We all face pivotal moments in our lives such as career transitions, relationships, parenting, loss and learning. Each of those moments can hold important lessons, says Alaina Love, CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting, whose new book, Permission to Be You, invites readers to take an unflinching look at their inner lives and rediscover the passions that drive them across all areas of life.
In a recent conversation with SmartBrief Senior Editor Candace Chellew, Love described her approach as one that centers on helping people identify their purpose and the “permissions” they must grant themselves to live authentically. These include permission to take risks, fail, play, love and even change one’s mind. Such self-permission, she says, often marks the difference between “the life people imagine for themselves and the one they actually” live.
Permission to be vulnerable
An example of the power of permission to be vulnerable came during a diversity, equity and inclusion training session that Love led shortly after the death of George Floyd. A corporate team, struggling with silence from leadership, sought guidance on how to process the tragedy. Love facilitated what she called a “compassionate listening session,” where employees spoke openly about race, pain and identity.
“When you talk about subjects like this, which are very, very difficult and go straight to the heart of things for people, the capacity to demonstrate vulnerability if you’re leading a session like this or if you’re part of a session like this, is really critical to getting other people to feel that it’s okay to share their truth. So, permission to be vulnerable is a big part of that one, for sure,” Love says.
Love acknowledges that companies today have become more cautious in their approach to DEI, but insists that people still crave meaningful dialogue. “They’re hungry to discuss these issues in an open and respectful way,” she says.
Practical tools for permission
Love offers practical tools to help leaders who want to facilitate open and respectful dialogue, as well as discover their own passions, and identify environments where they can thrive, both professionally and personally. The Passion Profiler helps readers identify their top three “passion archetypes,” and a Pause and Ponder section at the end of each chapter promotes self-reflection. Supplementary online resources expand the learning experience through self-assessments and planning exercises.
At its core, Permission to Be You is not a self-improvement manual but a celebration of authenticity. “If there’s anything this book is not, it’s not a tool for, ‘Here’s what you need to fix.’ It’s a tool for ‘Here’s what you need to celebrate about who you already are and what you’ve already accomplished,'” says Love.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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