A few days ago, I met a team member again after almost five years.

Years ago, we worked together. Now she is coming back to support **Empowering Voice & Global Mindset**.

She asked if she could rejoin the team.

I asked her:

“What do you want to do the most?”

We explored different possibilities.

Then I asked:

“Five years from now, on most days, what would you love to find yourself doing?”

She thought about it and shared what came to her.

We went a little further:

“Who do you want to empower the most, and what transformation do you want to help them create?”

And after our conversation, she said something like:

“We can put that aside for now. Just tell me what you need to expand and grow your business, and I can work on that.”

We both smiled.

Because yes, I could have started there.

I could have spent three minutes telling her:

*Here is what I need. Here are the tasks. Please do these.*

It would have been much faster.

But over the years of working with team members, entrepreneurs, leaders, students and coaches, I have experienced something again and again:

People are more committed to actualizing what they have a chance to co-create.

We can spend three minutes telling someone what to do, and later wonder why they have not done it.

Or we can spend 30 minutes — sometimes even three hours when it really matters — helping someone gain clarity, connect with what matters to them, and choose what they want to take responsibility for within what we are creating together.

Then the action is not only coming from us.

It also belongs to them.

And we no longer need to carry all the weight of pushing, reminding and then feeling disappointed when someone does not take action.

Hồng Nhungg

This is one reason I increasingly appreciate 'coaching as part of speaking, sharing and leadership.'

Sometimes we share.

Sometimes we teach.

Sometimes we give very clear direction.

Sometimes we tell a story.

Sometimes we challenge.

And sometimes we listen and ask one more question.

Leadership is knowing what the moment and the person need.

And much of this becomes possible through 'relationship and permission.'

When people trust us and allow us to walk with them, we can move naturally between:

Speaking × Listening

Sharing × Asking

Inspiring × Coaching

Leading × Co-creating

A speaker has something valuable to say.

A messenger carries something meaningful.

And as leaders, we can use our voice to create space for 'another person's voice to emerge.'

This is one evolution of leadership I deeply appreciate:

'My voice does not have to become smaller for your voice to become stronger.'

We can grow both.

And from there, we can create something together.

With love & gratitude,

Your Jen,

Joy. Empowerment. Nature.

#RebirthLeadership #JenCoaching #EmpoweringVoice #CoachingLeadership #NextLeaders #Leadership #GlobalMindset