A lot of us are experiencing the call to leadership in big ways. It’s exciting, thrilling even, but it can also feel uncomfortable and risky. Getting in touch with the power of your own voice is a great way to create some solid ground to stand on.
On Saturday morning at Emerging Women Live, we did a Power Circle exercise to facilitate just that. Women got in small groups to answer the questions below. What seemed like simple answers led to some deep discoveries around old patterns and beliefs.
There’s an energy that gets sparked when women come together to explore their leadership stories. The Harvard Business Review has cited this connection as an integral step to increasing the number of women in positions of power today.
“Companies should encourage [women] to build communities in which similarly positioned women can discuss their feedback, compare notes, and emotionally support one another’s learning. Identifying common experiences increases women’s willingness to talk openly, take risks, and be vulnerable without fearing that others will misunderstand or judge them.”
Intentional conversation facilitates deeper authenticity and a lot more poetry in the way we speak to one another about our own lives. That’s why Power Circles are one the of the most powerful tools we have at Emerging Women. The quality of how we share our experience is commensurate to the quality of how we are able to show up in the world.
Take a moment to investigate your relationship with personal expression by answering the following questions. Remember, this is not a test – self-discovery is best served with tenderness and sweet curiosity. Let yourself free associate, and jot down or voice memo anything these prompts bring up for you.
We’d love to hear any insights you have. Why not start a mini Power Circle in the comments section? Sharing your voice is the first step to owning it, and there’s nothing quite like hearing a kindred spirit say, “I see you.”
And if you’re interested in the full-strength version, join a facilitated group of 7 women for Emerging Women Power Circles. Applications are being accepted now. You can email Carole Lundeen at carole@emergingwomen.com with any questions, or click the link below to check out more Power Circle themes.
