Hi! Welcome to Dare To Engage®...
First off, I know that home page copy is supposed to be short and sweet, that you should be able to get on and off the page in under 6 seconds and that we should have "wowed" you by the time you’ve finished this first sentence. In fact "experts" tell me that we have about 6-8 seconds before you’re off this site and onto something else. I don’t know if that’s true, it very well may be, and the only thing I’m going to do to "wow" you right now is perhaps just connect with you person to person and let you know that it’s me writing my copy vs. hiring a fancy copywriter or marketer to do so. I’ll also let you know that we have a high value around "connection", "authenticity", and "seeing" our clients, so if you do work with us, you can count on us to be real and to connect with you and/or your company as people and for the unique needs that you each have. So if you like, hang with me here as I break the rules a bit on home page copy…I have lots to say, we’ll get you the information you need, you’ll get a taste of my style, and you’ll see what this work is about and how it might support you.
Now of course, I know that when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go, and if you’re like me you’re really conscious (and protective) of your time…So if you must go, I get it, and if you sign up in the box on the left, you’ll get future articles and announcements from me, access to our organizational "Quick Information Sheets," plus first release of my upcoming essay "Leading With Boots On." Of course if you’d like more frequent communication, head to my blog and subscribe on the RSS feed. If you do nothing else but this, it will help us stay connected and when the time is right you can come back. Finally, if you are considering "daring to engage" here, these resources will give you another way to learn about me, our company, and what this work is about (plus they’re on me so you’ve nothing to lose!)
Ready? Well, about "truth or dare"…I’m not going to dare you to do anything or dare you to stay on the site. That would be silly. I will say that the words "dare" and "engage" are in the name of our organization for very intentional reasons. And actually, it may be useful for you to know that the name of our company was influenced by an advisory group of former clients and peers who’d experienced this work and spoke to the power of "daring to engage" and looking at their "truth" in all the levels of their lives and how it impacted their leadership, teams, and organizations. This was so strong that it actually resulted in us renaming our company of 6 years (formerly Active Choices, Inc.) in 2007 and we’ve been running with it ever since.
I’ll also tell you that "Truth or Dare" was one of my favorite games growing up (rattlesnakes, rooftops, tree climbing, and the kids next door come to mind), so it has sentimental meaning for me. And I could be really clever pulling the metaphors of that in to this copy and the metaphor for life and business (and actually there is even a paper on this if you want it...) But right now I’m not interested in being cool or clever or trendy…I am interested in connecting with you, and if you so choose, helping you create the impact through, with, and in your business/life/leadership (they’re all connected after all) that you really want to create. You could say that the work we do with people is grounded in internal "dares." The gentle, yet sometimes riveting, internal "dare" being to, "lead as you are," to be true to yourself, to do what you believe in your heart is right (even when others tell you it’s not so), to take risks, to own your impact, to take response-ability for your relationships and results, and to be real. To truly engage with ourselves, our wants, and the people, places, and things that will help us move forward; to evolve, evoke, enliven, and enjoy...these are all dares of the heart and the spirit…and they’re the dares that make leadership more compelling, organizations more creative and effective, teams more engaged, and life even fuller. I hope you’re still with me, because this is what Dare To Engage is about.
Have you noticed in these economic times and business challenges that it can be easy to fall into looking for the answers on the "outside"? To wait for others to change or make decisions? To look for external solutions? Have you seen it? Experienced it? Felt the pull? I know I catch myself falling into it, it can be really easy actually. And of course there are differing degrees of intensity, some subtle, some blatant. It’s a human thing to do especially when life moves fast and priorities compete. And it really doesn’t work. Not well, at least. I notice the energy it takes to lead from there. I notice what it’s like to experience leadership from there. I’m pretty sure if you’ve experienced this that you sense there’s definitely a more productive way to do it. A dissonance in how it is vs. how you sense it could be. Blame, passing the buck, judgment, doom and gloom, denial, group think, waiting, colluding, and "Monday morning quarter-backing" are all symptoms of bigger issues. The issue of waiting for others to determine the path, doubting one’s "gut", abdicating leadership, not directly engaging, making stuff up, ignoring one’s energy, inner voice and inner "knowing", stifling one’s truth…these are all easy "mindsets" to fall into. The great thing is that where there are "issues," there are even bigger and really great opportunities. And usually they’re simpler than we think. Yes, complexities surround us every day – life is gratefully dynamic - and who we are in the complexities, our mindset and the way we manage ourselves make the complexities and the "problems" either better or worse. And this, I believe, is great news.
Here’s what I know, without a doubt: The shifts that we want and need, whether in the world, the economy, our families, our teams, our organizations, etc. -any shifts or "fixes" we want to make – absolutely have to start from the inside out – with our own internal shifts. When we work on shifting ourselves internally, finding where we can be part of the solution (or discovering and owning where we’re actually part of the problem), identify the lenses we’re looking through, and take response-ability for making things happen…when we fully engage…this is where the external shifts can begin to unfold most effectively. (Of course I offer this as an invitation to explore it, and of course you don’t have to do any of it, but I’ve sure found it helpful.) This work, the DTE Programs, are about people and helping them find ways to stay true, focused and centered even in the most turbulent of times – no matter what those times are. This work is about creating space in one’s life to fully engage in his or her own process, live and lead in a way that works for him, and to engage others in the dialogue on the path. It’s leadership development with a very holistic, inside out approach. And it works.
And this is what we work on with our clients…Creating better, clearer and more powerful resource states (abilities) to make real decisions and build stronger relationships with. In a nutshell we’re an "inside out" full life leadership development company that is unabashedly devoted to helping business leaders and organizations create simply good leadership that fosters positive results and happy people. We’re a stand for people being who they are. For leading from strengths. For practicing extreme self-care, nurturing, and energy management/leadership. And for honoring each individual in the system. We believe that leadership starts with "the individual" – from the inside out – no matter what their position. We believe that this work is never done, that actually the more successful, or "big", one gets, the more important it is to continue the unfolding and discovery as they walk the path and the more important it is to be intentional about designing and creating the impact they want. And we believe that "personal sustainability" + mission + vision + people + leadership creates an unstoppable force. Period. I don’t believe this work or our methods are for everyone, but I do know that those who lean in, choose it, trust it, and work it, find it pretty effective (and fun.) These are some of the beliefs that drive this work for us.
So, how can I help you? How can my team help you? I don’t know you so I can’t be sure yet of course, and what I do know is that if you’re looking to create some space and/or shifts in your life, fulfill a bigger vision in your business, grow a business (that’s congruent with you, your mission and your spirit), build a stronger more engaged team, play a bigger game, create some life-giving relationships (at work and at home), or simply shake things up, daring to engage is a great place to start.
So if this resonates, stay a little longer, check us out, sign up on our list , check out our offerings for upcoming events and speaking, fill out an entry point questionnaire, send me a note or give us a call. We’d love to hear from you!
To your full life, all of it!
BTW, I should note that I’m working on something pretty exciting, that’s not ready for public release – yet – but it’s very cool. I’m very excited about it. And it puts all of these principles into a nice package. Seriously, sign up in the box on the left, and when the essay on the "Leading With Boots On" is released, you’ll be the first to receive a special edition. Trust me "Bootism" is not what you think it is and I feel confident in saying, from my heart, that if you’ve read this far, this is something I don’t want you to miss. Also, remember, if you head to our blog, you can subscribe on the RSS feed and you’ll get even more.
"Mission Statement":
We help entrepreneurial and mission-driven business leaders create healthy organizations and lives via healthy leadership, relationships, teams, people, and profits. We challenge individuals to lead from the "inside out", to work their mind set and to integrate business, life, and leadership in a manner that accelerates results, impact and joy. And we support people in finding their authentic way of leading, achieving the results they desire, and doing so while taking great care of themselves. We help people make their lives easier and their leadership more impactful through authentic living, mission focus and self-care: We help them find their own form of Bootism™*. We evoke, evolve, enliven, and enjoy with our clients. Leadership is rewarding and fun. Life is meant to be joyful and meaningful. Good things happen when you "show up."
*For a copy of our upcoming essay "The Art of Bootism: Leading With Boots On" please register in the box on the top right of this page.
For more information download our "Information Quick Sheet" here:
