Well, hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of Leap to Lead.

I'm your host, Jacqueline Schuminger.

And on this podcast, we help people elevate their connections, create deeper courage, and create also greater impact.

And today I have an amazing guest on Susan Hensley.

And let me just give you a little background on Susan as I pull up her bio.

So just to give you background, she is actually quite amazing.

So Susan is a transformational coach, speaker, and author.

She is dedicated to helping people navigate life transitions with joy, creativity, and resilience.

She has decades of experience in corporate and corporate executive and leadership coaching.

Now, she also draws on her extensive background in hr, her coaching and journalism to pursue her mission, which is to empower people to unlock their inner wisdom, creativity, and sense of play during times, times of uncertainty and change.

So, Susan, welcome to the podcast.

I'm so glad to have you on.

Oh, thank you, Jacqueline.

I'm really, really happy to be here.

These are my favorite topics about how we can be more present and better leaders.

What are some of the habits we can build to, to lead us to, you know, the success path we're meant to be on?

Yes.

Right.

So with your experience, I'd love to hear your take, you know, that we're, we want to help our listeners, you know, with nuggets of, of how they can take that leap to lead.

And in your experience, you know, with hr, how have you found or what has your coaching been to help those leaders, you know, make a shift so that they not only elevate themselves, but elevate their team?

Yeah.

You know, it's a, it's a great question because I think there's a pretty simple answer.

But it's hard to do like all, like all truths, and it is to be as authentic and transparent while being professional.

So sometimes I think people confuse authenticity and transparency with dumping their freak out.

Right.

Like when we get stressed.

It's very true and transparent, but it doesn't mean you have to hear every terrifying thought.

In my mind, what you need to hear is, I'm really overwhelmed at this moment.

I need to step away and get my thoughts in order.

I find that when leaders become, and I will say I'm going to use the word like really present, I just become exceptional at self awareness and self management because in the pace of the day, things are coming in and out, right?

There's, there's texts, there's emails, there's meetings, there's people trying to contact you from every conceivable source right on your computer.

There's all these different things going on to be able to take a moment and express when the overwhelm, when the irritation, when the frustration that we all experience.

Right.

We weren't built to have this many distractions and have our attention pulled in so many directions.

We just haven't evolved in that manner to be able to step away and regroup.

I was meeting with a client just last week and this individual has moved into a C suite position and is really struggling with the learning curve and where to focus.

And we were talking, we spent a lot of time about going big picture to narrow picture, but allowing time and going back and forth and even sharing, whether it's a drive by into the office, it's a text, and what's the discipline of not looking at them?

What's the discipline of calendar management?

Allowing yourself time to ask yourself, where am I?

Am I in a learning mode?

Am I in a doing mode?

Am I in a delegating mode?

Am I in a communicating mode will just help.

It's very hard to do, but that simple, transparent communication, I think is the difference.

That was a long answer.

No, no, no.

It's a. Yeah, yeah.

But going back to it, that's what I think it is.

I think it's so important what you just said too, and there's parts of it in there to being able to share the vulnerability when you as a leader are feeling that overwhelmed to be able to say to your team, hey guys, you know what?

I need a minute.

I don't mean to close the door, but I need to regroup.

It also shows your team that you're human.

Right.

And that builds trust.

Right, Right.

And, and it's true.

You don't need to throw up on people as to what's coming out of your brain or the.

Or.

And I don't want to, I don't want to say fears, but like, I don't know, a leader who doesn't have the fear of leading or the imposter syndrome or like, why am I here?

Like we always people second guess, but you're there for a reason and you've gotten there.

We need to believe in ourselves, but we don't need to throw up our, our, the negative thoughts on the team.

We just need to let the team know we need a minute.

Right.

Yeah.

I think that is one of those things that has been.

Well, it's hard to get right.

Because.

Right.

In understanding that a certain amount of vulnerability and authenticity is what builds trust, what builds commitment, what creates those engagement bonds that leaders want.

It is hard to figure out what that looks like.

And in the self discipline of I need a minute sharing I feel X it whatever way and then doing it.

There's.

It's important to differentiate because people want to follow a leader who appears to have vision and, and command but not be commanding and controlling.

Right.

In our most fearful self doubting moments.

Because to your point we all suffer from imposter syndrome and for a long time I think many people think they are the only ones.

It's really interesting.

In the years and years of coaching I've done, everyone feels it but when they share it with you it's like their own shameful secret.

Right.

I don't ever, I don't laugh the way I just did with you.

And it's, it's one of those things that just that ability to say there are anyone who says they've never felt it.

I actually worry about their mental, their mental health right there shows me there isn't.

There may not be an appropriate level of self awareness.

Right.

And it's true but it's, and it's also you know building that trust is so important and being able to reflect on how you are as a leader.

You know and I, you know it's like the good, the bad and the ugly and it's not that it's really ugly.

It's more like what could I have done better?

Like I didn't do that great.

But that's okay.

I.

As long as you learn right.

Like if you keep doing the same habit over and over again, maybe we've got an issue.

But if you can learn from it and even let your team know, hey you know what, I didn't do that.

Very well that that self reflection allows once again it builds trust and it can also help your team level set you.

They may say you may have be very hard on yourself.

I've certainly seen teams say actually understand it wasn't that bad or in the next time we can do this.

I, I think there's a tool I really like to use in a and I'm not always a huge fan of like fun team building exercises.

I like teamwork that's around setting guiding principles where we're really working on how we're going to work together.

I think it's terrific to, to have fun together and to know each other differently.

But I have found the most effective team exercises as a leader is where we really come together and say how are we going to manage certain things and allowing the team to create three to five guiding principles.

I mean I'VE had ones about ruthless prioritization, you know, assume misalignment because that gets people moving into a difficult project with a certain amount of grace, if you will.

One team came up with bitch and moan and move on.

You know, sort of excuse my, my language, but there was a major change going on with a lot of regulation and things people didn't like.

Right.

That felt like it was being done to them.

Right.

If any of your listeners work in a highly regulated environment.

Right.

And that really helped.

It became an acronym and people would just recognize it and realize they needed to move on.

So that, that act of working with teams as the leader, where you come up with, if you will, three to five key catchphrases on your guiding principles, it becomes a shorthand and it creates, if you will, a, almost a grace and a way to move through when we're not and, and our team members aren't our best and highest selves.

Right.

You know, I absolutely love that.

And listeners, I think, please, like that is such a huge insight and because it does a couple of things.

Right.

So number one, it gets your team working together.

Right.

That's number one.

Number two, you as a leader aren't saying we're doing it this way.

Right.

And the great leader incorporates a team and lets them figure it out and come up with it.

So it, they own it.

That's that ownership, that camaraderie, them making up the funny acronym that they understand, the, the posting it, the shorthand binds that team and you to each other more quickly than any other activity I've, I've seen because it's very easy to, you know, you have a planning meeting or a strategy meeting or you do an off site, I don't know, you do an escape room, you do a ropes course, whatever.

Different things come in and out.

All good.

I have seen in the years.

And it was a consultant that introduced this to me.

So it's not my original thing.

Once I Learned it about 20 years ago, every single team, whether it was international teams, whether it was cross functional teams for major software installations, whatever it was, we would do it.

And the teams consistently loved it.

And as a leader, it took the onus quite honestly off me from being the answer person and said, this is actually how this team team likes to work.

These are their phrases.

And it was really a great chance for me to empower the team, but also understand how it fit, how they wanted, if you will, to be led.

Yes.

And that's so important.

So I keep thinking of that.

I love that.

Mona Move on.

That is like.

I'm like, did they call it BM Squared?

Bmm?

I'm like, you know, yes, they did.

They did A squared.

And they actually put it on mugs at one point.

I love it.

And they would just smile when they would see it.

And then it was a large company and then when they would share it, it also sort of spread the words.

This is cohesive team.

This is a team that likes each other.

This is a team that understands things are hard.

We may not like them, and it's a waste of energy.

So it's not that they would shut off their mind and say, this is hard.

They would allow themselves that moment, but it wasn't a deep energy suck.

It was a recognition of, ah, right.

And then.

And move on.

So, yes, that's been one of my favorites over the years.

I love that.

I totally love that.

So great.

So tell me a little bit.

You know.

You know, I have a book, and in that book, it's actually a workbook.

And we, we created.

There's journal prompts.

And There are also 30 days of reflection.

And I want to talk to you a little bit.

And because you have your book art for your sanity.

And it's, you know, it's great.

I need to get a copy of it myself.

I apolog.

I haven't gotten one yet, but.

And I will put a link, by the way, to everybody into the notes people to grab a link to it.

But I wanted to talk to you about, you know, the impact journaling has on leadership because I, you know, obviously I. I totally believe in it, but I'm curious as to how you came to that conclusion as well and also acted on it.

Sure.

I have journal since I was a young adult.

My first career was in television journalism.

I've had two fairly significant careers.

So I've always used that to help me process written journaling.

And I think it's amazing because it takes the noise in your head, slows it down, gets it out, puts it on a page and allows you to start to release what you're feeling and start to gain some reflection.

Because it's usually never quite as bad.

And sometimes it takes a while to burn off whatever the intense emotions you're feeling are if you're in a really good place and you're writing things you're grateful for.

Right.

That just continues to promote what's working.

Well.

There's a tool I use with a lot of my clients which, once again, none of this is original.

I gained it in a certification score which is really the weekly wisdom download.

And it's as much what worked, what didn't and sort of the why, what's the reflection?

Was it my headspace?

Was it an ill conceived, whatever, facilitation, meeting, project, who knows?

And then what do I wish I had done?

What were the places where I wish I had been braver, quieter.

Right.

Whatever that may be.

That's a great tool.

Where are playing with art for me came in.

So having used the tools, I just talked to the written reflection and then sort of the weekly review.

I started playing with art journal with art few years ago.

I had a colleague probably eight, nine years ago now.

But a great, I mean time goes by so fast.

Terrific side hustle as an artist, right.

This is well before COVID And few of us were standing around, you know, at work talking.

Everyone's like, I can't draw a stick figure.

And she's like, hey, come over on a Saturday.

We'll have some wine, cheese, whatever.

I'll spend a couple hours.

I'll teach you guys something about art.

So I went over two hours.

I remember it was a rainy Saturday and she was teaching there, only about four or five of us.

The color wheel.

And I sat in the corner with some paint and I just started to play.

It was like my inner 5 year old came alive.

I. I made, literally, I made a brown mess.

I didn't wait for the paint to dry and I managed to get like, you know, purple and blue and red.

It was brown.

Loved it.

And in all of my, my coaching, my journaling, the self reflection, it's the biggest tip I have for people who do that work is what sparks joy, what just lights you up.

And I recognize that play.

I was at a point in my life raising a family.

I was executive big, I mean big.

Everything I had no play.

I had like nothing I would really consider even a hobby because of the pace of my life.

And so I just started to simply play with art.

Inexpensive art supplies, the stuff you get at the whatever dollar store target, right?

Wherever you Michael, wherever you get stuff.

But very inexpensive.

So it didn't kick off the inner artist.

And I'd spend a few minutes journaling, but I would sit there with a crayon sometimes while I was, you know, quite honestly waiting for water to boil.

I'm making pasta for dinner, right?

Or something.

And instead of maybe picking up my phone and scrolling or doing something else, I would start to, to draw and really double down during COVID I worked all during COVID Very difficult time to be Working for those that were fortunate enough to be employed.

The work was really hard and very chaotic during that time.

And I found that playing with art, similar to writing, but the art gave me the endorphins, if you will, and the dopamine hits of play.

But it was also capturing fear, quite honestly, rage, frustration in a really safe way, and helping me to process difficult emotions much more quickly than the written journaling did.

And afterwards.

Right.

Many years later, I ended up writing the book, doing the research about why was this even more effective for me and other people.

And it's because play silence is the inner critic.

Many times when I'm journaling, my critic is still going and I'm analyzing the playing with color.

The plane with art was creating a place to.

To process that emotion, but really from a point of curiosity and what's next?

And also, I mean, it's.

It seems to be out there everywhere.

And the research shows it that one of the best antidotes to anxiety is creativity.

And inadvertently, all those years ago, that's what was helping because I was very anxious during that Covid period, both for the people in my life, some of the people in my life, elderly people, people with health issues, the work, job, and moving to creativity just quelched that anxious mind I had.

So in that sense, I think a person experiencing a lot of anxiety, moving to something creative can really help to manage it almost better than breathing exercises and other things, because you've got an output that's based on sort of, if you will, play and curiosity.

Yeah.

You know, and I.

As you're talking, I'm thinking about the high school student or the college student or whatever.

And, you know, it's the, you know, the, the doodle drawing.

Right.

That you.

Yeah, that's exactly right.

And as.

And.

And how that for so many people, while they're listening into a lecture, they'll doodle not because they're bored, because it helps calm nerves.

It helps them.

You know, it's like that fidget, like.

Right.

Yeah, Something so I can.

I mean, I used to.

You know, that's what I just kept thinking about.

It's like.

It's that.

That ability to calm down and.

And draw something and, And.

And then if you take it to that next level of play.

I also think about how so many people use art as a way to calm what's in their mind from something that has negatively happened or something like the big trauma thing.

So I'm ab.

Absolutely.

And I was just looking at somebody's.

You know, I went on To Facebook to check something this morning, because I was commenting on somebody and I wanted to see how they were doing, because sometimes that's like the only way you can communicate with people, but that's a whole other story.

And I just saw somebody's post.

The art actually caught my eye.

And what was the art was this gentleman has IDF soldier came back and he has created just beautiful art.

And he said, like his post was, I needed to come.

What was in my head.

Yeah.

And.

And there's.

And.

And I'm thinking about so many other artists that have been out there that you have done amazing things.

And a lot of it comes from the calming the head, the brain.

Yeah.

No, Jacqueline, you're absolutely right.

It is.

I mean, art therapy for.

For children, for people suffering from ptsd, for people who've had, you know, extreme trauma.

What art does, and there's really good research out there, is it gives voice to things we can't actually articulate because it is tapping into the.

What your body is feeling, what you can't maybe even process.

The art journaling that.

That I did and what I love and why I always say art journaling, similar to your written journal, you don't show it to anyone.

So some of these people, these amazing things are.

People put them out in the world and this.

The plane with it.

And why I love it is when it's just for you, there is no.

There's no judgment.

There's no judgment.

And you're able to stay curious and playful and just express.

If I want to draw a little screaming faces, if I want to draw hearts.

And I really.

In the workshops and different things I teach, I have people go back to what they used to doodle and doodlings key as a kid or in high school, because we all sort of have.

Go to symbols.

And it's funny as I've done these workshops, people have different things.

Bunnies, trees, houses, geometric shapes, you know, hearts, whatever it may be.

Because it was a form of relaxation and a way to help you focus.

And you.

You said it beautifully.

You're sort of taking that nervous energy, so then your mind can either listen in the lecture or focus.

And you're doing something with that.

That energy that is soothing.

Right?

Yeah.

So.

So I'd love to kind of bring this back to.

Also to leadership, because how.

How do you.

Or I should say, not even just leadership, but.

But actually leaping to that level of next level of success.

Right.

So how do you.

How do you feel that this does create that impact to help somebody take A leap, sure.

I think where I have seen it be most effective is during times of change and transition.

So whether you are taking an expic job, taking a different assignment, going through extremely turbulent times in your, your, your business, whatever that may look like, providing yourself with an outlet doesn't need to be more than 10 minutes a day where you can become aware of what you may not be giving voice to.

Because we all have ideas in our head called success scripts of what it looks like to be a leader, what it like to be successful.

Right.

We get those from when we're children, from, you know, from families, from teachers, TV shows.

TV shows, right.

Think of all the messages we get of what it looks like.

You've got that running in the back of your head, which in many cases can be running against what needs to happen, what is true to you, the environment you're in.

I mean, we're in times that if you're running a business are really unknown, depending, you know, but different economic headwinds and, and pressures.

And I think it's important people find a way to, if you will, get into their right brain, that more holistic and intuitive side.

Because in business we tend to use and in leadership, the left brain all the time, the very, very logical.

I think if you can balance it, you become a much stronger leader.

And it really does help you if you will make that leap to the, to the next level.

And we're living in a period where that's really critical people.

We all need to make a leap to adjust to what is changing very quickly, whether it's because of AI or rather it's the, the different environments we're in.

It's.

I think it's really imperative we make a leap.

And using our whole brain is really important.

I don't know that that this clear A to B to C, C works because we really haven't seen beyond a certain point.

Right.

I, you know what?

You know, I so appreciate this because I think it is so important to help leaders.

Become humble and.

Right.

I was trying to think of what that word was.

It makes you humble.

It humbles you when you can actually sit down and reflect and take that time.

It's amazing what it does.

Amazing what it's so important.

So, Susan, I could talk to you for absolutely hours.

I think what you are doing is absolutely fantastic.

And helping people using their creativity and make it come out is so important because I think it also helps do something like take this and put it away.

And that is huge.

Right.

I mean, look at us.

They're not more than two inches from us, and yet the time without it.

And I so appreciate this conversation.

Is, yes, we're looking at each other, although, you know, we are apart.

But no one's checking their phone.

Mine's on silence.

And the level of presence you recognize most of the day.

You're not doing that if you.

If you wear a smartwatch.

Like, I do it.

It's vibrating all day.

I put mine on theater during our conversation, just.

And it feels like a spa treatment.

That's the worst thing is our attention's become so fragmented that to have this time just with you talking to Jacqueline with no buzzing and vibrating and dinging is like a massage.

Right.

You know, and it's so funny that you say that about, like, the watches.

I had a watch.

I used it for.

I. I love to cycle and be outside and hike and, you know, I'm a goofy nut tracking not my steps, but my.

Like, how many calories.

Yeah.

Like, I really need to.

But whatever.

But I was.

Even though I put it on silent and like.

And even the vibration, I didn't want that.

I don't want to know.

I want it on like that.

Do not disturb.

I want no contact.

And I found that I become hyper aware when I see or having a conversation with somebody and they do this.

Yeah.

And honestly, for me, that's a flag.

Like, because now I think just what you just said, you're not actually listening.

As soon as that buzzes, you've lost concentration, and you are not focusing on this conversation or the conversation we're having, your mind starts to go someplace else.

And so if we can help calm the brain with that, help people take the buzzing off and be more present, I think it's going to be.

It's a beautiful thing.

I do, too.

I. Yeah.

Jack and I couldn't agree with you more.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yeah.

All right.

So, Susan, how do people connect with you?

Learn more about all of your greatness and wisdom?

Sure.

Easiest way is my website, which is just susan-hensley.com.

there's a contact me button.

I answer any and all questions that the books there, you know, videos.

There's a free PDF on how to start art journaling.

So that's the best way.

All right, great.

Well, Susan, I so appreciate you being a guest on the podcast and listeners.

I'm sure you've gotten great wisdom and insight from this.

So please do me the favor of going to Susan's website, clicking on the contact button, and connecting with her, and then also make sure that you do me the next favor, which is hit subscribe and also share this podcast with your friends and colleagues because I will guarantee you they will get greatness out of this too and appreciate it.

So I appreciate you Susan for being on and this is Jacqueline Strominger.

I am your host of Leap to Lead and thank you all for listening.