Reality-Based Leadership
The Podcast

Your ego narrates the world in your favor. This means you're always getting a distorted interpretation of reality. Learn how to get mentally flexible and stop believing everything you think.

In our culture we often try shoulder through adversity and difficulty with a focus on “mastery” - how can I figure it out, master the skills required, and move through what is happening in a way that limits my pain? In this episode, one of my suggestions is that a great counterbalance is to focus on building the emotional and mental muscle required to live in the mystery of the moment and the times. I discuss ways to use current experiences to evolve one’s capacity to do challenging things that ultimately lead to great peace and happiness in life like “letting go” and creating space for the creative to arrive.

If you want to up your game personally and professionally, you don’t want to miss my new program the Life’s Messy, Live Happy Group starting in October. A year-long experience filled with monthly group experiences, exclusive new content, and a ton of new ways to explore your internal world and grow beyond your past abilities. Don’t miss out, get registered now and bring your friends and colleagues.

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Think great connections that add value can’t happen virtually – think again. Maha Abouelenein, now Chief Value Officer at Vaynermedia, slipped into Cy’s DM’s, brought her to Egypt and the two have been creating value together ever since. In this episode, Maha shares the path to success isn’t about going after what you want – it is adding value to others and then watch what happens. She shares great tips for communicating in a virtual world, redesigning your own value proposition and informs you that you have a personal brand whether you intend to or not. Join us for great tips on how to not only survive world crisis but on how to impact the world in crisis.

If you would like support and guidance in rounding out your mastery of the competencies that we will need going forward to not only lead, but to live peacefully and happily in the newest normal, check out my new offering – Life’s Messy, Live Happy Group. No need to wait for me to speak at your organization or a conference near you – I am coming to you directly, with all new content, new assignments for self-reflection and all in a community of Reality-Based Leaders who want to not only stay relevant but be ready to contribute to teams and lives in significant ways.

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This week I continue my reflections and teachings on gratitude even when life is messy. I share how my gratitude practice evolved from just counting my blessings to counting everything as a blessing. Being thankful is a wonderfully positive way to live and definitely increases level of happiness. Transcending beyond duality and accepting impermanence, I share the key to gratitude in these times, OUR times. You may not be able to find gratitude for what is happening in our world but you can be grateful in every moment it is happening and step up and co-create a new reality for our future.

If you would like support and guidance in rounding out your mastery of the competencies that we will need going forward to not only lead, but to live peacefully and happily in the newest normal, check out my new program – Life’s Messy, Live Happy Group. No need to wait for me to speak at your organization or a conference near you – I am coming to you directly, with all new content, new assignments for self-reflection and all in a community of Reality-Based Leaders who want to not only stay relevant but be ready to contribute to teams and lives in significant ways.

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These may be challenging, unprecedented times, but these are OUR times. Cy flies solo in the podcast and makes the call to greatness for all of us - let what is happening in our world and in your life evolve you, as a leader and as a human. Cy reveals the focus on her newest book, Life’s Messy, Live Happy and challenges us all to a personal evolution. Gratitude is more than a list, more than counting our well-deserved blessings, it goes deeper, leading us to get in touch with our privilege and the gifts of others in our lives. Going deep into gratitude can fuel our own giving as we pay forward in the personal and specific ways we were helped. Gratitude can be your path to impacting the world beyond giving where you can.

BIG NEWS! I am revealing an exciting new opportunity to go deep with me in the Life’s Messy, Live Happy Group beginning in October 2020.  Check out the opportunity at this link: INFO.REALITYBASEDLEADERSHIP.COM/LMLH

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A big topic of discussion today is if accountability is still relevant. I continue to answer fan questions about fostering accountability while also empathizing with challenging circumstances face by many. I reveal my own take on how Leadership Development and Training will need to be modernized, innovative approaches in HR policy and practices to support parents working while supervising kids at home and practical tips for helping managers adapt to leading virtual work teams. Towards the end, I discuss the true drivers of motivation to succeed in today's reality.

Ask me your questions in the link below!

https://share.hsforms.com/1a49pq87BSTeMkAD7GXKNMQ4mjbd

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I return to you all with a solo episode to respond to the many questions from leaders wondering if accountability is still relevant in times of crises.  The answer - absolutely - in fact fostering accountability is the key to growing teams and evolving people into high value talent today and in the future. Accountability and empathy are not mutually exclusive and accountability doesn’t have to hurt. I advocate for increasing the support rather than lowering the standards and as always, give listeners great practical guidance for how to care about your people, honor their unique circumstances in their lives AND call them to greatness.

Get your tickets for the Ditch The Drama Tour - Now Virtual! on August 28, 2020:

https://registration.sonburst.com/cywakeman/virtualroadshow

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Sarah Morgan of Buzzaroony LLC - an HR consultant, coach, speaker, writer and request guest on the No Ego Podcast gives her practical advice direct from the frontlines in HR - for returning teams to work and supporting those who have never left. Sarah provides some fantastic food for thought, “Can the rush to get back to “normal” become more disruptive than the current WFH arrangement?" Join us to know what is helping and hindering businesses as they face major decisions about how to work in the near future and get some great strategies to customize your employee support efforts to the specific situations at hand.

Plus, a special code to get a discount on a coveted seat at Sarah’s upcoming HROI Summit - hint: NOEGO is all you need. Get your tickets! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hroi-summit-tickets-112327494560

Register for my very own Ditch The Drama Tour - Now Virtual! Save the date August 28th. You do not want to miss this amazing opportunity.

Get your tickets here! https://registration.sonburst.com/cywakeman/virtualroadshow

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I gave my good friend and mentor Steven Matthew Adams a ring to get his best strategies on living peacefully and happily as the world remains on lock down. Steven is an internationally-celebrated author,  keynote speaker and self-actualization coach, based in NYC, whose mission it is to help others live the lives they were meant to live even when the world seems to be falling apart. Listen in for a great conversation about what the pandemic is revealing to us and our suggestions for ensuring that we all emerge from our time at home an evolved person with higher levels of consciousness and insight.  And if you love what you hear from Steven, check out his book, “On the Way” available on Amazon.

Get your tickets to the Ditch the Drama Tour 2020 - Now Virtual on August 28, 2020!

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Doug Claffey, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Energage joins Cy to share some surprising research results on employee engagement during the world health crisis. Bottom line -  it appears that the Top Workplaces get even better in the midst of a crisis. Cy and Doug unpack the research in the increase of engagement levels since COVID-19 hit and working from home became the new norm. Curious to find out what is driving increased employee engagement? Here is a hint - great communication, high levels of appreciation, and frequent connections. Tune in to hear lessons learned that will help drive engagement and great culture regardless of organizational challenges.

The Ditch The Drama Tour - Now Virtual | August 28th, 2020

Get your tickets and register now!

https://www.realitybasedleadership.com/dtd2020/

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This episode with Sasha Shillcutt, MD is FILLED with great strategies to finding joy, even in the midst of the pandemic. Join in to learn how we use over-functioning, mental escapes, self-soothing, and hustle to keep ourselves from our greatest insights and future growth.  Learn to stay curious, get still and stop deferring happiness as Cy and Sasha share their own personal revelations that emerged during the World Health Crisis.

Register/Sign up and find more information on the Ditch The Drama Tour. You do not want to miss this opportunity!

https://registration.sonburst.com/cywakeman/virtualroadshow

https://www.realitybasedleadership.com/dtd2020

Follow Sasha Shillcutt, MD (@becomebraveenough) and Register for her Elevate Summit in the link below!

https://braveenough.mykajabi.com/brave-enough-elevate-summit

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Dear Cy has returned to Season 3 as Cy responds to listeners emails on their current challenges. In response to a great email from a fan asking for ways to immediately impact racial equity at work, Cy invited Pam Bourne, Employment attorney and friend to share ideas for where to begin. Cy and Pam talk openly about their own realizations of their own racism and ignorance along with concrete ideas to turn awareness into action at work for leaders and HR. Listen in to hear how you can act the part of leader ally at work.

To send me a letter or ask me your questions, click on this link!

https://share.hsforms.com/1a49pq87BSTeMkAD7GXKNMQ4mjbd

Register for the HROI Summit!

https://mailchi.mp/137ae04a4814/register-now-for-the-hroi-summit?e=[UNIQID]

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Recently I've been reminded of Post-Traumatic Growth and our ability to transform after some pretty difficult experiences. Many are wondering at this time in our history if we will recover, not just economically but as a team and as a nation. We have proven to be a resilient human race throughout history and studies. Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) suggest that not only we will recover, but we will demonstrate the immense human capacity for resiliency and growth.

Cy calls for leaders to instill hope in their teams, calling for the ability to imagine many beautiful and positive outcomes so that we can emerge from the traumas of the past months as better humans and more cohesive teams. Leaders need to facilitate not just surviving, but profound growth that will fuel the creation of a better workplace.

I have two assignments for you this week:

#1. Sit down and spend time with the envisioning of many possible positive outcomes.

#2. Find ways to commit to them without attachment.

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On this past weekend from the 4th of July, I reflected a lot on Freedom - the ultimate pursuit for many.  I recount how Independence Day  changed in meaning to me and my family to become Interdependence Day. I call on all of you to reflect on how the ego coopts our accomplishments meant to bring us freedom and uses it to “imprison” us. Join in and learn why we can become prisoners of our own minds and how inquiry can regain mental freedom which fuels great leadership.

As leaders, we are being stretched to use get fluent in a variety of new competencies and this week, I will be going deep into the art of “Holding Space” in order to maximize the impact our current world can have on the evolution of you and your team.

On this episode I deliver an advanced lesson in going beyond ego in response to a trend in the questions being sent in, “How should I handle the tough conversations that need to happen at work?’  Leaders are looking for what to do and how to do it right when it comes to addressing the conversations happening in the world as they are brought to work.  Here’s the reality, jumping directly into action is premature.  Now is the time to ensure that many are being heard and that is at times uncomfortable.

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