Every Monday, I deliver an encouraging training and message to our private LinkedIn community of women and leaders. During a recent week, I focused on a simple yet transformative concept that has profoundly impacted my life. My message? The power of words.
What seems like an insignificant tweak to our everyday language can be a game-changer in navigating our days, careers, and lives.
As leaders, let’s explore how this seemingly trivial shift can empower you, help you flow more easily, and impact the results you accomplish with your team.
Ready to play?
This game begins by paying close attention to the words you use to describe your life, work, and daily experiences.
Words like “challenging,” “confused,” “tough,” “anxious,” and “overwhelmed” are commonly used and carry a negative charge.
The game continues by replacing these words with less negatively charged alternatives.
For example, instead of saying, “I am confused about what I’m going to do next,” try, “I am exploring my next steps.”
How does the reframing feel to you? Most clients who play this game with me have shared that it feels “lighter” or “empowering.”
The fact is that these subtle shifts in words can significantly alter your mindset and, consequently, your level of curiosity, resourcefulness, and creativity.
When you transform your language from “I don’t know what to do” to “I am transitioning in my life,” you begin to nurture a sense of empowerment.
This reframing makes you feel less like a victim of circumstances and more like the master of your fate.
Your internal world shifts positively even if the external world remains unchanged.
Your chosen words create a new reality, helping you move from negative thinking to a more constructive, growth-oriented approach.
Change is inevitable. However, how you manage it can make all the difference.
When you cultivate a growth mindset, instead of seeing changes as disruptive forces, you choose to view them as opportunities to grow, reinvent yourself, and show yourself and the world what you’re made of.
Preparing for transformation by focusing on mitigating the potential adverse effects of the change leverages your creativity and innovation.
A growth mindset enables you to become more resilient and be ready for any eventuality, turning potential challenges into stepping stones for growth.
The words we use reflect our thoughts and beliefs.
Feeling negative or emotionally heavy may be a sign that your internal script no longer serves you.
As Marshall Goldsmith says, “What got you here won’t get you there.”
It’s time to shed outdated beliefs and negative self-talk and upgrade your belief system. This upgrade includes replacing disempowering words and your mental script with more empowering language.
This shift requires us to increase our self-awareness and will have far-reaching consequences, not only emotionally but also in our actions and outcomes.
As a bonus, when you begin to pay attention to the words you use with team members individually and as a group, you mitigate the risk of using words that disempower the team.
If you find it challenging to make this shift alone, seek support. An expert career strategist or leadership coach can guide you through this transformation.
As a leadership coach, career strategist, and someone who’s been practicing professional and personal development since 2000, I have seen my clients benefit immensely from investing and focusing on their professional development, mental health, and energy management.
Investing in developing a growth mindset is invaluable for long-term success and overall professional and personal well-being.
For fun, playing this game and practicing these shifts in language will yield valuable benefits.
You’ll notice changes in your reality–even when the external world remains intact–as your feelings and actions align with your new, empowering script.
One of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou is, “Do what you can until you know better. Then, once you know better, do better.”
From this day forward, make it a practice to “notice” when you use negatively charged words and thoughts and replace them with empowering, growth-oriented alternatives.
Finally, this shift can be easier or harder to make depending on the people around you.
To that end, surround yourself with people who uplift you and be conscious of who you let into your inner circle. Be good to yourself, choose your inner circle wisely, and lovingly release those who become repeat offenders and criticize you for being on your healing journey.
As leaders, the journey of personal evolution requires us to embrace change and shed our old identities that no longer serve us.
While you evolve, welcome the transformations happening around you and within you. Be open to the universe’s gifts, and you’ll find that you don’t have to force progress; it will flow naturally.
Ultimately, life is too meaningful to be bogged down by negative self-talk and limiting beliefs. By shifting your language, you can reclaim the reins of your leadership career and life and lead it with joy and purpose.
Leadership has many facets. Senior leaders promoted us to leadership roles because we were high-performing individual contributors.
We would never ask a civilian to step into the cockpit of a plane and fly it. However, we expect professionals without leadership training to fly the aircraft of leadership. Let’s stop the madness.
We recognize that leadership is a journey that requires intention and attention. If you’re ready to explore how to become a more empowered and empowering leader, let’s connect.
I would love to support you or your leadership team in this ongoing evolution. Reach out for a 15-minute cyber coffee. Let’s discuss your top challenges and 12-month leadership vision so you can lead confidently, achieve your earning potential, and create a fulfilling career.
Live with purpose, live with joy!
Coach Ginny
We want to support you whenever you’re ready. Visit our Events page to learn about upcoming events and programs.
DR. GINNY A. BARO, Ph.D., MBA, MS, CPC, CEO, ExecutiveBound.com, immigrated to the U.S. at age 14 with nothing more than a dream. Today, she is an award-winning international transformational speaker & leadership coach, career strategist, and #1 bestselling author of Healing Leadership and Fearless Women at Work. Named one of the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders, Dr. Ginny Baro has successfully delivered keynotes, leadership training, and coaching programs for organizations, ERGs, and Fortune 500 companies. She’s been a Leadership Coach for the McKinsey & Company’s Hispanic/Latino Executive Program since 2021. Leveraging over 20 years of corporate leadership experience, in 2020, Dr. Ginny Baro created the Fearless Leadership Mastermind™ to help high-potential female leaders advance and gain critical leadership skills to lead, engage, and influence their teams confidently and deliver business growth and personal well-being. She earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems, an MS in Computer Science, an MBA in Management, and a BA in Computer Science and Economics, and she is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC). To learn more, please visit https://drginnybaro.com/.
Join our community and receive valuable strategies delivered to your inbox (we don’t spam). Read other articles in our blog, and follow us on our socials.
Hello, and welcome! As we close out the year, I want to take this opportunity to talk about something that has profoundly shaped my journey—seeking support. Over the years, leaning into support has helped me become a better leader, coach, mentor, and mother. Today, I...
This year, I’ve been reflecting deeply on the challenges talented women leaders face in today’s workplace. Frustration, burnout, and disengagement often dominate their stories. These struggles aren’t isolated but represent systemic issues impacting not just the...
I’m so grateful to feel inspired week after week by the insights and guidance I receive in the different communities I’m a part of and with my mentors. This week, I want to share with you some inspirations I’ve received on how to dive deeper into the concept of...
Dr. Ginny,
There are two important women in my life who will benefit greatly from this topic. Thank you for the many ways you share the positivity and practical tools that may change lives. So grateful to you for your sisterhood and vision.
Fondly,
-r