247: What Fearless Leadership Really Looks Like, with Adrian Koehler

Are you playing not to lose or are you playing to actually win and create what you deeply long to in life and in your work? As our guest today, Adrian Koehler explains in this episode, we are all capable of being powerful, confident, secure, and fearless leaders. But in order to do so, we have to be willing to embrace the fear and risk that comes with the unknown.

Adrian Koehler is a top leadership engagement expert and Founder and Senior Partner at the coaching firm Take New Ground. His approach is based on the idea that rather than aiming to reach a particular emotional state (“I want to be less scared,” for example), if we want to reach our fullest potential as leaders, we need to aim to be courageous instead (“I’m going to take the leap despite my fear”). 

Drawing on his background in philanthropy, ministry, activism, and medicine, Adrian thrives in extreme environments and finds comfort in difficult conversations —in fact, his passion for human performance has taken him around the globe, serving people in times of crisis, transformation, and stalemates. Over the last decade, Adrian has trained and developed leaders at NIKE, Virgin Hyperloop One, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Herschel Supply Co., Oprah Winfrey Network, Gavin DeBecker & Associates, Siegel & Gale, UCLA and elsewhere. Adrian is also the co-host of two engaging podcasts: Raising The Bar with Drybar Founder Alli Webb and The Naked Leadership Podcast with Take New Ground Sr. Partner Dan Tocchini. 

Being human means having insecurities, but what we do with those insecurities and how mentally approach them is up to us. If you are ready to stop denying what is possible for you and start taking greater responsibility for your actions so your visions can become reality, tune in today for a conversation that will inspire you to be real, powerful (and if this word makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to hear Adrian’s definition of it), and of course, brave! 

 

Key Highlights From This Episode:  

• Introducing today’s guest, leadership engagement expert, Adrian Koehler. [02:24]
• Four of our core human desires and what they signify. [04:41]
• The unpredictable nature of our emotions and why we shouldn’t aim towards a particular emotional state. [05:40]
• What it truly looks like to be courageous. [06:20]
• Adrian explains specifically what it takes to be a true leader. [10:04]
• A mantra that helped Adrian get through one of the darkest times of his life. [10:29]
• The link between power and vitality, and why truly powerful people desire for other people to be powerful too. [14:10]
• Adrian’s thoughts on why people are afraid of embracing the full extent of their power. [16:42]
• Exploring the concept of “hugging the cactus.” [20:04]
• The importance (and results) of taking personal responsibility for your circumstances and your actions. [25:54]

 

For More Information:

Take New Ground

Adrian Koehler Website

Adrian Koehler on LinkedIn

Adrian Koehler on Instagram

Adrian Koehler on YouTube

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  

Tune into Raising the Bar Podcast and The Naked Leadership Podcast to hear more from Adrian. 

Learn more about The Revenant Process and enroll for the next course! 

 

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Join me for my FREE Webinar January 13, 2023 at Noon EST - Close Your Confidence Gaps Now AND Build Your Best and Happiest Career

So excited to share that I will be offering a FREE 90-minute webinar on January 13th at Noon EST all about how to Close Your Confidence Gaps Now and Build Your Best and Happiest Career.  I’ll be teaching powerful information, strategies and action steps based on years of research and coaching with thousands of professionals, and strategies from my latest book The Most Powerful You and drawing on recommendations from over 30 of the nation’s top experts whom I’ve interviewed - al about success, leadership growth, confidence, impact, personal development, communication, and more. 

This is info you won’t hear elsewhere because it’s based on everything I’ve personally learned over 40 years of working, including serving as director and VP in my corporate life, to working as a marriage and family therapist, then 17 years of coaching and training over 20,000 professionals across 6 continents. 

 

Here’s what I’ll cover in the FREE program:

• The two critical traits are missing today in the lives and careers of so many professionals that hold them back from success and happiness
• The 7 most damaging power gaps that negatively impact 98% of professional women and 90% of men
• The "antidotes" to these 7 power gaps - which I call the 7 Brave Pathways to Career Bliss
• We’ll also talk about how to leverage your natural talents in a deeper, easier way, and start understanding that you CAN pursue your true career passions while also having strong financial reward
• How to speak truth to power and gain the confidence, courage, self-trust and self-esteem you need to push past your inertia and fears to build a better, happier career with great meaning and reward, without the toxicity, stress and conflict you’re experiencing now.

Bring your career questions to the call. I’m happy to answer them. Sign up today at kathycaprino.com/buildyourconfidence2023

Let’s make this a different kind of year where you finally shift and heal beyond where you are today, to something much happier. See you there! 

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ANNOUNCING THE MOST POWERFUL YOU LIVE COURSE (that starts February 1st)

I’m very excited to be offering a new 8–week LIVE training course with me all about The Most Powerful You content from my book, and how you can address and close the 7 most damaging Power And Confidence Gaps that keep us from thriving in our work. The course starts Wednesday, February 1st!

I’ve been delivering workshops and trainings on The Most Powerful You for over two years now in all sorts of ways for over 50 organizations (including an international division of the United Nations and other top global companies), and folks are saying it’s been truly transformative and life-changing for them.

To make sure everyone can have access to this very same training, I’m thrilled to offer you a live course that includes:

• 8 WEEKLY LIVE Zoom Group Coaching Calls with me
• 8 Video Training Modules (total of 16 videos – 4 hours in total)
• Step-by-Step Career and Confidence-Growth Training Curriculum
• Additional Curated Resources for expanded learning.
• Private Online Facebook Support Group.
• AND you’ll receive lifetime access to all the training materials and a 20% discount on my private coaching and other programs.

Sign up at kathycaprino.com/signup to get my weekly newsletter and look out for more info and registration enrollment for the course. Enrollment opens in early January. Remember that spots go fast, so be sure you sign up early to claim your spot. I can’t wait to work with you!

 

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Order Kathy’s book The Most Powerful You today!

In Australia and New Zealand, click here to order, elsewhere outside North America, click here, and in the UK, click here.

If you enjoy the book, we’d so appreciate your giving the book a positive rating and review on Amazon! And check out Kathy’s digital companion course The Most Powerful You, to help you close the 7 most damaging power gaps in the most effective way possible. 

Kathy’s Power Gaps Survey, Support To Build Your LinkedIn Profile To Great Success & Other Free Resources

Kathy’s TEDx Talk, Time To Brave Up & Free Career Path Self-Assessment

Kathy’s Amazing Career Project video training course & 6 Dominant Action Styles Quiz

 

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Sponsor Highlight 

I'm thrilled that both Audible.com and Amazon Music are sponsors of Finding Brave! Take advantage of their great special offers and free trials today!

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Quotes:

“Any time we aim at [an emotional] state, we’re in trouble because we can’t really get handles on our feelings. They’re like jello.” — @adekoehler [0:06:10]

“I’m courageous when I don’t want to talk and I do. I’m courageous when I don’t want to ask for help and I do. I’m courageous when I don’t want to admit I’ve messed it up and I do.” — @adekoehler [0:06:40]

“If I’m going to lead, fear is going to be with me. Period.” — @adekoehler [0:08:04]

“Having the intuition, testing the intuition, and then taking appropriate action based on the future that I’ve committed to; that’s where the leadership happens. Leadership is a phenomenon that happens in action.” — @adekoehler [0:10:07]

“Power and vitality are inseparably linked.” — @adekoehler [0:14:11]

 

Watch our Finding Brave episodes on YouTube!

Don’t forget – you can experience each Finding Brave episode in both audio and video formats! Check out new and recent episodes on my YouTube channel at YouTube.com/kathycaprino. And please leave us a comment and a thumbs up if you like the show!