Amongst leaders, there are some that stand out as inspirational and effective. This usually does not come easy no matter how these leaders seem to ease along. It takes a lot of commitment and effort to be one of the best, just like in any field in life.

Here is my proven 4-Step approach to becoming the leader you aim to be.

Step 1: Self-perception "Who and How are you as a leader"

Step 2: Vision "How do you aspire to be as a leader?"

Step 3: Reality Check "How are you perceived as a leader?"

Step 4: Action "What are my next steps to be the leader I want to be?"

Sounds straight forward? It is. You just need to do it!

Follow my proven program. We start on the 10th of October. This is a program that I developed when training to be an even better leadership coach. More details in the blog.

These days, in the workplace, there is a tendency towards a more democratic and less directive style of leadership and management.

A democratic leader involves the whole team in the decision-making process and values cooperation. As such, democratic leadership at work has many similarities with coaching.

A coach helps people find answers rather than telling them what to do. Coaches trust their coachees to be able to find solutions and believe that everyone has the potential to learn.

Leaders who adopt a coaching attitude to managing people want to empower their direct reports and their teams. Such leaders want to develop a workforce that is effective, creative, and able to make decisions without prompting.

For modern leaders, acquiring coaching skills helps them to empower and motivate their staff.

In the blog, I share 5 Reasons why Leaders need Coaching skills.

There are many triggers for conflicts:
A wrong word from a colleague, careless feedback from the boss or the rubbish not being taken down can lead to arguments. Conflicts can be exhausting.

They cost energy, time and often nerves. Nevertheless, it is worth not overlooking the potential that these small and larger crises bring with them: For friction always holds opportunities to solve problems, to come closer together and to promote mutual growth. And even if the word conflict has negative connotations for most people, disagreements also have positive sides. Proper conflict management is the magic word here - because those who master the art of dealing with conflicts in the right way can not only emerge stronger from them, but also bring with them important know-how for leadership positions.

This blog includes powerful tips related to resolving conflict.

It is essential for managers in particular to master conflict management. The earlier conflicts are recognized and suitable solutions found, the more harmonious teamwork usually is. However, if conflicts simmer unnoticed in the underground, the failure of a team is virtually pre-programmed. The mood becomes bad, the work results unsatisfactory and, in the worst case, it can lead to dismissals.

For the manager, good conflict management also means having to put up with the emotions of different team members and, in case of doubt, making unpopular decisions. Of course, no one likes to make themselves unpopular - and yet sometimes there is no way around it as a leader. Conflict is a part of everyone’s life. They will happen to you eventually, and often when you least expect them. They may not be not pleasant, but they are something that you must deal with. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize the impact of these conflicts.

It takes hard work, courage and taking risks to be a leader. You have to be able to find solutions to problems and make things better while not falling apart yourself. Being a leader means being a role model for people to follow and doing things that will help the community, your employees or even the world be improved. The job of a good leader is to help others do their best by demonstrating specific attitudes, behaviors and skills that inspire and guide others to follow you.
Leadership has changed a great deal in the past few years. In the past leadership was viewed as you being the expert and everyone following you. Leaders of today not only build their business but create products and services that help improve the world, or at least a small portion of the world.

I will be 20 years with Adidas this year (2022).

An exciting number: no longer young and inexperienced. Still wild and brave. And to mark the occasion, I'm giving away 20 coaching sessions of 45 minutes each via Zoom to women who currently have a professional problem they'd like to get rid of.

Who I'm giving this to, what's in it for you, what's the catch, and how it works, I answer all that in this blog.

At some point, it's quite likely life will put you into a position where you will have to delegate something to someone and tell them how to do it. If you are like most people, you might feel like you're not up to the task initially.
This blog starts with the keys to communication. It will also explore different delegation styles.

How to delegate is part of my 90-day program MOVE UP! the first 90 days for leaders (first-time leaders and when changing roles). This program is as well beneficial when you want to prepare yourself for your next leadership transition.

Career inspiration comes in different forms. Here I am sharing my selection of the best reads for first-time managers, seasoned leaders, or even management hopefuls. Learn from the best leaders and advance in your career. The links are leading to one big source, however, please visit your local bookshop.

The books are my personal recommendation only, this is not paid advertisement and no affiliate links.

As a leader and leadership coach I read, learned and experienced a lot about leadership. Leadership is crucial to any organization. Without good leadership, the company is set to fail or suffer a great loss. Good leadership is mainly about the ability to influence your followers and guiding them on a journey to reaching set goals. To achieve this, there are certain things a leader will have to do or be. Of course, there is no one way of leading, and as such, different leadership styles, and institutional goals will require the leader to do or be different things based on what works best for the situation at hand.

I am sharing my personal TOP 10 with you. In my mentoring and coaching most of the time we come back to one of these points. In my coaching MOVE UP! I focus on leadership: the soft skills, the mindset and the practical techniques to lead with ease, confidence and fun. Click here if you want to join the course to get the most recent information.

This blog includes nine powerful tips and three actionable steps you can take right away.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are desperate to jump in and say your piece, but instead, you stew in silence? If you can relate to this, you might have trouble speaking up. This is a serious issue. If you aren't willing or able to speak up for yourself, rest assured that no one else will either. No concerns, issues, questions, or solutions you might have in your head will ever materialize if you can't speak up at the right time. If you'd like to be the type of person who speaks up when their best interests are at stake, please consider these nine tips.

Being an introvert doesn’t mean you won’t ever master networking. It means you might need to put a little more thought into what you’re doing than an extrovert does. It also means you’re going to have to pay closer attention to your energy levels as you network, and that you’ll need to be kind to yourself when you find your energy flagging.

It also means that you’ll more likely make deeper and longer-lasting connections than extroverts. That’s because introverts typically make for great listeners.

If you’re an introvert, take heart. You’re about to experience some of the best social interactions in your life. In my course SHOW UP! I give you the tips and tricks you need to have to build your network.

I've noticed 2 behaviors that get in the way of many talented women from landing a promotion:

Reluctance to talk about their accomplishments.

Expecting others to notice their contributions

you need to make sure that you're communicating your value and you're also communicating what your desires are, what your interests are. What are your plans for the next six months, the next year? Are you looking at other opportunities in the organization? Let them know what your plans are.

You are the pilot of your life and you are owning your career. At the end of the day, no one else is going to do it for you.

In her course SHOW UP! Katharina Engelhardt starts exactly with this topic.

The difference between show up and show off is what is happening in your mind. The main difference is how you and others perceive a message. We should not stop ourselves from showing up and feel good because we are afraid of the possibility of being judged. It is crucial for yourself to show up, be seen and receive feedback.

Showing up means you become visible. When you are not visible, you can not be seen. The positive effects of showing up outweigh the negative effects.

In her course SHOW UP! Katharina Engelhardt start exactly with this topic.

The elevator pitch is one tool to introduce yourself to someone in a compelling way to set up for a successful professional conversation. It makes introductions during networking and job search simple and effective. Your elevator pitch should answer the following questions: Who are you? What do you do? State what makes you different. What do you want? Include an attention-grabbing hook. Keep your pitch simple and tailored to the audience. It is recommended to invest time into your elevator speech and prepare it when you are not under pressure. During my course SHOW UP! you will work on your Elevator Pitch and get feedback in a safe environment. This course is a good forum to prepare and practice. We start mid-September after the summer break.

Imagine what your life would be like if you could teach yourself to enjoy a little Discomfort now and again.

No, no one wants to live in the Discomfort Zone 24/7/365. It would become too stressful and a sure recipe for burnout. We really do need downtime now and again, making the Comfort Zone not just a good idea but necessary for good mental health.

But consider looking at time spent in the Discomfort Zone as a challenge, something to conquer, a place where you'll become your best self. After all, it's all these things and more.

In this blog series you've learned about the Comfort Zone's role and what it means to step into Discomfort. You've seen how growth happens through the times where we challenge ourselves the most. You've even learned a system to make Discomfort work for you.

Not that this isn’t hard work. If you want to use this system, you will have to commit to following the steps and putting the effort in to move forward. You're going to get back what you put into it, though, so you know your effort will pay off.

You’re going to grow. Change. Become your best self.

Welcome to the Discomfort Zone. As a career coach Katharina Engelhardt can help you to go through these phases faster. Join my GLOW UP! program where we dive into self-leadership so that you stay committed to yourself.

Comfort is all about staying safe. It is all about things being predictable and life without demands. Comfort can be a very good thing – unless you want to grow and succeed in life. Comfort keeps us where we are, giving us no reason to challenge ourselves, learn new things, or discover what we're capable of doing.

Imagine what your life would be like if you could teach yourself to enjoy a little Discomfort now and again.

Getting out of the comfort zone requires self-leadership. I can support you with my 1:1 coaching or my group coaching program. GLOW UP!

There is a danger to Comfort Zones we all know this. How can you tell when you’ve gone too far? These are the 7 signs you are in the comfort zone:
Life Feels Boring or Even Stagnant, You’re Not Applying What You’ve Learned, You’re Dreaming but Not Doing, You’ve Been on Break a Really Long Time, You’ve Lost Your Flexibility, You’re Being Held Back.
Now consider this: if you stay too long in one comfort zone, you’ll never discover another. What if you’re missing out on a better comfort zone by not striving through to the next level? Imagine where you could be next!
Imagine what your life would be like if you could teach yourself to enjoy a little Discomfort now and again.
Getting out of the comfort zone requires self-leadership. I can support you with my 1:1 coaching or my group coaching program. GLOW UP!

Comfort Zones aren’t bad things. In fact, there’s quite a lot to recommend them. Consider these benefits of the Comfort Zone:

You Know What’s Expected, You Have Time to Learn New Things, Comfort Zones Give Room for Daydreams, You Give Your Body a Break, You Have Time for a Social Life, You Regain a Measure of Control, Everything Seems Easier and You keep the balance

In short, with a clear understanding of expectations, no real challenges, and nothing to upset what you’re doing, your daily life is stripped down to one of simplicity. There are no complications where there’s no change.

As you can see, it’s not only desirable to be within your Comfort Zone, it’s absolutely necessary to visit there now and again. We all need space to find ourselves again, to rest and recharge. Without time spent in your Comfort Zone, you will eventually burn out, mentally and physically.

Next week we will dive into why and how The Comfort Zone is holding us back.