Last week we explored leadership insights from that elite group of warriors known as the Navy SEALS, well trained for combat in extreme, uncertain and unstable times. This week we take a different perspective, still very much within the scope of leading through a crisis, dealing with an enemy, riding the emotional roller coaster of our entirely changed lives but this time through the lens of a wartime refugee. What can we learn from her experience? How did she make the shift from victim to inspirational coach? Why this crisis can be a source for creativity to flourish and why authentic leadership is so important right now – TODAY!
In this episode you’ll meet Mira Griffiths, Mira grew up in the time of the civil war in the country previously known as Yugoslavia, she and her family had to flee the city she was born in and leave everything to be destroyed during the war. Mira has since lived and worked in Serbia, UAE & Germany and her work has always been related to helping people overcome the consequences of physical and psychological trauma, loss and pain in their life in general, relationships, work, and the future. Helping them understand who they are and how their experience is created which consequently brings back authenticity, aliveness, courage, creativity, joy, love and compassion back in their lives.
Mira has a BSc in Physiotherapy, Advanced Diploma in Hypnotherapy, Counselling and Psychology, Diploma in CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and Advanced Pain Management, and she has completed her NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Masters, is a Certified NLP and Certified Clarity Coach. She also studied emotions and human behavior through the Paul Eckman International Institute. Mira is a co-founder along with her husband, Peter Griffiths of The Mind Takeaway, a company committed to supporting leaders to grow and become the best that they can be. Mira and Peter have created a groundbreaking online program people can join from any part of the world, visit https://www.themindtakeaway.com/authentic-leadership-project for more information or contact Mira directly via email info@themindtakeaway.com
Mira and Peter firmly believe the world needs more compassionate and authentic leaders who are able to meet the complex needs of the everchanging environments we live and work in.
[Transcript]
[00:00:00] Welcome to the finding gravitas podcast brought to you by gravitas Detroit, looking to become a more authentic leader. Finding gravitas is the podcast for you. Gravitas is the ultimate leadership quality that draws people in it's an irresistible force encompassing all the traits of authentic leadership, junior podcast, host Jan Griffis, that passionate rebellious farmer's daughter from Wales, entrepreneur leadership, coach keynote speaker, one of the top 100 leading women in the automotive industry.
[00:00:39] As she interviews some of the finest leadership minds in the quest. For gravitas,
[00:00:49] Jan: [00:00:49] it's April, 2020, and it's springtime. I hear birds chirping in the background. The sun comes out from time to time and I see little green shoots coming up in the [00:01:00] garden signs of life, time to feel alive, although it's hard to feel that way. Isn't it? Because we are right in the middle of the pandemic. We are leading our lives.
[00:01:13] Ourselves, our teams, our business, maybe even our industry through this crisis, the Corona virus crisis. And last week we went straight to. That elite group of warriors for insight and guidance on leading through this crisis, because we are very much in a war time scenario, the enemy is unseen and somewhat unknown and certainly uncertain.
[00:01:43] And we went straight to Nick Norris. A Navy seal to give us his insights and guidance on what it's like to lead and live in that kind of environment this week. I want to stay with the war theme, [00:02:00] but switch it to a different, completely different perspective. There are casualties to a war and we can learn so much from them.
[00:02:14] Today, you're going to meet mirror Griffiths, no relation. I know she sounds like she might be Mira and her husband run a company called the mind takeaway based in Berlin in Germany, we share a common bond and a mission to develop authentic leaders for the future. Nearer grew up in the time of civil war in a country, previously known as Yugoslavia.
[00:02:46] She and her family had to flee the city. She was born in and leave everything to be destroyed during the war. She was indeed a refugee. She has since lived and worked in Serbia, the UAE and [00:03:00] Germany and her work has always been related to helping people overcome the consequences of physical and psychological trauma loss and pain in their life and helping them understand who they are and how that experience is created.
[00:03:18] And. Brings back authenticity, this feeling of being alive of courage, of creativity and of joy back into their lives. Neeraj is more than qualified. Tried to speak to us on this issue of authentic leadership after going through something so traumatic, not only because of her experience as a refugee. But because of what she's done since then, Mira has a BSC in physiotherapy and advanced diploma in hypnotherapy counseling and psychology, a diploma in CBT, which is cognitive behavioral therapy, [00:04:00] and also has completed her.
[00:04:01] NLP masters, which is neuro linguistic programming. She's a certified NLP and certified clarity coach. She also studied emotions and human behavior through the Paul Ackman international Institute. So she's more. Then qualified to help us understand what's happening here in our lives. And how do we make this the most authentic, yes, challenging and exhilarating leadership experience of our lives.
[00:04:37] Mirror is the co-founder of the mind to take away our company that she runs with her husband, Peter Griffiths. They are committed to developing more compassionate and authentic leaders who are able to meet the complex needs of the ever-changing environments. We live and work in. And you can find more about [00:05:00] the main takeaway in the show notes.
[00:05:02] So please welcome Mira Griffiths.
[00:05:07] Mira: [00:05:07] Thank you. And thank you very much for having me.
[00:05:10] Jan: [00:05:10] It is great to have you here. And as I said in the intro today, I really want our listeners to learn from you from the other side of war, the refugee. So mirror, what's your story.
[00:05:27] Mira: [00:05:27] Well, venava spells war started back home, but.
[00:05:32] You know, what can be learned from it is that nobody knew that this is going to happen. Nobody believe that, you know, your neighbors will suddenly become your enemies. And nobody believed that they will lose their homes and had to have to move. And lots of people went in different countries. Some people never like, for example, my father never went back to see, uh, where he lived before [00:06:00] the war and.
[00:06:03] What I've learned is that anything, anything can happen. Anytime we learn via live in uncertainty all the time. I mean, we call this situation and, you know, big uncertainty, what's going to happen with the economy and with companies and with our own health, with our families. But they are nuts more or less certain right now than we were before it happened for me.
[00:06:39] Life is one big uncertainty and it took me time to understand that, to stop controlling the future and actually be more in the present. Be more myself. And in that way, navigate what is happening right now, much better, a bit, [00:07:00] much more confidence that I can deal with everything that happens. Not just me, but every other human in this, on this planet.
[00:07:09] VR builds to survive. Can you
[00:07:12] Jan: [00:07:12] tell us a little bit about this? I mean, it's, it's shocking to hear that your neighbor becomes your enemy. And to a certain extent, everybody seems like the enemy today in the pandemic, because we're, we're terrified, right. To interact with another human being in case we, we. We get the virus.
[00:07:32] Um, so tell us a little bit about what, what that must have felt like, and if you could just give us some background, uh, to what was happening in Yugoslavia at the time.
[00:07:42] Mira: [00:07:42] Okay. So, uh, what happened then is that for many, many, many generations, uh, Serbs and creations lived in. In Croatia, um, in Yugoslavia, in Cretia Yugoslavia had six republics at a time and each [00:08:00] Republic had a different name, but basically they were all under one Federation and had one.
[00:08:06] One precedent. Uh, what happened is that some countries decided to split some politicians, uh, of their republics, individual republics decided to split. And what they did is they created lots of fear amongst the people they started. Creating separation between the people. Uh, they started, you know, stories were coming out that, you know, your neighbor is creation or your neighbor is Serbian.
[00:08:35] If you know, opposite from what you, what you are, uh, by, by background, by history, not even a nationality. And, um, and then they were. Not once to create a separation between people, you, you start telling them that the other one wants to kill them, or is trying to find an opportunity to do that. [00:09:00] Then people start feeling very insecure, very scared.
[00:09:04] They stop. Believing what they actually know. They stop believing that those people are their friends and they're connected much more than even relatives because you know, who is going to help you more than your first door neighbor when you need it. And they, they, you forget, you know, they forget what they knew to be true.
[00:09:29] And because of fear, they, um, they made stupid decisions. They, they actually started war people really, really. I mean, I've heard stories that I can't even believe they're are true, but you know, they are that their mother left her children because the father was from a different nationality. It's unbelievable.
[00:09:59] Jan: [00:09:59] Yeah, [00:10:00] that's, that's crazy. How will this fear, how does that, I mean, your, your basic existence is being threatened, right? When you, when you, when you're talking about war and I think there's. There's a lot of that going on right now. Right. People's very basic existence is being threatened. People are losing their job.
[00:10:21] They're concerned about food. They're concerned about toilet paper. You know, we know that's a sort of, it's a thing right now. Um, but that, that fear, how did that play out? Did you see a lot of that sort of hoarding mentality? He at the time?
[00:10:36] Mira: [00:10:36] Well, not at the time, because I think what was happening then is that you had to, um, You had to leave, you had to survive.
[00:10:47] So I've remembered that my mother didn't even take photos. She just grabbed some valuables that were at home and, and her bank card, and then [00:11:00] be left to be the only had one little suitcase of summer clothes because we just believed we were going to beat back home very quickly. Uh, so, um, Yeah, you just really are surviving in that moment.
[00:11:13] But what I've noticed is that people who were using the situation, there were people who were using this situation, that they were going back afterwards, if they could, and they were stealing. So that's probably because they feared. For their future and they needed to accumulate whatever, uh, was there for them.
[00:11:42] They didn't think about others. They only taught about themselves in their own game. And, and there was also another thing if you don't have really good connections with people, Uh, you don't believe that anybody will ever help you. Like, if [00:12:00] you didn't have food, you don't believe that somebody would give you food.
[00:12:05] If you need it, which is actually in reality, not the case. Everybody likes to help others. I mean, there are probably a few people that want, but in, in, you know, in majority, people are actually really generous. So if somebody came to you right now and asked for some food or a toilet paper or, or some coffee, even in, in best of times, you will be asked, of course no problems.
[00:12:33] Yeah,
[00:12:33] Jan: [00:12:33] that's so true. Yeah. And we see that playing out right now. Right. We see, we see the fear and we see the need to protect oneself. You know, you see people fighting over toilet paper, you see it in social media, right. So is there, there's this need to, as you say, accumulate to protect your own interest, but there is also this human nature part of it that we will give and help others.
[00:12:58] But we tend to think that that [00:13:00] that's not going to happen. Hmm. I don't think we're to that situation quite yet, but I can see some of that behavior starting to play out.
[00:13:09] Mira: [00:13:09] Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So what,
[00:13:14] Jan: [00:13:14] what have you learned in, we talk a lot about mindset and coming through what you went through because you lost everything correct.
[00:13:22] You, you did, you were never able to
[00:13:24] Mira: [00:13:24] go back. No, we went back. Um, everything was destroyed. Uh, during the war house we had we house another house that my, my parents just built and believed in the apartment in the it's a little town in the central Croatia. And, uh, Everything was destroyed during the war.
[00:13:45] What wasn't destroyed because of war. It was destroyed later on by people who were angry, who stayed over there. And, um, so my first time I went there, so war was 91, [00:14:00] 1991. When I left first time I went, there was, uh, 2008. My father never went back. My mom went mum. Actually my mum went there during the war to see her parents that were dying in the hospitals.
[00:14:18] So, um, she, she goes, actually, I don't even now I asked her like, mom, how did you do it? There were bombs going all over the place and you went there and she said, I don't know. I just did it. You know, there was no fear. She said, yeah. I just thought I had to go. I had to see them and I'm going,
[00:14:38] Jan: [00:14:38] yeah. That's that's drive and determination.
[00:14:41] Yeah. Yeah. So coming through that, having lost everything, you said you had a suitcase and you know, some cards and some money, and that was it. And a few memoirs of, of your life. But that was, that was it. So having lost everything and [00:15:00] having to rebuild build again, how, how on earth do you come through through a process?
[00:15:06] Do you come through and life experience like that? You just
[00:15:11] Mira: [00:15:11] do, and it's really interesting. As I said earlier, veer built for survival physically and mentally, which is not none of that. And you're scared that we won't be able to deal with situations, but then actual situation happens. We deal with them and we have many examples of that in our lives.
[00:15:35] Not this one, not big one, not war, but there's so many situations in our lives where we. That'd we dealt bit, whatever it was there in front of us that we didn't expect didn't want, but it happened. And, um, you just do it's, it's really interesting that human mind has an extreme potential to [00:16:00] make sense of things, to create.
[00:16:03] To invent. I mean, I was just looking recently, there was a group of young guys in Italy who created respiratory mask out of scuba diving mask and they made parts just, um, Just with the 3d printer and it worked and they gave it for free too, for everyone to use. If they needed any hospital, anybody who can do it.
[00:16:32] So necessity is mother of invention. I think we just do that. I remember my parents were doing things that they never taught doing in order to survive. Um, we lived in. Houses that they could never imagine living before that. And we survived and what's really interesting and what I used to be scared even later on when it all passed the [00:17:00] night, you know, even you go through the experience and you sometimes forget how resilient you actually are, and then you start fearing, you know what, if I lose all the money and I ended up being on the street, And that, because this is going to happen, but because I don't think I would be able to deal with that.
[00:17:19] You know, we think that it's going to break us mentally and physically, and we won't be able to climb up again to rise up again. But my experience is showing something totally different, you know, V verb without anything. We, we lost everything. We. We lived as refugees for a few years and, and you do it.
[00:17:46] Doesn't break you. It doesn't break you at all. It just really makes you stronger. At what
[00:17:53] Jan: [00:17:53] point did you switch from feeling a victim if you ever [00:18:00] did? I would. I would have to believe that you would, you would, you would have to feel like a victim at some point, but what, what happened that changed your mindset and your view?
[00:18:10] And you said, okay, you know, this has happened to me. This is awful, but you know, I am onward and upward and this is where I'm going. And your mindset changed. Well, what was that process like? Well,
[00:18:22] Mira: [00:18:22] it wasn't easy, uh, feeling a victim it's quite destructive and self-destructive, and I went through a period that it was, it was quite painful.
[00:18:36] It was when my dad passed away because it seemed like because he was alive, I could survive anything. Because he was a strong father figure and a really strong leader and somebody that you trust, not just me, but many people around. And, um, and when he passed away, I felt that I lost [00:19:00] that strength. And this is the period where I was very scared.
[00:19:08] And what happened over a period of few years? I. In order to survive. I had to become very authentic. I had to become myself. I had to stop. I had to, I had to learn who I am basically. And once I did that, I brigade confidence in my ability to thrive and dealing with problems. I. Create. I mean, my life relationships in my life, bonds and connections with people around me have become much, much stronger.
[00:19:50] Um, so I kind of know if it ever happened that, you know, I need to run or if I lost everything, I know I have friends [00:20:00] who will. Allowed me to crash in their couch and they ask questions because I know that I would do the same for them. Um, I, and I've developed a really strong connection with my wisdom.
[00:20:16] Jan: [00:20:16] I'm help me understand this. Um, when you say that you had to become more authentic, what. That implies there was a change. So w w what was your mindset or where were you thinking away? Will you act before then? I I'm, I'm trying to get a sense for this, this, this transformation or transition into being more authentic.
[00:20:46] Mira: [00:20:46] Hmm. Because of the trauma of the war. And I guess being a refugee and feeling. Different than others. And I don't think it's just because I was a refugee, [00:21:00] many other people feel that they need to, they need to blend in. They need to become like others. They need to, uh, you know, via very. Seldomly encouraged to behave like ourselves.
[00:21:16] They go to school to teach us to behave like others. So, um, I mean all our life is, is that kind of school. So I was because I was so insecure at the time I was, I was trying to be like somebody else. I was trying to be like that person that is really confident over there. I was trying to be. Uh, you know, behave like somebody who is very strong.
[00:21:46] I was trying to, uh, change the way I looked. So, uh, I was straight, so it was so much stress trying to be somebody else that, [00:22:00] excuse me, that my,
[00:22:05] I even developed IBS at the time. I couldn't. You spend so much energy, trying to be somebody else that you cannot focus. You cannot see your here, your visit them. You cannot see direction in which you want to go in life. You, you do stupid things. You make decisions that hurt people around you. You, you disconnect from people that you love.
[00:22:36] Because all your energy is focused on how you're not good enough. And you're trying to be like somebody else.
[00:22:45] Jan: [00:22:45] That's a, that's a great explanation. And thank you for that. And as we, as you, and I both know, as we talk to people in the corporate world, there are many leaders out there today who are trying [00:23:00] to fit a corporate mold or have this perception of.
[00:23:05] Who they think they should be and how they think they should lead through this crisis. And you and I have had many conversations about why being authentic, being that authentic person in yourself and being an authentic leader is so important right now. Whether you're leading yourself, your team, your company, or your industry through this pandemic.
[00:23:33] Um, so let's, let's expand on that thought. Why do you think people who are more authentic leaders who are more authentic will have an easier time transitioning into leadership during this time of crisis? Hm,
[00:23:51] Mira: [00:23:51] because VIT. Without intensity. It's not just you're being yourself, but you're comfortable [00:24:00] being yourself.
[00:24:00] I think that's the whole angle of it. You're not learning who you are. You probably already very well know who you are. You may be scared that you're not good enough. That's another thing. But, um, Because you're comfortable being for you are you're comfortable with people around you. You're comfortable allowing them to be them themselves.
[00:24:28] And you create really strong bonds and connections with people. So when something like this, for example happens, you have people that real, uh, hold your back. You have people that will support your idea, even though it could be totally crazy. You have people who will agree to do things that may be for Mabel.
[00:24:53] Look. That they are not for their personal gain [00:25:00] right now. They're there. They are willing to hold on. And for example, I don't know, maybe they will decide to not take salary from the company for a few months because they think that they're okay for a few months and then they have enough survival money in order for a company to grow.
[00:25:24] Or for a company to, in this situation not to go under. So people are willing to do things for you and for your company, for example, or if you're a manager or whatever situation is that may not be for their direct benefit, but veal will save many more people in the long run. Other thing is that when you're authentic, you're not wasting time listening to all those voices in your [00:26:00] head head telling y'all, you should be doing this, or you're not good enough.
[00:26:03] Or look at that person or my God, what's going to happen tomorrow. You'll not be able to survive. You are able to be present and hear your wisdom. And sometimes your wisdom can tell you things that maybe don't really make sense right now. But our, um, but I can be lifesaving can be life-saving and you're probably, if you are all authentic, you're probably more likely to already have a company who is dealing with the situation much better than others.
[00:26:39] Um, creativity and innovation, you know, I can not be busier right now. I heard people saying that they're bored. They have nothing to do. Yes. I'm not creating new programs or not, not, you know, there is no new clients at the moment, [00:27:00] but I have so many other things to do that. I was that I get ideas for right now because my brain is operating on a very different level.
[00:27:10] I'm not sitting being scared, Tom I'm sitting and thinking, what can I do?
[00:27:17] Jan: [00:27:17] And because the, the rules are changed, you know, th th the, Oh, yeah. The daily rules, our routines are changed. And whilst that's a bit shocking in the beginning, and we go through this sort of grief cycle that we've talked about, but it's also a tremendous opportunity to say, okay, now the rules.
[00:27:38] Yeah are different. So this is an opportunity for creativity to come forward and to make some change. I had a client the other day that talked about the fact that the company culture was not to have the cameras on. So for a video conference, like this camera's are off all the time. It was [00:28:00] just part of the culture.
[00:28:02] So as we talked, I said, you know, this is use the crisis, use the pandemic as the opportunity to change that, to change the culture, to turn those cameras on. Cause you need those cameras on right now to have that. That human connection and interaction. It's just a small example, but there are so many things right now that we can challenge the way things were done in the past to make it better for the future.
[00:28:28] You have to, first of all, get your head in the right place. And your mindset in the right place and really, truly embrace that. So what advice would you have for somebody who perhaps is just coming out of feeling a bit of a victim in this whole situation and just starting to see the opportunity that's in front of them as a leader,
[00:28:49] Mira: [00:28:49] not to go for it.
[00:28:51] The only thing that it's stopping us ever, I mean, in, in everything that we do is, is our own belief that we can't, and [00:29:00] this is. This is, this is what I learned in, you know, changing from the victim mindset to, you know, I actually have control of this. I'm not a victim was when I realized that. I was holding myself a victim.
[00:29:20] That was a situation situation. Does it make you better? Or a worse person? Situation is just another opportunity to learn something. Yeah. Yeah. And it, it was the, it was that realization that, that you're not better or worse because, because something had happened to you. Or because at the moment you've made a mistake, it's an opportunity to learn.
[00:29:51] And, and what was holding me in that prison was myself. It was my own thinking, nothing else. So [00:30:00] everything that is holding anyone back right now is the belief that they can't do anything about it.
[00:30:10] Jan: [00:30:10] And you're here from a far, far more severe situation. You're actually came through war and lost everything.
[00:30:20] And you're living breathing example of somebody who can change that mindset and transition into, uh, A great life, a great career. And now let's talk a little bit about the main takeaway because not only did you change your mindset and come through all of that and transform yourself. And as you say, you are very authentic and I've known you for a year now, and I know that to be true.
[00:30:49] But you've also committed yourself, all the, the training that you, you have the qualifications that you have to help other people. So tell us more about [00:31:00] your personal mission and how you're doing that.
[00:31:04] Mira: [00:31:04] Hmm. Yeah, it's interesting. I used to think about it a lot. And why did I make those decisions? Why did I went from physiotherapy to, to dealing with mind and understanding humans?
[00:31:17] And I remember it was, I think it was. I was 13, 14 years old when I decided that I wanted to be a physiotherapist and it was because I wanted to help people stop feeling pain. It was, it was a time of lots of pain then.
[00:31:37] Yeah, that was the, and I think that there is a lot, a lot of pain in, um, in trying to be somebody else. But the other side of it is the reason why, why I do what I do right now is, and why I work with leaders is because leaders are [00:32:00] very influential. They are in a position of influence and, and changing people's lives.
[00:32:09] You don't need to be a therapist in order to change somebody's life. My life. As being influenced by people that vary my life, that were my bosses in a positive or in a negative way. So we can always ask ourselves, how do you, how do you want to influence other people? How do you want to help them grow? Or you want to, uh, help them become smaller than they than what they are.
[00:32:37] And. And I realized that working with leaders is helping me influence much more people that I could do just working one-on-one. And this is what I mean, I've, I've been leader myself. I've been in management roles and I was, um, obviously been running a rehab center, [00:33:00] but it's not that, that. That's not the reason why I'm Berkey really.
[00:33:06] There's no reason why I'm doing that is because it just makes sense VR in this way, helping much more people making better decisions. I mean, my ultimate goal is, is a world with no war. And I think if we had leaders that understood that we really don't need Wars, that we can all live together without it.
[00:33:33] Um, that would be my dream come true, but until it happens, I'm going to do it one by one. Well, it seems
[00:33:41] Jan: [00:33:41] that you're certainly, you know, you're well on your way to making that happen. Let's talk about fear, the fear that some leaders are feeling right now. Leading through this crisis, we see a tendency [00:34:00] for people to move into command and control mode.
[00:34:05] And last week, We had Nick Norris on Navy seal, trained in combat talking about the significance and the importance of decentralized command, the art of delegation, pushing the decision, making down to the person on the front line who's treated and has the expertise to execute liters, coming from a position of fear.
[00:34:30] They, they, they don't want to trust and let go. What's your thought on that?
[00:34:37] Mira: [00:34:37] Yeah, many leaders do. Uh, and I, I think the reason for it is that they are, they're scared. They're scared of letting go of control, and we know that we are controlling because we want to view them to be safe. We [00:35:00] want to feel safe.
[00:35:01] So there's the. The bottom of where all that comes from is, is fear. So, you know, from fear, we do stuff that there's no common sense, you know, V shout to people, the, um, we control them the even star Wars because of it, because our own personal fear. It is very common that a person is trying to control their environment.
[00:35:32] They're trying to control people around them because they're scared that it won't be able to deal with the situation, uh, the day they haven't envisaged. So it's very, I don't think that people who are doing it actually making any sense out of it. They don't know why they're doing it. They will create some story in their mind that this makes sense and they should do that just because they're [00:36:00] doing it.
[00:36:02] However it all comes to it all comes to their own personal insecurity.
[00:36:12] Jan: [00:36:12] Yeah. And I think there's this fear of looking weak, right? People don't want, they don't want to look weak or appear weak. So they, that this is, this is the time to be the tough guy. When in actuality, this is the time to connect at a more emotional level.
[00:36:28] Mira: [00:36:28] Absolutely, absolutely. Uh, fear and. And, you know, micromanagement and not trusting people, not having that connection between them is, is just breaking everything apart. You know, there is even going back to that, uh, the even know that emotion of love and connection is helping [00:37:00] ourselves to grow in our body and the emotion of fear.
[00:37:05] It's very destructive. So even that, even if you go on a cellar cellular level of human body, this is what's happening. So, you know, your company, your organization is, is an organism. It's a living organism that it's based on connection between people. You cannot do everything on your own. And. And what comes from fear is the idea that we have the, we know everything or that we have to appear that we know everything is what you alluded over there a little bit.
[00:37:43] And then we make mistakes. It's, uh, it's much worse to pretend that, you know, something and act. As, as if that's true and make big, big mistakes and not [00:38:00] listen to people around, do what they're telling you then say, I don't know who else maybe knows better than, than I do. And then you make a decision what to do, and that's actually that connects you with the people around you.
[00:38:16] People start trusting you because they can see what's going on. They're not stupid. And, um, And it also helps they get engaged. You know, you got so many amazing ideas of what's possible right now from, you know, even if you work with two people, I mean, even us a few days ago, we just connected and had a chat and we had some great ideas of what's possible.
[00:38:44] Just
[00:38:44] Jan: [00:38:44] that. Yeah, that's so true, but people have to open their minds to it and be receptive to it and encourage it and show some level of vulnerability. And this can be, I've said it many times [00:39:00] before. This can be the most challenging yet the most rewarding and exhilarating leadership experience that we will ever go through in our entire lives, whether it's at a personal level, whether you're leading a team or a business or even an industry, this is a great opportunity to step up to your point earlier.
[00:39:25] This is the time to embrace your authentic self, your true, authentic self. This is the time to do it. It's now.
[00:39:37] Mira: [00:39:37] Yeah, because today everything that you need is gone. Yes. All processes, all, everything that, that you used to do in your daily job as a leader is gone. You're operating on a very different level.
[00:39:57] And if you want to grow from this, if you want [00:40:00] to learn from this, if you want to, if you want to survive this, you need to adapt. And. Staying and trying forcefully to do whatever you did before is going to go down the rabbit hole because it's a very different circumstance and, and you cannot do the same thing that you did before.
[00:40:25] It's
[00:40:26] Jan: [00:40:26] impossible. Yes. Yeah. That's, that's so true. Well, I think that certainly I have learned a lot from you today. You are an inspiration to many, and I hope that our audience will feel the same way. And we'll see this as an opportunity to embrace it authenticity and step up and lead, like never before and with that Mira Griffis.
[00:40:54] Thank you very much. Thank you, Jeff.
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