What is inner power? It’s a: Quiet force within you that knows when to act and when to move and gives you the strength to do so. (Psychology Today)
When do leaders experience a loss of inner power? When you:
- Make poor decisions or attempt to cover up mistakes
- Experience loss of a job title, money, family status, zip code, or good health
- Feel ineffective, or no one cares
- Become controlling and challenging to work with
- Experience fears due to another person’s upset
- Lose your ability to influence and inspire others
Many attempt to hide these types of losses or ignore them due to feelings of guilt, shame, or wanting to look good.
Remember, your inner power helps you stay resilient and resourceful and allows you to bounce back faster. It requires taking the time to recognize, factually, what occurred and your feelings associated with it. Then, do the work to move forward. (An excellent way to objectively discover what happened is to complete the worksheet “What Worked? / What Didn’t Work?)
10 Healing Ideas to Reclaim Your Inner Power
- Make the Commitment. Nothing can genuinely change until you become responsible for where you are now and commit to moving forward. In my many conversations with leaders who have experienced a loss of inner power, they re-presence this declaration. It became the line in the sand of before and after. It’s when they get into focused action to move forward.
- Stop Creating Endless Goals. Attempting to pursue more than three goals at a time is usually too much, and why most people fail to achieve any of them. Get real about what you really-really-really want to accomplish. Now, get into focused action.
- Hire an Executive Coach (or other appropriate coach (e.g., health, finance)). The best way to move past a business or career loss is to get help. Work with the right coach to guide you in the right direction without the devastating ups and downs of trial and error. Please don’t make the common mistake of trying to do it yourself to avoid feeling shame or guilt. It’ll be more challenging to move on and achieve the needed wins.
- Know Yourself. Self-awareness is critical. Many leaders believe they know and trust themselves but are afraid to be seen as they are. It’ll take a toll on your health and well-being if you don’t get honest. Make sure to become aware of your blind spots and inherent talents. Now is an excellent time to discover them and learn new ways to develop your natural strengths. Remember, you cannot build your inner power on weaknesses.
- Build Healthy Relationships. Take the time to build positive professional, personal, and family relationships. Spend time with like-minded people by reaching out and taking the time to get to know them. Don’t forget to offer help as appropriate.
- Grieve Your Loss, But Don’t Wear It On Your Sleeve. When a loss occurs, take time to grieve. It’ll come out unexpectedly and hurt your progress if you don’t. For example, if your loss of power is due to a job or financial loss, it may be time to review the direction or path you’ve been pursuing.
- Hire a Licensed Therapist. It can speed up the healing process and help you make needed changes.
- Get Your Brag On! Take the time to conduct a “brag” inventory, and include strengths and successes you’ve experienced. This process helps you focus on “what’s next” instead of living in the past.
- Be Mindful. Practice mindful breathing and learn to be present during conversations. It’s where the aha’s occur!
- Love Yourself (for who you are and who you are not). Now is a great time for self-reflection. Journalling will help you grow and learn from your experiences.
©Jeannette Seibly 2022-2023 All Rights Reserved
Jeannette Seibly is a champion for success. As a leader, do you have bosses that are difficult for teams to work with? Jeannette’s depth of experience and wisdom can transform those bosses from hated to respected! Contact Jeannette for a confidential discussion.
A note from Jeannette about healing an inner loss of power: We don’t know what 2024 will bring us after a year of economic, political, and worldwide upheaval. The key is to reclaim your inner power. It’s something you need to do each and every day. Since this is not an easy process, now’s the time to talk it out and claim it. Contact me for a confidential conversation.
It’s time to get honest and authentic! Are there days you dread managing people, projects, and your team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has their blind spots! NOW is the time to get the guidance you need to make the right changes for 2024. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully. The bonus is that they achieve unprecedented results. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.