational knowledge and insight with them, which costs the organisation, their team, and their customers dearly. But it doesn't have to be this way - leadership skills can be trained. I should know - I was a pretty terrible leader when I started out! Thankfully, I had a boss who had the skill - not to mention the time - to invest in helping me to build my leadership competence. She trained, coached, and guided me, and gave me plenty of feedback along the way (not all of it was nice to receive, but all of it helped me grow!) If you or someone in your organisation wants to grow your leadership effectiveness, hit me up for a chat. I offer a range of options, from team-wide on-site training, to 1:1 coaching, to online leadership development programmes. #leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #training #TheLightningLeadershipLab _________________ Hi, I’m Daria 👋🏻 ✨ I help leaders develop for good through coaching and workshops that develop you personally and professionally 📖 I created The Lightning Leadership Lab to help first-time leaders to build their competence, confidence, and community to lead for good 💡 Follow me for tips, strategies, and tools to lead more effectively by using your unique strengths __________________ Image description: Text-based image. "Is your business at risk?" in bold text at top. Beneath: "50% of people who rate their manager as ineffective plan to leave the organisation in the next 12 months (source: UK Chartered Management Institute, 'Taking Responsibility' report, 2023)". At the bottom of the image is The Lightning Leadership Lab logo, with a headshot of the founder, Daria Williamson, and the URL thelightningleadershiplab[dot]com

And that's donation #100 in the process of going into the bag! In acknowledgement of the milestone, NZ Blood gifted me a gorgeous, limited-edition Dick Frizzell print and a certificate. I feel fortunate to be healthy enough to be able to donate plasma regularly. It's a small way I can help those who, for whatever reason, find themselves in need. If you're in Aotearoa New Zealand and previously couldn't give blood due to restrictions on living in the UK, those have recently changed, so you might be eligible to donate now. _________________ Image description: a woman is lying on a blood donation bed, holding a framed certificate acknowledging 100 donations. A nurse stands next to her, holding a framed print of red and purple flowers in a vase.

When you’ve dedicated a decade or two to growing your career, you can start to feel locked into what you've always done. 🌟 You’ve got the title. 💲 You’ve got the salary. 🪁 You’ve got the perks. One day, you realise it’s not doing it for you any more. But you’ve built your life around having the title, the salary, and the perks. The idea of stepping away from all of that is scary. But the idea of staying stuck there is scarier still. If you’re feeling shackled by the “golden handcuffs”, there is a golden key to freedom. It is entirely possible to be well-rewarded for work you love. This is the process I take people through when I work with them in The Strengths Deck approach: 🔮 Clarity – know what you really want, what lights you up, and what lets you do your best work 📌 Strategy – identify opportunities where you can do your best work and be well-rewarded 👣 Reality – starting today, take the smallest possible step towards one opportunity I’ve been helping people find their golden key for years, and I can promise you this: no one ever regretted trying something new. If you’re ready to make change, I can support you to finding your journey to fulfilment. You can start by reading my book, Unleash Your Awesome. Or, if you’d like to work with me one-on-one, book your free, 30-min discovery call by dropping me a DM or commenting below. ______________________________________ Hi, I’m Daria 👋🏻 🌟 I help professionals find and work in their Zone of Genius. 🤼 I work with teams and individuals. ✅ Follow me for ideas on how to build sustainable performance by understanding individual strengths. #strengths #PersonalStrengths #TheStrengthsDeck #UnleashYourAwesome ___________________ Image description: A person is holding a fanned-out wad of money towards the camera. Their hands, arms, and the money are in the foreground, while their body is slightly blurred, against a pale background. Their head isn't visible. 📸: Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

"The truth will out in the end" That phrase is often used as a bit of a threat - but I reckon it's got a huge up-side. Sometimes it can feel like you're slogging your guts out, and you've got nothing to show for it. But the truth will out in the end. If you're working on something that will make a positive difference in this world, then I believe that some way, somehow, it will come to fruition. Oh, it might look really different than you imagined. And you'll probably never know the full extent of the positive ripples you cause. But the truth will out in the end. So, if you're feeling a bit discouraged right now, remind yourself that this is not the end of the road, and take another small step in the direction of your dreams. And maybe give yourself permission to enjoy a Christmas cookie or two along the way, if the dog hasn't beaten you to it! 🍪🐶🎄 ______________________________________ Hi, I’m Daria 👋🏻 ✨ I help professionals find and work in their Zone of Genius. ➡️ I work with teams and individuals. 💡 Follow me for ideas on how to build sustainable performance by understanding individual strengths. #strengths #PersonalStrengths #TheStrengthsDeck #UnleashYourAwesome #dreams #goals #persistence #progress #RippleEffect #truth

Are you struggling to figure out how to lead, because you don't have all the puzzle pieces? You're not alone - over 80% of people promoted to leadership positions step into them without any formal training. What other jobs do you know of where we put people to work without any training, and then expect them to nail their role? It's madness! And it's not just the leader who suffers - their team members end up feeling frustrated, which has flow-on effects to performance, engagement, and customer satisfaction. Ineffective leadership creates poor outcomes for EVERYONE. But it doesn't have to be this way - I created ⚡The Lightning Leadership Lab⚡ to be an accessible and effective programme for new and emerging leaders. It equips you with what you need to know right now, and creates a structure that helps you put your learning into practice, to lift your leadership game. It kicks off in early 2025 - if you'd like to know more, check out thelightningleadershiplab[dot]com, or send me a message and we'll set up a time to chat. #leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TheLightningLeadershipLab #TLLL ___________________ Image description: A hand holds a white jigsaw puzzle piece, and is placing it beside three white puzzle pieces that are joined together, on a golden yellow background. 📸: Mike Van Schoonderwalt on Pexels

Are you struggling to figure out how to lead, because you don't have all the puzzle pieces? You're not alone - over 80% of people promoted to leadership positions step into them without any formal training. What other jobs do you know of where we put people to work without any training, and then expect them to nail their role? It's madness! And it's not just the leader who suffers - their team members end up feeling frustrated, which has flow-on effects to performance, engagement, and customer satisfaction. Ineffective leadership creates poor outcomes for EVERYONE. But it doesn't have to be this way - I created ⚡The Lightning Leadership Lab⚡ to be an accessible and effective programme for new and emerging leaders. It equips you with what you need to know right now, and creates a structure that helps you put your learning into practice, to lift your leadership game. It kicks off in early 2025 - if you'd like to know more, check out thelightningleadershiplab[dot]com, or send me a message and we'll set up a time to chat. #leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TheLightningLeadershipLab #TLLL ___________________ Image description: A hand holds a white jigsaw puzzle piece, and is placing it beside three white puzzle pieces that are joined together, on a golden yellow background. 📸: Mike Van Schoonderwalt on Pexels

Daria Williamson Limited is turning 10! It's hard to believe - it seems like only yesterday I was registering my business. It's been a heck of a journey, with twists and turns to rival the best Agatha Christie novel (without needing Hercule Poirot, thankfully!) So, I thought I'd share ten things I've learned along the way, in the hope that they'll be helpful: 1) It's OK if you're making it all up as you go along - so is everyone else! Don't be fooled by other people's calm and confident exteriors - everyone has wobbles and worries. 2) It's OK to start small. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary didn't take just one step and instantly reach the summit of Everest, so what makes you think you need to? 3) Ask for help. No, really! ASK FOR HELP!!!! You know how willing you are to help other people? They're just as willing to help you. And if they're not, then they're not your people. 4) You have more to contribute than you know. What is really easy and enjoyable for you is something someone else hates and/or is terrible at. Don't confuse "easy" for "worthless". There's gold in your genius! 5) Nurture relationships with people who matter to you AND pass the vibe check. Deal with issues directly and compassionately, and don't tolerate willful ignorance, bias, and harm. 6) Don't pay any attention to 3am thoughts. Acknowledge them then try some deep breathing or yoga nidra to get back to sleep. Things look different in daylight. 7) Many of us had absolutely no clue as a teenager about what would make Grown-Up Us light up. It's never to late to change careers and share your special brand of magic with the world. 8) Put some money away for a rainy day, and add to it every payday if you can. We don't know what will go wrong, but we can be sure that SOMETHING eventually will (Covid, anyone?). Having a financial buffer makes the experience less stressful. 9) Collaboration beats competition, hands-down, every time. Will someone take you for a ride? Maybe, but you can weed them out (see point 5). It's way more fun to treat everyone is a friend you haven't met yet. 10) Celebrate every gain and win, no matter how big or small. Pat yourself on the back, share it with your people (see point 5), and make a note of it somewhere to refer back to on a down day. And, because I was never very good at following rules, even when I set them myself, here's a bonus learning: 11) Hold everything lightly. Goals, plans, and dreams are great, but life unfolds as it wants to, not as we expect it to. Be prepared to start, stop, and adjust on the fly. Trust the process, stick to your values, and always lead with kindness, because you never know when you'll need some extra kindness yourself. ____________________ Image description: Hyper-realistic cartoon birthday cake. It has colourful icing & sprinkles with '10' on top. The picture is full of sprinkles, presents, cakes, balloons, streamers, and curtains. 📸: created by ChatGPT

I don't want your money, and I don't want to work with you! That is, not unless you're ready to dig deep and make changes so you can unleash your awesome ✨ I'm currently in Napier, hanging out with my cousin (who took this photo, as well as a bunch of "normal" ones that you'll see on here in the coming months). She's worked as a nurse and teacher, and we've been talking about the importance and value of being committed to lifelong learning. We've both been in positions to employ staff, and are in wholehearted agreement that the "best" candidates weren't those with immaculate qualifications or the ideal work experience. Instead, we sought out people who were willing and keen to learn, and who took risks and put in the effort to do so. Because even the most world-class coaching and training sessions are pointless if you're not prepared to do something differently. That's why I offer a free, no obligation chat to see if we're a good fit to work together. As much as I want you to get to know me and decide if I'm right for you, I'm looking for evidence that you are ready, willing, and able to make changes to what you're doing and how you're showing up in your life and work. Without that, I won't work with you. Because neither of us wins in that scenario. If you ARE keen to make some changes, and you're prepared to put in as much effort outside our 60-min sessions as you do in them, then let's talk about how we could work together. Drop me a DM or comment below. #coaching #coach #changemaker #PersonalDevelopment

Ever felt stuck and not known how to move forward? I have. Stuck sucks! Often, the stuckness comes from the way we are thinking about the situation. Martin Seligman identified 3Ps that keep us stuck - once you know them, you can use them to check your thinking, identify a course of action, and get yourself unstuck. The Three Ps are: 🎯 Pervasiveness: does this affect every area of your life? 🎯 Permanence: is this a forever-and-ever-amen thing? 🎯 Personalisation: how much of this is your "fault"? Let's use the pandemic as an example: ➡️ Pervasiveness: it felt like it had altered every aspect of our lives, but in reality, the vast majority of our lives continued the same way: we still ate, slept, drank, moved, connected, argued, created, broke up, made up, laughed, cried, rested, played, worked... ➡️ Permanence: it sometimes felt like it was never going to end, but in all of human history, every pandemic eventually comes to an end. While Covid is still with us, and can have some serious consequences, it is no longer the main thing dictating the nation's or world's choices. ➡️ Personalisation: the pandemic was not your fault; you weren't responsible for it. And everyone on earth was facing it at the same time - so you were not alone, because we share a "common humanity". So, how do you use these insights to create an action plan? ✅ Pervasiveness: remind yourself daily of what hasn't changed. Acknowledge the impact of what has changed. Look for ways to create a "new normal" for yourself and those you love. ✅ Permanence: make plans for the future. Dream about what you want to achieve. Decide what you will do today, this month, and this year to make your desired future happen. ✅ Personalisation: remind yourself that everyone who has ever lived has gone through tough times. The specifics of people's experiences will be different, but no one is untouched. Commit to treating others with the kindness you need and want. If you have the resources, do something to help someone who is doing it tougher than you: * run an errand, * donate some money, * advocate for better care and support. Not only will you help them, you'll boost your mood and wellbeing too! If you're still feeling stuck, maybe it's time to get some additional support. I'm a coach who specialises in getting people "unstuck" - let's talk. Drop me a DM and we'll book a time for a free, no-obligation chat. _________________ Hi, I’m Daria 👋🏻 ✨ I help leaders develop for good, by working in their Zone of Genius. 📖 I created The Strengths Deck and wrote Unleash Your Awesome to help you bring more of your special brand of magic to the world. ➡️ I work with teams and individuals. 💡 Follow me for ideas on how to build sustainable performance by understanding your unique strengths and developing a healthy mindset. #thinking #PositivePsychology #mindset #action #coaching