Episode 218: How to ”Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader” with Ash Beckham

"The hardest thing you've ever done is the hardest thing you've ever done. And it is no easier or harder than the hardest thing I've ever done.... Hard is hard." ~ Ash Beckham, Everyday Leadership Coach, Inclusion Activist, TEDx Speaker and Author of Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader   Ash Beckham believes that the hardest thing you've ever done is valid simply because it was hard for you. Her approach encourages people to strip away comparison around struggle and instead recognize the commonality of the human experience--we all struggle. When we remember that whatever we are doing in relation to others, we are interacting with another human first, we create common ground, without judgement, allowing for greater communication, conversation, and progress in our work and personal lives. By immediately establishing empathy and recognizing the human experience as one we all share, we also create opportunities to lead, whether in a professional or personal capacity. Rooted in eight specific pillars (empathy, responsibility courage, grace, individuality, humor, patience, and authenticity), Ash's straigtforward leadership model focuses on understanding the humans we encounter, building leadership that isn't about controlling, but rather elevating collective strength. It's a reminder of the importance of the Brilliantly Resilient focus on building a tribe, which is much simpler and effective when we begin by recognizing the commonality of who we all are.  Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we believe everyone has their own Brilliance, just as Ash believes that anyone who shows up with compassion and courage has the potential to lead. By substituting curiosity for judgement, we not only reveal our own Brilliance, but also create space for others to shine.  Be sure to check out Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader. Tune into this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Ash's wisdom and be sure to listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:   Anybody from the Fortune 50 CEO to the bench warmer on the 7th grade basketball team has the power to lead in the way they show up every day. They just have to realize that they have that power. We don't necessarily pick where we become leaders. Leadership is a mindset. It's not a job title. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you can lead. When we connect, you can collaborate. When you collaborate, you can move forward... it becomes more of a 'you and I are doing this together' than 'I am telling you what to do.' React to the other human and consider where they're coming from as well as where you're coming from. You can't want diversity and not support it or you're not going to get the benefits of having diverse perspectives. Every interaction you have with another human, you come out the other side changed—and so do they.   Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, Mary Fran