Episode 74: Help! My Organization Feels Divisive! Navigating Trying Times as a Leader with Vivian Blade
Welcome back, Improve it! Fam.
On today’s episode you’ll hear from one of Engagedly's top 100 Global HR influencers of 2021, Vivian Blade who’s ready to bring those question to life as well as share some insightful snippets on...
The five stages of internal crises and the ways we respond
Three action items on how to handle trying times as a leader
What successful leadership looks like during crisis
How to focus on your human capital
We hope your notebook is ready and your coffee is hot – you're not going to want to miss this episode!
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Connect with Vivian Blade:
Email: vivian@vivianblade.com
Connect with Erin Diehl:
“I love this podcast and I love Erin!!”
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Connect with Erin:
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the improve it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!
Episode 74 Transcription:
Erin (00:00):
Improve it! Family today you are in for an amazing journey. I am speaking with a woman who is recognized as one of Engagedly's top 100 Global HR influencers of 2021. Hello. And she is a sought after leadership expert and thought leader. She works with the world's top brands, equipping leaders with the resilience that inspires teams to recover quickly in the face of ongoing disruption and thrive in spite of insurmountable odds. Her impact is felt as a frequent speaker for things like association conferences and in delivering transformative leadership development programs, executive coaching and consulting for corporations. Today you are going to hear from the one, the only Vivian Blade. Now here is how Vivian blade is improving it. So in her work with the world's top companies, she applies her extensive business, finance and leadership experience from a 20 year corporate career with Humana and GE to coach and develop aspiring and established leaders in building high performance, high quality, and high service level organizations. Her corporate experience as a leader and individual contributor spans product management, marketing, e-commerce, lean six Sigma and customer experience.
Erin (01:38):
She also works in academia as an adjunct professor for the university of Louisville college of business. She's also a prolific writer whose articles are featured in a number of professional industry and business publications and published books and they have helped thousands of professionals succeed. Now, her number one, bestselling book resilience ready, the leader's guide to thriving through unrelenting crises reveals, the key to living and leading with resilience. Fuel forward, discover proven practices to fuel your career forward reveals the inside secrets of career success in her upcoming book influence unpacks how to scale this essential skill for greater impact. She is also a contributor to two additional books published by the association for talent development: Find your fit, a practical guide to landing a job you'll love, and work the problem: how experts tackle workplace challenges. Now Vivian fulfills her passion for growing the next generation of competent competent leaders by volunteering her time on the boards of various organizations, including girls Scouts of Kentuckiana and the Lincoln foundation.
Erin (02:54):
I cannot say enough about this episode. I mean, it is packed. Have a pencil and paper ready, improve it, family. I mean this with my whole heart, because she gives you some tangibles happening for you. I mean, I have notes on notes from this show, but she is going to talk to us all about the stages of internal crisis and how you can do them on a pandemic level, as well as the level of everyday crisis that we face in life. She's going to give us three action items on how to handle crises. And she talks to us about successful crisis management, how to focus on your human capital. And we're doing this through the lens of the divisiveness that we're feeling right now as a nation in our workplace because of the pandemic that we felt on a health level and the pandemic that we felt on a social unrest and injustice level.
Erin (03:52):
There's so much to unpack here, but her tips and tricks are going to help you thrive. So let me stop blabbin. Let's get to improving it with Vivian blade. Are you a leader or change maker inside of your business organization or corporation? Are you looking for new innovative ways to drive morale through the roof? Are you looking for fun and exciting icebreakers team-building exercises and activities that will foster team growth, friendships, loyalty, and completely transform your organization from the inside out? Have you been searching for a fun and unique way to create change instead of this same old dry, boring leadership books and icebreakers that aren't actually working? Hi, I'm Erin Diehl, business improv edutainer, failfluencer and professional zoombie who is ready to help you improve it. My mission in life is to help you develop teams and leaders through play, improv and experiential learning. In this podcast, we will deep dive into professional development, team building, effective communication, networking, presentation skills, leadership training, how to think more quickly on your feet and everything in between. We have helped everyone from fortune 500 companies to small mom and pop shops transform their business, their leadership, and their people through play. So grab your chicken hat. We are about to have some fun, welcome to improve it! The podcast.
Erin (05:42):
Oh my gosh. Vivian blade. As you know, I like to sing at the start of shows. I'm so excited that you're here. Thank you for joining us in the improve it podcast.
Vivian (05:54):
Thank you so much for having me here. And I'm so excited to be here.
Erin (05:59):
Okay. So I, I, I told you earlier, I said, I did some prep for this show. I knew that you were going to be an amazing guest for this topic, but as I was prepping, I'm always thinking like, what is something that we couldn't find in your bio, on your LinkedIn, on your website? What's a fun fact about Vivian that the improve it fam should know.
Vivian (06:23):
You know, I think one thing that's fun that is sort of takes some improvisation, I'll say as well, is that I like to jump rope in my exercise. I don't do it as much as I used to, but I run and jump rope at the same time and skip and jump rope at the same time. And oftentimes Michael is somewhere between 3000 to 5,000 rope chops and a workout.
Erin (06:53):
Do you physically count? So you're like, you're mentally counting.
Vivian (06:58):
I count by one hundreds. So 100 sets. So I do sets of 100 rope gems at a time.
Erin (07:06):
Oh my God. Okay. First of all, that's like meditative at the same time as being effective for your entire body because you really can't be thinking of anything else other than counting.
Vivian (07:18):
That's absolutely true.
Erin (07:18):
Wow. Okay. That is a fact that I am down to know. Okay. Thank you for that. Now also you made me feel like I need to move my body. So I'm going to do that approximately after we hit in on this recording, that isn't crazy. All right. So I also know through my research that you are an accomplished author and we're going to talk about that and just a little bit, but I'm curious what books that you've read that has inspired you.
Vivian (07:48):
That's a good question. What have I read that has most inspired me? I would say a couple of things here quickly dare to lead by Brene Brown, of course, which, you know, helps us with our vulnerability and all the things that we need to be in this environment. And in part of our emotional intelligence, all those things that are so important for us as, as leaders. And then the second one, I would say most recently has been atomic habits, which I've read probably within the last year and a half or so, I guess, and just in thinking about how we continue to improve ourselves, and we can do that in small ways with small steps so that I would say would be the other, the other book that has inspired me a good bit. Just so trying to just take some of those, those tips with, you know, forming new habits trying to eat a little bit healthier, got off the wagon a little bit during this COVID pandemic then trying to get back into the habit a little bit better of that. So that's helped me a good bit.
Erin (08:54):
Okay. Also the jump roping, I'm sure like cancels out and that's 5,000 jumps. I mean, cancels out any bad food and I'm going to make sure we we connect in the show notes to atomic habits. I've not read that one. I love dare to lead. I love Brene brown, but atomic habits is going in the Amazon cart. So thank you for that. Okay. So today we are talking about, we're just jumping right in Vivian we're going straight to it, organizations feeling divisive, and there is so much at play here. I mean, we've got the whole divisive city of work from home versus in the office. We've got being vaccinated versus not being vaccinated. We've got mask versus no mask. We've got phone call versus zoom. We've got days with meetings versus days without meetings. I get them all. So let me ask you this. What are in your professional expertise? What are some of the areas that you're really seeing leaders struggle and companies and organizations feeling divisive? What are some things you're seeing?
Vivian (10:06):
Yeah. You know, many of the things that you named are common things that I'm seeing as well, but, you know, as we've had a lot of the exposure to all of the social unrest, you know, over the course of the last year or so year and a half as well as we've been in this pandemic, just being inclusive and included in the workplace, of course, is, is a key theme that we're seeing. And, and a lot of the examples that you mentioned Erin of, of feeling included are all of the types of ways that people are wanting to feel apart. I think now more than ever as we've been away from each other in the workplace outside of our norm, that we want to feel a part of a collective group of society.
Vivian (11:03):
You know, I was at the society for human resource management conference here just recently. And just being able to be together with people again was an incredible feeling. And we are human beings who need that connection and need to be with other people it's just innate as a part of us and to feel like we belong and to feel like we are included and part of that group. And so I think, you know, all of these dimensions where we felt divided, where we felt isolated you know, again, all those things that you mentioned and as well as, you know, feeling from a racial and a cultural standpoint, wanting and needing to feel a part has also been a huge thing that we've seen in recent months.
Erin (12:02):
Totally. And I love and appreciate that. And I know, I know you didn't hear me brag about you at the top of this show, Vivian, but I brag about you and I talk about the 20 years that you spent in corporate America prior to being where you are now. So again, I agree with this, we had two pandemics, we had the one on a health level, and then we've had this social injustice and social unrest pandemic. I mean, we've talked about it so much on this show, and I know a lot of leaders listening today are feeling that as well. Would you say that this might be the most divisive time that you've witnessed in corporate America or in your opinion, has there been a time that has also been divisive? We just haven't talked about it as much.
Vivian (12:54):
You know, I, I think the ladder, I think there's been an evolution as you look at history and you look over time at diversity and inclusion and how we've really added inclusion and equity to the equation, more prominently here in recent years. But historically we've been a divisive environment where of course people had different roles in society who looked different than maybe others and had different, have had different opportunities. So there's been quite a bit of divisiveness. You know, we have other areas that, that we've been divisive around with our preferences of who we love and who we engage with in society, you know, how we look our hair, our skin color, skin tone, the culture that we come from. So there are many other ways that I think in recent years, whether you're a parent or not, whether you are married or single, you know, all of these different ways that we both experience life together, but have differences around.
Vivian (14:14):
And there are a lot of areas that we don't even think about, like your education as another area of difference, but people are treated differently. Oftentimes based on the type of education that you might have, your opportunities in society are different, the way you're, you are looked upon poverty social status, all of those are different variables of difference that we can be and are often divisive around within our society. So again, going back to my comment about an evolution, I think we've seen just an evolution over time of what divisiveness might look like and how prominent that may be in society and in our workplaces. And so I think we're just at a different time, we're at, at a different pivot point where we are building on the progress that has been made in the past. No, most certainly, but we see too that there's still work to be done. Absolutely still work to be done.
Erin (15:21):
Oh, I love that. And there is so much work still to be done. And that's why we're grateful for people like you, who come out with amazing books who have fantastic speaking skills and who share this idea about resilience and how to be resilient in times of crisis. So I know you have this book resilience ready, and you, I want to say I've skimmed, okay, I've done some digging on Vivian, but I noticed there are several different stages of resilience and please correct me here. So I, I noticed in some of the research, I found that surviving is settled and the victims stage are some of the stages of resilience. Can you tell us at a high level what these stages mean?
Vivian (16:12):
Yeah. And, and in fact, what you're describing there, Erin, are what I call the stages of internal crisis response. And also when we're facing a crisis, it can be not only things like the huge pandemic or the social injustice that we've experienced, it can also be the everyday crises that we face in life, as well as in the workplace, all the different things that come up, the surprises, the oh's that come up in the workplace each and every day that we have to, to really build our culture around a, an environment that is constructive and getting through those crises rather than destructive at, at dealing with all of the challenges that come up and the way we respond to those can be in five different ways. We can respond as a victim where we feel like, oh, this is totally out of my control.
Vivian (17:10):
Something has happened to me. I'm pretty much powerless to address this. I've I have to just deal with the hand that I've been dealt. Then there is the settled stage where again, it's a an evolution a little bit beyond the victim stage where still, and I've just sort of decided that I have limited power to change my situation. So I began to just settle in to what it is. Then there is surviving where I may not be so happy with the way things are, but I figured out how to it make it work and am living within my situation, as it currently is, sometimes may, may find the courage inside to, to believe that I want to change, but don't quite have the courage to take that step actually, or the time to really think about what it's gonna take for me to move out of my current situation.
Vivian (18:16):
Then there is though that courageous stage that when we do just say, okay, maybe sometimes it's, I'm fed up, I've had enough, or I see the opportunities that bright side and, and realize that there is a brighter future ahead. And I just decide, here's one thing I can do to help move myself forward. So we are in that courageous stage and then that courageous stage opens up more opportunity. We discover more courage. We discover more that we have available to us more that we have inside of us to be able to change our situation and take a little bit more control over where we're going in the future. And that leads us to the ability to thrive where we are in the driver's seat, where we are clicking on all cylinders and feeling alike. We're making decisions that are constructive. Our mindset is more constructive.
Vivian (19:13):
We've got a greater level of resilience to help propel us into a better future. So those are those five stages of internal crisis response. Our resilience is low when we're responding as a victim, we develop this practice of resilience that over time then allows us to move through those stages. They're not necessarily sequential and the way we move through them, but and a, a crisis, depending on how we've experienced resilience in the past, how we've experienced a crisis or a challenge in the past where we are in our process of working through and dealing with a challenge can dictate where we are in a stage or how we react to how we respond and even where we start and where we might end up in terms of those stages of internal crisis response. So it's, it's, it's an experience and, and it's a fluid process that we work through as we work through a challenge,
Erin (20:23):
Oh my gosh, this is, I take notes, you know, while I'm sitting here listening and I am just blown away. And I'm sure anyone listening from the improve it! Family today can just look at a crisis. It could be 2020 to 2021, or it could be like, you've mentioned everyday crisis that we face and find themselves looking at these five stages and where they might fall or where they're currently at. So we've got victim, which is happening to me, the settled, which is the evolution beyond the victim. You have limited power to change that situation. You've got the surviving stage where you may not be so happy, but you don't quite have the courage to take that step. And you've got courageous where you see that opportunity and the ability to thrive where you were in the driver's seat. Oh, I I'm li I'm sure people hear the stages and automatically picture where they're at currently in their own privacy is because everyone has some type of crisis going on we're human beings.
Erin (21:27):
Right? So what a amazing set of tools here to kind of just meet yourself, where you're at to think about where are you currently in this, where you, in terms of diversity in your organization, what a great tool to take back and say, okay, where am I at as a leader? Where's my team at? And just being able to pinpoint a certain stage and saying, okay, how do we get to that next stage show? That is my question for you, Vivian, if you let's say one of our, our leaders from the improve it! Fam is listening and they're struggling to navigate these divisive times and their organization, and everyone has their own on top of what we have going on collectively as a world, as a nation everybody has their own struggles. And so if you hear, or you were to talk to somebody directly today, how would you direct them? What are three ways, if you will, that you could provide them action items to get them to the ability to thrive, or even the courageous stage, what are three action items that they could do to move forward?
Vivian (22:41):
The answer to that, Erin is in the resilience principles, that if we can work toward creating a culture of resilience, then when it comes to inclusion, when it comes to creating more inclusive workplaces, when it comes to creating stronger, more effective, more productive, more successful organizations and businesses, then these resilience principles can help us through each of those key areas. So if you are a leader and you are struggling with how to make your organization more inclusive, I want to offer you these three key areas that can help you. And again, these are aligned with servant leadership resilience principles. The first is perspective, you know, know that people's experiences have been different across their lives. Their perspectives are different, and how we see our environment, how we see our experiences, how we see what someone else has been through, maybe different than the way they see it.
Vivian (24:03):
So one of the first areas that we have to be mindful of is one of the key principles that I call partnership. And if we are intentional about building partnership with others, then we can create a more inclusive workplace. One of the best ways we can do that is to practice empathy. So within partnership, if we practice empathy, put ourselves in other people's shoes really be intentional about seeing the experience that someone is having from their lens and not our own lens. We can better understand where they're coming from and how the workplace experience may be different for them than it is for us. Also, in partnership, as we practice that empathy, then we can step out and connect in ways that are meaningful and important for the other individual, because we understand more about what they've been through what their experience is again and what is important for them.
Vivian (25:17):
So how can we build a path and an environment that is representative of everyone and is inclusive of everyone? A second step, I would say that they can take is to think about perspective, you know, overall and, and perspective actually is the first resilience ready principle. And that is all about mindset. If we go into our workplace thinking about being divisive or thinking about alternatively being inclusive and how the power of inclusion can propel our organization forward, create that kind of culture, where everyone can contribute to the highest level, then we can have greater organization. So how am I thinking about the people in my organization? How am I thinking about the possibilities when we all can come together constructively and contribute in strong ways to the goals of the organization. And then that leads me to the third area, which is purpose, where, how can we all make a difference?
Vivian (26:27):
How can I make a difference as a leader in the lives of others and setting the stage for them to be successful? So my purpose as a leader that is keen to my purpose as a leader, to be able to help make other people successful by investing in their development, their growth, ensuring that they have an opportunity to contribute and to become their best selves. So how am I doing that? And then how am I making sure that I am reaching out to engage everyone and, and all that they have to give all the skills and talents that the intelligence that each and every person has to contribute to the purpose of this organization and fulfilling our mission. And, you know, Erin, my mother used to tell us that you were born for a purpose each and every one of us are born for a purpose. And so if we can connect with each and every individual with empathy to understand what they believe their purpose is, help them to discover that and help them to live out the purpose and their lives in their organization. Then we are being an effective servant inclusive leader.
Erin (27:58):
Oh, the microphone has dropped. Okay. I love this so much. So, so much. And I'm reading, I just finished with the book radical candor. And I don't know if that, if that comes into any of your leadership practices too, but that that just falls straight in line with finding out what drives the purpose of the individual, driving it home, because then they're going to want to show up more, right. And when people want to show up more, that's when we're more productive and that's when people thrive. So I love this, and I'm just going to recap this for our improve it! Fam here. So number one is be mindful of partnership, build that partnership with others. You talk about empathy, which I absolutely love. And we actually have an activity that we do in our improv training called empathy. And literally it's about putting yourself.
Erin (28:52):
We should have people take off their shoes and give it to the other person and have them walk around. That's what we should do. I just came up with that on the fly. But we truly, you have to, so you would tell me a situation, Vivian, that you might be feeling some struggles with at work. Let's just, this is the hypothetical activity, empathy. And then I would listen to you very intently. And then I'm going to repeat back to you. And we're sitting for in person face-to-face very close. If we're being safe, we're six feet apart. But back before COVID, we were close and we were sitting together and you would tell me your struggles. I would listen intently. And then I would repeat back in the first person what you said. So I would speak the challenge that you told me, but as you, I would say it as if it's happening to me.
Erin (29:38):
And that really does just put people's mindset into perspective of the other person. You really have to have that, that partnership. And then you mentioned perspective. So having that mindset, the power of the inclusive mindset to propel us forward, and then the third is have that purpose. And if you can, I love what you said. If you can give each and every person, the purpose that they're meant to have and guide them to that and help them fulfill that through the work that they do, what I mean, there would be no great resignation. Okay. There would be a great re-engagement I love it. Okay. So, you know, I feel good about it when I start giving you a really bad singing. Okay. So I want to ask you this, I, this might be a tough question, but I just want to hear your answer. So, as we know this past year was such a year of diversity of just crises for a lot of people, a lot of organizations, myself included. We were a completely in person business, which I'm sure you probably did a lot of your speaking in person and had to pivot overnight to virtual. So how would you define success for a leader when it comes to handling crisis? Would it be that they've gone through these stages and then they've practiced these three action items. What would successful crisis management look like as a leader?
Vivian (31:18):
First of all, Erin, in response to that question, I want people to remember crisis management the day to day crisis and challenges that you face, or the big pandemics that you have to face. If you want to be successful, you have to focus on your human capital first of all, oftentimes when we think about crisis management, we think about getting the checklist, you know, out and what are the steps that I need to follow. And certainly the operational checklist is important, but if you are not taking care of your people and sing to them first, then your checklist will fail because you will have no one to actually perform the test on your checklist. So you'll have a checklist and no one to, to do the work. So it's really, really important that you're focused on the human capital. And that really is where all of these principles are.
Vivian (32:12):
The other thing I would encourage leaders about is that that resilience crisis management focusing on, on human potential inclusion is a practice. So as we work toward being more inclusive leaders, let's take one step at a time, you know, and that goes back to the atomic habits that I talked about earlier too. And the tips and that book pick a starting point, where is one opportunity that we can start with so that you don't feel so overwhelmed with trying to do everything at once, but, you know, and, and I think lead with that, that perspective, that inclusion is important for us and for our organization and for us as human beings. And what ways can I work to build partnership at an individual level and at a collective level? So if you are a successful leader, I think one of the key things that you're going to do is sort of shift that mindset, first of all. And then secondly, be more intentional around just investing in, getting to know and caring about the people on your team and the people in your circle. If you, if you lead with love and pure intention around can the human potential, then that's going to get you a long way toward becoming a more successful inclusive leader.
Erin (33:47):
Yeah. Oh, I love this so much. Okay. Well, I was curious that answer and that answer is spot on. I don't know. I couldn't think of a better one. So let me ask you this. This is just a curious question, cause I'm always successful. People always have great habits like your atomic habits, right? So you talk a lot about preventing burnout as a way to handle resilience too. So do you Vivian have any morning routines or habits that you've formed to prevent burnout so that you can handle crisis?
Vivian (34:25):
Yeah, for me, my faith is very, very important. So one of the things that I do, I have some personal time for prayer and for scripture and I do the, our daily bread reading every morning. So that, that helps me spiritually. I also think about and one of the suggestions I talk about in the book is practicing gratitude. So trying to think about ways that I'm grateful and, and my prayer time and in my prayer time with, with our husband, one of the things that we do is make sure that we speak the things that, that we are grateful for and, and give thanks for that to the God that we serve. And then I try to have a routine of exercise. Taking care of yourself is also important. And perseverance is one of the key resilience principles, but we perseverance is less about just pushing ahead at all costs and more about creating an environment where we can and have the ability and the capacity to work through challenging times. So that begins with taking care of yourself. So I try to get into this routine of exercise in the mornings I'm more of a morning exerciser. And so I think those key things, drinking water don't drink nearly as much as I should, but try to start my day off with with some water that, that meditation practicing gratitude, some exercise and fueling my body with some water are key things I do to start my day.
Erin (36:12):
I love it. And as you said, drink water. I, can you hear this? I picked up my Yeti cup filled with water. Reminded me to take a sip. I feel the same way. I don't like water, but I try to do it. I try to add it in. I gave myself a cup with a straw. So I actually enjoy drinking from a straw more than I do, like a water bottle, things like that, but it's just, you know, prayer, meditation exercise, hydration so important. And I also love the, you know, this notion, I say this on this show a lot. You cannot fill somebody else's tea cup, unless your tea kettle is full. And I did not make that up, but it is a quote that I strive to live for. Because as a leader, if you're going to handle all of the things, if you're going to be resilient and ready, then you have to be ready to go. You got to have your armor on. And the armor includes being ready to go with the correct health and, and fueling your body in the way that it needs to be fueled. So I'm just always curious about that with people. So I love that.
Vivian (37:21):
Erin, let me add to a reminder for people to give yourself some grace as part of the fifth resilience ready principle, which is praise. It is to show appreciation and recognition, and we have to start with ourselves. So that self-love is so important. And we are all just struggling and trying to just get through, make it all work, juggling so many personal and professional responsibilities. Everything is not going to be perfect. We don't need to expect perfection of ourselves or others. So the whole humor aspect that you bring to improv, we're improving through this whole crisis. And as we face the day-to-day challenges that that come up at work and in our lives. So give yourself some grace it's okay. And it's going to be okay and laugh at yourself and have other people laugh with you. So it's okay. It's okay.
Erin (38:25):
I'm clapping for you. I'm a recovering perfectionist turn failfluencer. So I love this Vivian. I know you, have you ever done improv before? Thanks. Thanks for mentioning improv, but have you ever done it before?
Vivian (38:37):
No, not. I would say the official, you know, it's a standup improv kind of thing, but I would say in my work, I do improv a lot.
Erin (38:47):
Yeah. You're improvising right now. You were doing it. So let me ask you this. We're going to do a little something. You just inspired me. I want us to give ourselves three positive affirmations right now. You'll go, then I'll go. And then I want to challenge our improve it! Family at home. Sometimes these things just come over me, but I want people to really take that in because you're so right. We don't give ourselves enough grace. We don't give ourselves affirmations enough to tell ourselves that we're doing great, because guess what if you're still standing at the end of 2020. You're doing great. Okay. So we're going to improvise just a moment. Can you give me three positive affirmations about yourself that you're grateful for three things about yourself you're grateful for?
Vivian (39:32):
I'm grateful that I have this opportunity. And so, and, and so I'm grateful for you, Erin, that we have had this opportunity to talk and to share. I have a purpose in life. I'm so grateful that my parents instilled in each of us, I'm the baby of seven children. So even down to the seventh baby, that we are important and that we have a purpose and that we have something to share with the world and we can make a difference. So I'm so grateful for, for that and knowing that and then third, you know, I am, I am so grateful for my family, my parents, my siblings, my husband, my children my circle that support me in this world and, and, and my life and the faith that, that we have, you know, through my circle that helps me to make it through each and every day. And I ended up belief that I can move forward and that, that more is possible in this life. And then this world. Hmm.
Erin (40:43):
Vivian, I love those so much. And you, you kind of led me to my final question, which I, what I want people to do, improve it! Fam listening. I said, I was going to give three things I'm grateful for, but I want to move on to Vivian. I have, I have a very important question for you, but I also want you to stop. If you're listening, take a moment and give yourself three pieces of gratitude, three things that you are so grateful for, even an affirmation about yourself. And just take that in and give yourself a moment for you because you deserve it. But Vivian, I'm coming back to you because you said something which led me to my final question, which is so important. Okay. You mentioned your purpose and we say it, add, improve it. That the, it is what it is that you feel that you're put on this earth to do. It is your purpose. What is your it?
Vivian (41:40):
You know, my it, and what I am, am fully committed to Erin is helping good leaders become great leaders. Because what I want them to do is to build better workplaces at the end of the day where people are included, where people feel inclusive, where they are fulfilling their purpose and the missions of their organizations and able to take care of their clients and their customers. So I'm pouring into others so that they can pour into others and they can in turn make this world a better place.
Erin (42:20):
Pouring into others so they can pour into others so they can make this world a better place. I go write that down. That is good stuff, Vivian, and I can feel, I can feel the poor. Okay. We're feeling the poor. You're feeling the cups. That is so amazing. How can the improvement family find you on any social platforms? Website? Give us all the goods.
Vivian (42:46):
I am on LinkedIn as a Vivian blade. So you'll find me there at living in blade. Same thing on Twitter as well. My website is VivianBlade.com. So make sure you visit me there also, you'll find a host of resources on resilienceready.today. So go to the website, resilienceready.today. There are tons of free resources there to help you and your teams build the resilience and my new book coming out influence with scale. So it's influence for talent development or in talent development, but the influence prevent principles are universal. And so there is a website influence with scale that you can go to. There will be some resources. There, there are already some resources. There will be some other resources for you there. And that book comes out in November. So look for that. And it's being published by the association for talent development.
Erin (43:54):
Yes. And we're going to link to all of those things and our show notes improve it fam so check them out there if you want to just direct link to it. And so Vivian, I'm going to, I'm going to round this out by trying to incorporate all three titles of your books because you have 3 books, but other you're mentioned in other books, but I'm going to, I'm going to try this. So I want to tell you first and foremost, thank you so much for helping us navigate these divisive times. And one thing is for sure, you are unifying leaders under the idea that resilience is the way to fuel forward and to influence others. Did I get them in there? Did I get all three?
Vivian (44:37):
That was good Erin.
Erin (44:41):
Thank you. Feel forward Is the other book. I failed our improve it! Fam. We used to be the failed it! Fam. And now we're the improve it! Fam. See the things happen, you know, 40 and slips just happen like that. But I am so excited to have had you on this show, Vivian, thank you for bringing your purpose, your it to the iprove it! Family.
Vivian (45:02):
It's been a pleasure, a tremendous honor to be with you. Aaron. I've had a lot of fun in our conversation. Thanks so much for having me.
Erin (45:19):
Thank you! Okay improve it! Fam if you don't have notes on notes on notes, I feel like we might not be friends. We are friends, but I know you're taking so much away from today's show what a lady, what a show, what a time to be alive. And there is so much dividing us in our organizations and as a nation. And all of this is affecting us as human beings. It's affecting the way we show up at work. So Vivian's action items are here for you to apply to your team. So let me just recap them very quickly. One start with a mindful partnership, build partnership with others, create and practice empathy, connect in ways that are important for the individual and build a path that is representative of everyone. Number two, have perspective. This mindset, the power of inclusion that can propel us forward. And number three, know the purpose.
Erin (46:21):
How can I make a difference as a leader in the lives of others, investing in their growth. So partnership, perspective, purpose, think about these things and start to implement them into your team and into your team can trickle into your organization and into your organization can trickle into the world. It starts with you. So I want to hear from you did this episode hit home. What did you like? What do you want? More of send us an email info@learntoimproveit.com info@learntoimproveit.com. And if you're really feeling today's show, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes. It takes literally two seconds. Just hit five stars. You can write a comment. No, that it means the world to us or share today's show with your social networks or with a friend because the improve it. Family is here to help you be your best self at work. Now I want you to go out there and fail, fail hard, have fun doing it.
Erin (47:23):
And at the same time, keep improving it because the world needs that special it that only you can bring. I will see you next time. Hey friends, thanks for tuning in to improve it. I am so happy you are along for the ride. If you enjoyed this show, head on over to iTunes to leave us a five star review and subscribe to the show. So you never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Now, if you're really feeling today's show and you've improved it even just a little bit, please take a screenshot and tag me at keeping it real deal on Instagram and share it in your stories. I'll see you next week, but I want to leave you with this thought, what did you improve today and how will that help your future successful self? Think about it. I am rooting for you and the world needs that special. It that only you can bring see you next time.