 Marathons are all about endurance, the ability to keep going for a long time in the midst of difficult conditions. We’ve all needed the endurance to work and live through the pandemic. The endurance to adapt, run a business, and overcome unexpected challenges. You have to pace yourself again and again. We still do. How can we keep doing all this?
Building Stamina From the get go, I saw my clients rise to the occasion and tackle their most urgent challenges--figuring out how to keep everyone safe, transitioning to virtual workspaces, experimenting with hybrid work models. I also saw them learn and develop new skills. They’ve kept going. We all need the stamina to keep going. One way to build stamina is through exercise. My sports training already had taught me how to endure, so I knew how important it was to keep up with my training regimen. And I did it with support from my coach, Rob at Colburn Concepts http://colburnbodyconcepts.com, with the schedule he created for me this last year in https://www.trainingpeaks.com. My focus was indoor cycling, outside runs, some swims, yoga, weights, and some surfing jumps. The focus and commitment learned from exercise can translate to other areas of life. Another way is meditation. My Headspace https://www.headspace.com meditation training of 20 minute a day also helped me stay grounded and stay the course. A few of the series I did (level I, II and III) were dealing with change, creativity, focus, and prioritizing. Some research has even shown that music can have positive effects on your heart (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4948383/). Using music throughout the year and into 2021 was central to motivating me: Spotify, Apple Music, and Fit Radio all served as inspiration, upping my energy and helping me stay the course. Staying the Course One of the most challenging aspects of this last year for clients has been how to keep digging deeper internally to stay the course. While running marathons over the last years I would find it hard to keep going around the 19th to 20th mile. I would hit a wall and would have to come up with ways to keep going. This last year has very much felt that way. We are not out of the water yet with COVID-19, even with vaccines. For many, 2020 and 2021 have meant the loss of loved ones and coping with big changes at work and at home. These experiences are changing us. Clients are emerging from this pandemic year changed as well. They worked hard and had to mine energy, spirit, and endurance to make it through. Some were really successful at creating, designing, and implementing new business programs that were and are successful and profitable. Others made it a mission to ensure their employees had the support they needed and offered new work/life balance options, with better ways to support those dealing with sickness and loss. In fact, some clients learned to work together with even more tolerance and understanding, and through the crisis, built more alignment and empathy. Reaching out for help when you need it is vital. Some clients have needed a little extra support periodically. I’ve added calls with a few key clients. I’ve also helped them strategize on next steps, next projects and helped them come up with new ways to deliver projects. Different things have kept them going: family, wanting to help, excitement about a specific program or creating new products, strengthening there internal partnerships with peers, and external partnerships with clients. What kept you going last year, and what is keeping you going this year? Using Setbacks To Propel You into the Future Persisting in the face of setbacks is key. Runner Sara Hall’s inspiring story of perseverance is told in the New York Times article She Turned 2020 Misery into a Breakthrough https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/26/opinion/Sara-Hall-marathon-runner-united-states.html?action=click&module=card&pageType=theWeekenderLink The article talks about long-term benefits that can come from losing. It also talks about using sports to fuel your ambition. Better yet, it talks about how we are all the same, all equal, all human. And that became so clear last year with the pandemic. Like Sara Hall said: “No matter your speed and regardless of your gender, there’s something universal and authentic about the look of determination when you’re trying your best.” That is exactly what it feels like in your last marathon miles. This is what it feels like when you are trying to rebuild from the ground up or have to reinvent your organization, change strategy, and adapt to this complex and changing world. I think my clients would agree with Sara Hall’s insight: “The pandemic drew something out of me I didn’t know I had.” Moving Out of Our Comfort Zones Endurance has been the name of the game since the pandemic started. It’s about pushing past what’s comfortable, boosting confidence and feelings of well-being, enhancing the mind and body connection, and building physical endurance to support emotional resilience. It’s also about being capable of more than we think we can handle. 2021 for me means, hopefully, a gradual increase in training and bringing more swimming into my practice soon. It also means becoming savvy about virtual environments and continuing to adapt to this complex, wonderful world. What did the pandemic draw from you? How are you now different? How is that going to inform your future? What will keep you going at mile 19: music, dancing, friends, family, support, a new project, a new course, sport... or…? If you are interested in learning more about our services, you can visit our website at www.desormeauxconsutling.com or contact me: [email protected].
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 Here is my latest post - www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/10/05/rethinking-diversity-carrying-the-torch/#70e1e2b56d93
 It has been more than six months since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, creating turbulence for sports, leadership, and pretty much for every human being in this country, if not for every human being on the planet.
Along the way, my clients, colleagues, and I have been figuring out how to find inspiration, stay focused, and engaged, and keep our determination and resilience amidst change. Inspiration and Health Tour de France https://www.letour.fr/en/. Just what I needed for inspiration. Indoor cycling three times a week has kept me going since March 2020. My motivation for indoor cycling has been sustained by watching reruns of basketball and followed by the new standard indoor basketball. I’ve also watched a lot of reruns and recent regular soccer matches as well as reruns of past Olympic triumphs. So what a treat to see the Tour de France pop up on my screen. When I do my indoor cycling accompanied by cyclists, it just motivates me like nothing else. I’ve rarely missed a training day in the last six months. My coach Rob Colburn has kept me on track http://colburnbodyconcepts.com with the training peaks schedule. My knees have healed, and I’m also back walking/running twice a week and have kept up with Pauline Nordin’s Weight Training Programs https://fighterdiet.com. My master's program includes 20 minutes of meditation a day with Headspace https://www.headspace.com.Starting with a meditation every morning has kept me centered and focused when presented with upsetting or challenging news. This enhanced ability to focus has been a tremendous help in managing changes for my business as well as helping clients navigate all that has changed for them. Being healthy has never been more important. In a time of crisis, what inspires you to practice healthy behaviors? Quite a few clients have been motivated to exercise more since they’ve been working from home. Before, they could not find the time. Now, without a long commute, many have more time and are taking walks or running in the morning, at lunchtime, or after work. Some clients and colleagues have taken up indoor or outdoor cycling, and some are following YouTube channel exercise programs. Many are reporting feeling a lot healthier and centered. Learning and Engagement The pandemic is changing the way we live and work, and we all must adapt. It’s the perfect time to rethink and innovate, and my clients are doing just that, creating opportunities for their employees to learn and stay engaged. Opening up dialogue on antiracism and education has been a focus for many. For example, a leader on a senior team I’ve been working with has taken the initiative to create a diversity committee for her company and started conversations with all employees on inclusion and racial inequities. Numerous clients have been on panels to share their experiences as leaders and being African American. Some have been tasked with helping employees become more technology savvy, able to participate in virtual communities, and work remotely effectively, while others were given the role of orchestrating safety and re-entry at work. And clients with children confront challenges different from any other. They have had to be creative and solution-oriented with their time management as they simultaneously work from home and supervise homeschool, all while leading change in their organizations. Determination, Resilience and Discipline What kind of mindset do leaders need as they face the stress of reorganizations, changes of focus, and new projects as well as new leadership? Resilience, determination, and discipline are like superpowers. These qualities help you keep going even when the going is tough, whether it means stepping up in new roles with more responsibilities, reporting to new leaders, or being reassigned to a new position or new projects. Leaders have always had to deal with change. But there are more changes now than before, magnifying the impact both at home and at work. So determination and resilience--whether developed through sports training, meditation, or other practice--are needed now more than ever. I know for me, the discipline of my daily meditation practice and my regular training exercise plan have given me tremendous support. I see the same for my clients who have added meditation or exercise to their daily habits. Such practices help boost both physical and mental health, ensuring that leaders are prepared to navigate their personal as well as their work lives. Each client’s situation provides unique opportunities. I’ve been impressed by what many clients have accomplished, dedicating themselves, their time, and knowledge to push through crucial projects while continuing to grow as leaders. Wishing you inspiration, determination, and resilience during this time, and let me know if my consultants or I can help [email protected]. .  Self-awareness and learning leads to strengths, changes and results. Our executive coaches accompany your clients virtually so that they can reach their leadership goals. Armed with organizational knowledge, assessments, data-driven science, and experience, they seek to empower leaders to be the best they can be.
Desormeaux Leadership Consulting coaches have expertise in delivering virtual coaching. https://www.desormeauxconsulting.com/consultants.html Here are three different coaching programs to serve your client’s needs; these will include a survey for clients as well as for coaches to measure return on investment. Each category has examples of competencies for each program: Full six months virtual coaching engagement for senior leaders with a 360-degree process and a personality assessment.
Three months virtual coaching engagement with a 360-degree process and personality assessment.
Solution-focused six virtual coaching sessions with a personality assessment.
For More Information If you feel that these virtual coaching sessions could help the growth of your leaders, please reach out to us. Contact Lyne Desormeaux at [email protected] or call 646-634-5829.  Visit my recent published article on strategic agility.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/05/18/strategic-agility-is-what-every-company-needs-right-now-heres-how-to-practice-it/#699e8cec28b8  At Desormeaux Leadership Consulting, we believe that leadership during challenging times can make a difference. Leaders are presently thinking through how to manage and how to lead with resilience and mental toughness amid a current changing world.
Desormeaux Leadership Consulting associates have created and designed 10 - 45 minutes interactive virtual zoom meetings for your senior leaders and your managers. https://www.desormeauxconsulting.com/consultants.html Here is a list of our 50 minutes interactive zoom sessions (limit 12 participants) we are offering to clients:
For More Information If you feel that these virtual sessions could be helpful during this challenging time, please reach out to us. We are ready to help and support your leaders and managers. Contact Lyne Desormeaux at [email protected] or call 646-634-5829. .  As every person on the planet must know now, the world is in a pandemic caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an infectious respiratory illness. There are shelter-in-place guidelines for people everywhere. How are you adapting to being confined to your home most, if not all, of the time? If you are like me, you’ve had to adjust every few days--or even every few hours! New information that shifts your perspective and awareness requires being able to navigate your cognitive, emotional, and physical reactions. Information can trigger fear, panic, and frustration at needing to adapt over and over again. Being grounded throughout this time, staying centered as well as being able to navigate change, becomes so important. As I’m navigating this situation, I am also trying to understand how to adapt and listen to the specific needs of each client. Personally, I’ve found that meditation, nutrition, exercise, music, and good sleep have been central to staying centered and grounded. What are the key elements of my practice?
What does a week of training look like? This week I had my first Zoom video session with my physical therapist. Then I get on my bike and cycle to music from Fit Radio https://www.fitradio.com, or while watching a rerun of a NBA or college basketball game on ESPN, or watching reruns of Surfing competition on Fox Sports. I feel amazing after these sessions. These are followed by weight training from Pauline Nordin’s challenge program https://fighterdiet.com/challenges/, which I’ve been doing for years now, and then more stretches for my knee and back. The other three days are dedicated to Yoga by Adrienne on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7xsYgTeM2Q, followed by surfing jumps and then my knee and back stretches and exercise. While I do the exercises, I watch WSL news or, to lift my spirt, past surfing competitions https://www.worldsurfleague.com, because that’s what surfing does for me. How will you build resilience to navigate these times? In virtual zoom, webex, and call conversations with my clients over the last few weeks, I’ve been listening to what each leader is having to navigate during these changing times. Many are working from home with infants or young children who need help navigating technology (and more) to learn virtually. Some in financial services have had to create new offerings for business loans to help their clients, while others have had to lay off employees until the crisis is over. Most organizations and companies are looking at the financial implications for their business. Every one of them is coping differently with the adjustments. Some are losing sight of their self-care and exercise, and find their anxiety increasing. Others are doing better at coping, having built resilience through previous challenges (including a client who grew up in a war zone). Still others are continuing to build awareness of their leadership communication and how they are being perceived under stress: strong, resilient, and grounded? anxious, harried, and unraveling? centered and present? I personally am learning to let go, be more collaborative, and leverage the talent that I have in my consulting firm. I’m also attuning to my clients and seeing how we can help. Wishing you health and resilience during this time, and let me know if I or my consultants can help. Stay safe.  At Desormeaux Leadership Consulting we believe that leadership during challenging times can really make a difference. A client of ours asked if we could create interactive sessions for her employees who were dealing with the challenges of managing stress, dealing with uncertainty, adapting to working remotely as well as building resiliency.
Desormeaux Leadership Consulting associates have created and designed 11 - 45 minutes interactive zoom meetings for your leaders and your employees during COVID-19. https://www.desormeauxconsulting.com/consultants.html Here is a list of our 45 minutes interactive zoom sessions we are offering to clients (limits of 12 participants: :
For More Information If you feel that these sessions could be helpful during this challenging time, please reach out to us. We are ready to help and support your leaders and employees. Contact Lyne Desormeaux at [email protected] or call 646-634-5829. |
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