Sonja Liénard’s Post

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴? A few days ago, I had an enlightening conversation with a friend. She candidly shared her struggles: - When taking decisions, she seeks validation of her choices and her ability to decide. - After completing complex projects, she looks for validation of her good work. - Despite contributing immensely to her organization, she lacks the confidence to showcase her abilities and waits for others to appreciate her efforts. Her story is not unique. Many of us go through this daily struggle, seeking validation from others. I was like this 20 years ago, constantly seeking approval. This constant need for validation can have several negative effects: → 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗰𝘆: We feel we are not good enough. → 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: We rely on external validations to feel confident. → 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: We are unable to fully realize our potential. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 Here’s how I overcame this challenge: 𝟭. 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: Self-belief is the cornerstone of confidence. I started recognizing my strengths and accomplishments. This helped me reinforce my self-worth and my capabilities. 𝟮. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: I kept learning new things to build my confidence. The more competent I felt, the less I relied on others' approval to validate my efforts. 𝟯. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀: I took up challenges, not worrying about success or failure but focusing on stepping out of my comfort zone. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: I sought constructive feedback from mentors and colleagues who shared critical insights that helped me grow and gain clarity on my goals. 𝟱. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀: I set clear goals that were aligned with my values and passion, and I stayed committed to them. This gave me a sense of direction and purpose, reducing the need for external validation. Remember, you 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 from others to take your dreams forward. Believe in yourself, embrace challenges, and stay committed to your goals. Your journey to self-confidence starts now. 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 I’m excited about the impact we can make together. Let’s keep pushing boundaries and proving that women can lead with confidence and grace. Here’s to breaking barriers and soaring high! #Leadership #WomenEmpowerment #CareerGrowth #LeadHerShip #PersonalGrowth DCODE INSPIRED LIVING

Brené Brown beautifully said: “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” I’d take it a step further—vulnerability is also the birthplace of becoming—becoming the next version of yourself. Personal Growth isn’t always about grand acts, bold moves, or big leaps. Often, the most significant shifts happen when we step into vulnerability. I’ve witnessed and experienced time and time again that when women open up about what’s been holding them back, it creates the space for new insights and action. It’s like clearing out a cluttered room to make space for something new. And here’s the thing—confidence and vulnerability are more connected than we might think. It takes real courage to be open about your thoughts and fears, but that openness deepens your self-awareness and reveals the underlying beliefs that have been limiting your progress. When you confront those beliefs, that’s where transformation starts. As Brene reminds us, vulnerability isn’t a weakness—it’s a catalyst for change and confidence.

You know those stories you keep telling yourself? The ones that sound like "truth" but are actually just tired old assumptions? Let's blow them up. ❌ "They'll think I'm being aggressive if I'm direct"    (Because apparently men are "assertive" but women are "aggressive"? Please.) ❌ "I should wait until I'm 100% ready for that promotion"    (Meanwhile mediocre men are raising their hands at 60% ready) ❌ "I need to be liked by everyone to be an effective leader"    (Spoiler alert: Even Michelle Obama has critics) ❌ "I should tone down my success so I don't intimidate others"    (Since when did dimming your light help anyone shine brighter?) ❌ "I'm too emotional to handle tough conversations"    (Right, because suppressing emotions has worked out SO well in leadership 🙄) Time for some real talk. Here's what's actually true: 👊 "My directness isn't the problem - their discomfort with female power is" 👊 "I'm not 'too much' - they're too comfortable with 'too little'" 👊 "My emotions aren't a liability - they're my secret weapon for authentic leadership" 👊 "I don't need to make myself smaller - they need to grow comfortable with my magnitude" 👊 "My success isn't intimidating - it's inspiring to those who matter" Your Power Moves Start Now: 1. Next time you catch yourself apologizing before sharing an idea - STOP. Replace "I'm sorry, but..." with "I believe..." 2. When you feel the urge to wait for permission - remember you're not asking, you're announcing 4. Instead of downplaying your success, amplify it. Your wins light the path for others 5. When someone calls you "too aggressive," smile and say "thank you for noticing my passion" Before every meeting, remind yourself: your presence is not a privilege - it's a necessity Make noise. Break rules. Take up space. Ruffle feathers. Ask forgiveness instead of permission. Let them call you difficult - history wasn't made by well-behaved women anyway. Remember: Your assumptions are handcuffs you inherited. Time to pick the lock. 🌸 Share with remarkable women leaders in your network Follow me Pieternella de Keijzer for insights on authentic leadership and personal growth

To my female friends, colleagues, and leaders who carry the weight of progress. Where do I start … as a male ally watching last night’s events unfold, I found myself filled with both profound respect and deep disappointment. Respect for your unwavering resilience, and disappointment at a system that continues to elevate bombastic mediocrity over proven competence. The defeat of Kamala Harris isn't just a political setback - it mirrors our society's persistent resistance to women's leadership, particularly for women of color. I've witnessed countless brilliant women prepare twice as thoroughly, work twice as hard, and maintain twice the composure - only to be passed over for less qualified men. You navigate an impossible balance between being "too aggressive" and "not assertive enough," while male colleagues face no such scrutiny. Your clarity has always been your strength. When speaking about climate crisis, social justice, and systemic change - you haven't been "emotional" or "alarmist." You've been right. Time proves you right, repeatedly. Like so many women scientists, leaders, and visionaries before you who saw clearly what others refused to see. This backlash we're witnessing represents the desperate thrashing of a dying paradigm. As someone in professional spaces, I've seen this pattern – when  male colleagues feel threatened by female competence, their resistance becomes fiercest just as their power begins to wane. To my male peers, our allyship must be more than performative. When we witness qualified women being dismissed, interrupted, or overlooked, our silence makes us complicit. Real allyship means risking our own comfort to champion voices too often unheard. To the extraordinary women in my circles: I see your exhaustion. The constant need to prove yourself. The emotional labor of maintaining composure when lesser-qualified men speak over you. The requirement to be exceptionally prepared just to be considered basically competent. Your persistence isn't just admirable - it's revolutionary. Every time you refuse to be silenced, every time you return to the table despite being dismissed, every time you choose truth over comfortable fictions - you reshape the landscape for those who will follow. I stand beside you not because you need my support to be right, but because your vision of progress is unequivocally correct. The future demands exactly the kind of leadership you embody: evidence-based, collaborative, and focused on sustainable solutions rather than short-term power. You have consistently stood on the right side of history. As your ally, I promise to do more than just witness that stand - I promise to actively champion your leadership, amplify your voices, and challenge the systems that resist your rise. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward truth. And you have always been its most honest navigators. With love, solidarity, and unshakeable hope #WomenInLeadership #Allyship #Progress #KamalaHarris

Women, are you over-committing because of low worthiness? Many women I work with are conditioned to believe that sticking to a course of action, a relationship, a job/ business, or a situation all the way through to display that they are committed, dedicated, loyal and worthy. Worthy? Yes, worthy. Worthiness and the need to prove it are linked to many behaviours women engage in. We’ve been conditioned to believe that the more we do, the more worthy we are. We see doing and worthiness as synonymous. They’re not. Chasing external self-worth leads to exhaustion and burnout because we cannot fill ourselves up from the outside in. It’s impossible to do, yet we all believe that’s how we’ll FINALLY reach the stage where we can breathe again, where we’ve done enough and can reap the rewards of our efforts. Wrong. Suppose you are stuck in this pattern and have yet to open up your internal world to assess your worthiness from the inside out. In that case, you will continue to exhaust yourself trying to meet other people’s needs, agendas, timeframes and, sometimes, commands. How do you know when to quit the old pattern of committing to everyone and everything else? When you realise the only real commitment is to you. You. When you trust your inner guidance and finally hear the messages within that have been loudly calling to you that you have dismissed, shut down or disregarded. When you open to yourself, it is quiet and yet deeply powerful. And, the realisation comes. You are worthy simply by existing. There is nothing you need to do or prove to be worthy; you are. Find the gift in the stillness, a divine balance between you and the external world. Not sure how? I can guide you. __ Hi, I’m Sasha. I work 1:1 with senior leaders, executives, and business owners to help them find stillness, the balance between doing and being, so they can create a new world that aligns with their greatest gift—themselves.

During my keynote speech at the Shell Global EmpowerHer Conference for Women in Tech, titled « 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦» I introduced the 5 Cs of resilience. Part 2 - CHARACTER 𝘈𝘬𝘢: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐𝘴 𝘖𝘯? Character is the part of resilience that shines when everything feels impossible. It's built when you keep pushing forward, even when you're unsure how things will turn out. Crisis doesn’t just reveal who you are; it shapes who you become. When life knocks you down, your character determines how you get back up. 📍 Tough times push you to your limits; that's where growth happens.  📍 Character is built when you choose to persevere instead of giving up.  📍 The person you become through hardship is stronger, wiser, and more resilient. In moments of crisis, character keeps you going. It’s what helps you emerge on the other side with a deeper sense of who you are and what you can handle. We don’t always see it in the middle of the storm, but when we look back, we realize that crisis built a stronger version of ourselves. How to Strengthen Your Character in Crisis: - Persevere. Understand that every challenge is shaping you, even when you can’t see it right away. - Stick to your values. In times of crisis, it's easy to compromise, but staying true to who you are builds integrity and respect. - Adapt, but don’t lose yourself. Crisis may require you to change your approach, however, remain your authentic self. - Stay hopeful. Character is seeing the bigger picture and trusting that, in time, things will fall into place, often in ways you never expected. - Reflect on your growth. After the storm, take time to reflect on how you've changed and what lessons you’ve learned about yourself. A leader with strong character is one who emerges from a crisis not only having managed the situation but also having grown from it. They inspire others by showing that even in the toughest times, it’s possible to persevere and thrive. Crisis doesn’t break you. it builds you! Do you know what the first C is? Read here: https://lnkd.in/dYHjYh7z #character #resilence #fromfeartohope #linkedincommunity

You say you have a values-aligned business but do you truly know your own values? I pose this question to you as I think about it myself. I recently joined the #femmefluence insiders community of women led by the luminary, Jen Kem and the first exercise she had us work through was a values exercise. If you're like me, you may say to yourself, "I already did this," or "of course I know my values" and after going through a values exercise again, I was reminded that you and your business are constantly evolving and of course your values can change or be reprioritized over time. This values exercise was so timely especially as I'm working on revamping my website and have been working on a new speaking bio and intro for my LinkedIn Lives and Audios and what I'll admit is that the values I firmly held to 3 years ago, are not the same as they are today. I'm still working through updating our core values and wanted to share the work in progress to encourage you to revisit your own. Equity We are committed to the social, political, and financial advancement, power, and liberation of People of Color. Equity is at the core of our mission, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Autonomy We value sovereignty and the freedom to make our own choices about how we spend our time, where we spend it, and who we spend it with. We believe that everyone deserves the resources to do what they want and that autonomy is not a privilege but a fundamental right. Intimacy We value being seen and known, fostering deep, loving, generative, mutual, respectful, generous, caring, thoughtful, trusting, and intentional relationships with others. Deeper conversations lead to connections and is the foundation of lasting relationships. Exploration We believe in always ideating, adventuring, and being open to new experiences. Curiosity drives us to try new things, innovate, and imagine a better future. Fun We value laughter, play, dancing, singing, joking, and creating art. Feeling safe and at ease is essential to our well-being, and we prioritize activities that bring us joy. Authenticity We embrace and love ourselves for who we are and unapologetically stand in our truth and power. Owning our identities, cultures, values, and beliefs is the foundation towards self-actualization and we encourage everyone to move through the world as their whole genuine selves. These are our core values at CONSCIOUSXCHANGE and what guides us as we discern what projects we work on, what offers we share, and who we do business with. What do you think? When was the last time you looked at your values? Do they still accurately express your essence as a company or do they need a refresh? I would love to know what your core values are. Drop yours in the comments and let's see where our values align!

Reading and Leading; the journey continues. These are the physical books I've read since the last week of March. There's two soft copy books too. It's a slow morph, and I think I'll combine doing physical and soft copies. Here are random quotes from each of the physical copies in the picture. I literally flipped to random pages and wrote from a section I had highlighted: "Disobedience can be a response to authority." Malcolm Gladwell. "Doubts, fears, and other people's rules are no match for a heart on a mission." Jen Sincero. "Rest isn't a luxury; it's a necessity." Chin-ning Chu "Research shows that women negotiating for themselves are likely to be viewed negatively as too pushy, whereas there's no backlash if women are negotiating for others." Julia Gillard & Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala "When you grow you are putting your future into motion." John C. Maxwell "Social habits are why some initiatives become world-changing movements, while others fail to ignite." Charles Duhigg "You'll need to get buy-in from your stakeholders- because you'll want allies in the room when tough questions come up." Raymond Sheen with Amy Gallo "Negotiating success means proactively engaging with your new boss to shape the game so you have a fighting chance of achieving desired goals." Michael Watkins "Neither a close relationship nor affinity is a prerequisite for showing honour." Topsy Kola-Oyeneyin

Reclaiming Your Intuitive Superpower: A Message for Women Leaders in Science In most western societies, the dominant culture prizes rationality and logic above all else. Growing up in France, I too was taught that the cerebral pursuits of science and mathematics were superior to the "softer" realms of art, emotion, and intuition. We learn to mistrust our gut instincts, our heart's wisdom, and the intelligent signals our bodies send us. After all, how can we trust something as nebulous and unquantifiable as intuition when we've been trained to make decisions based on cold, hard facts? But what if I told you that this hyper-rational mindset is actually sabotaging our full potential as leaders and decision-makers? Many of history's greatest innovators - from Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs - openly celebrated the role of intuition in their groundbreaking work. You see, intuition isn't a form of superstition or blind "woo-woo" - it's a powerful, trainable skill that allows us to tap into a deeper intelligence. One that integrates our cognitive, emotional, and instinctual faculties for more holistic, insightful choices. As women, we're often more naturally in touch with the wisdom of our bodies and hearts. Yet we've been socialized to distrust these gifts, worried that embracing our intuition will make us appear irrational, unprofessional, unfit for leadership or worse. (After all, it's only 300 years ago that the last witch was executed in the UK). It's time to reclaim our intuitive superpowers. In my upcoming Positive Intelligence (PQ) course, you'll learn how to identify and overcome saboteurs like the "Hyper-Rational" - the mental pattern that dismisses our heart and gut intelligence. You'll learn to cultivate the self-awareness and practices to access your wise, intuitive "Sage" perspective. This isn't about renouncing logic in favour of blind intuition. It's about integrating both, using all the faculties at our disposal to make decisions that are truly transformative. As women leaders, we have a unique opportunity to model a new paradigm - one where intuition is honored as the powerful, indispensable ally it is. Will you join me in reclaiming this gift? Registration for the PQ course closes on September 17th, 2024, with only 5 spots available. Secure your place now and unlock your full decision-making potential. #WomenInSTEM #PositiveIntelligence #Intuition #LeadershipDevelopment #ScienceAndIntuition Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

What is reductive thinking and why is it dangerous for you as a leader? 🤔 What can you do instead? I recently attended a lovely community session about openness to relationships held by a caring new friend. 💕 The session was like group therapy - people shared vulnerably about their life experiences, challenges in their families of origin, about their attachment styles, and more. It was cathartic for me to share about experiences I have had recently of limerence and healing from anxious preoccupied habits and mindsets I regress into when my life becomes challenging. 🌺 I was glad to be able to hold space for others who were navigating healing from fearful avoidant and dismissive avoidant attachment styles. One participant in the group challenged me with how they showed up. They frequently made broad identity-based generalizations, and it made me so uncomfortable. Statements like “Men aren’t emotionally self-aware” “Women who are people-pleasers just let themselves get walked on” “It’s good and I’m surprised there are men showing up to this group” “Anxious women with low self-esteem don’t take the initiative” I found this so difficult. 😬 The experience inspired me to reflect on why this participant made me uncomfortable and what it was that made me feel so tense and want to reject them. Reductive thinking. It is appealing to us as humans to engage in reductive thinking because it feels satisfying in the moment, it seems like we can just explain things away. “Men this” “Women that” As leaders, we cannot let ourselves become seduced by the curb appeal of reductive thinking. ❌ On one level, it lets us turn off our brains by allowing a simple explanation to rule the day. But doing so creates unhelpful, damaging patterns of thinking that reduce and depersonalize others. We experience less sonder* when we write people off based on aspects of their identities, making us less aware of who they truly are and about the uniqueness of their experiences. As leaders, we can’t allow ourselves to fall into this trap. We owe it to our colleagues and collaborators to avoid reductive thinking and over-generalizations. When we reductively think and over-generalize, we lose sight of who other people are and our relationships with them suffer. 💔 Instead, I encourage curiosity and embracing complexity. Ask questions, particularly those that challenge our assumptions and habits. What are my own biases? How is this an opportunity to learn more and go deeper? What lesson do we have to learn? How have this person’s experiences shaped them and influenced their behaviors now? How do you manage for reductive thinking and over-generalizations? *sonder is the appreciation of the richness and vastness of each lived human experience, particularly the lives of others - that every human is a universe, and that every other human has a life as full and as real as one's own #leadership #relationality #mindset