Something weird happened last month, and it shocked my parents, my family, and my partner. I know I definitely never saw it coming!
I started to get realllllly into the NBA.
Let me back up and explain: I’m NOT a sports gal. I find most sports simultaneously too complicated and too boring to watch. My attention wanders, and I can’t keep all the rivalries and championships straight. I also played very few sports growing up because I felt like they triggered my anxiety and took too much time away from reading my favorite books.
So, watching NBA games? Not on my radar, really.
Then quarantine happened…and so much of my life (and everyone’s) shifted. That shift is a classic example of what we call a pattern interrupt in the world of coaching, and it brought about the formation of all sorts of new habits and beliefs. When your environment and reality do a complete one-eighty overnight, it’s safe to say that you’re going to make adjustments.
Some of those pattern interrupts have been painful and scary. Some of them have been confusing. But, there have been a few beautiful and surprise pattern interrupts as well — things like learning how to cook, growing gardens, spending more quality time with our families, and…you guessed it: learning to love the NBA.
I started to watch the games because I had finished all of Netflix (or so it seemed). But, I kept watching because it gave me something to bond over with my partner, Bert. Each game, I learned new insights into individual players and created my own nicknames to keep them straight in my mind. I started to recognize calls and form connections to certain teams. But, the lesson I most want to share from my newly found obsession with the NBA?
Dame time.
Damian Lillard is a player with an amazing shooting record. But, he’s known for really ramping up when he’s placed under pressure. Because of that, his fans have claimed the final 2-3 minutes of close games that he’s playing “Dame Time,” a.k.a Damian’s time to step up and carry his team to victory.
He thrives when the game is on the line. Instead of getting intimidated, he goes for it. He made it his. Everyone in the room is looking to him to see how he’ll step up, and the other players follow his lead.
This is how we show up as leaders during times of crisis. Rather than worrying or stressing about responsibilities and “what-if” scenarios, we lean into our strengths. We show everyone on our team that the impossible is always possible, and that we can actually thrive when times are tough.
Where can you institute some “Dame Time” this week, to bring yourself and your team the results you’re looking for? Are you playing it safe, shirking responsibility, and generally retreating? Now is not the time. Now is your Dame Time.
If you’re ready to shift into game mode and really start to lead from a place of empowerment, rather than avoidance from fear, I’m ready to help you do just that. A few times a year, I open up my private practice to women in leadership. Specifically, my six-month one-on-one coaching program is designed for:
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Women who are entering a Director-level role and want to make an incredible impact from the beginning.
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Women with eyes on the Director-level or above role, who are ready to skyrocket their growth trajectory and get there sooner.
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Any woman who wants to change the world around her as a leader, not a follower, and needs help cultivating her confidence and self-trust.
I actually co-create a custom approach for each client based on my Personal Power Code methodology, so that you’ll end our time together knowing exactly why you’re an unstoppable force, and with a clear vision to help guide you during your Dame Time moments.
My clients have gone on to create major raises, new job opportunities, more joy in their daily life, and tons of praise and respect from their co-workers simply by refusing to be a follower, and embracing the title of powerful leader instead.
Click here to learn more and apply if you want those things, too! There are just 2 spots available!