Talent Mindfulness
Insights and reflection for aiming your talents toward greater potential.
The Trailer: How to Use Talent Mindfulness
Listen to the audio-only version of "The Trailer: How to Use Talent Mindfulness" on Spreaker.
What Is Talent Mindfulness?
Talent Mindfulness is a practice; an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- the natural patterns of thought, feeling and behavior that lead you to success, to thrive, to experience your own best life. CliftonStrengths measures the presence of talent across 34 areas called "Themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your Strengths.
Don't try to force an answer or write down everything. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves; greatness takes a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to the insights your talents have to offer.
Transcription
Jim Collison 0:00I am Jim Collison. I'm here with Maika Leibbrandt, and welcome to the trailer for Talent Mindfulness. Maika, welcome!
Maika Leibbrandt 0:05Thanks, Jim. Great to be here.
Jim Collison 0:07It is so much fun to be thinking about launching a brand new podcast, Maika, and to be launching it with Talent Mindfulness. For some folks, maybe, who have not listened to our Talent Mindfulness episodes to this point, why do we do them and where'd they come from?
Maika Leibbrandt 0:22Well, they originally started because we always wanted Theme Thursday to be something that helped people understand CliftonStrengths. And if you're truly understanding CliftonStrengths, you know that it's not enough simply to name your talents; we have to do something. And thinking about how you can honor that, either in yourself or in others, really take action. And so at the end of -- was it Season 5? -- of Theme Thursday, we added this idea of Talent Mindfulness. Quite honestly, I thought it would be just a brave moment that we only did once, but it really caught on. People have, we've received probably more feedback around Talent Mindfulness than we have about our 34-theme deep dives that we've done for years.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:03And it really was meant to be a way to say, Hey, you don't have to clear your schedule and go to a retreat in order to get better at your strengths. If you say you're too busy, let's just meet you where you are. And let's give people 3 to 5 minutes just to focus on their talents and think about what, what their natural ways of thinking or feeling and behaving are telling them about how to solve problems, how to navigate what's in front of you right now, rather than waiting and putting strengths development on that "To Do List" of something you would do in the future.
Jim Collison 1:32One of the biggest requests we got during the last 2 years of Theme Thursday was to break these out and make them individual episodes, like -- because currently, they're kind of wrapped up inside of Theme Thursday, you have to listen to the whole -- we kind of did that intentionally, right? We wanted folks to listen to the episodes on the way to get there. But the feedback was so overwhelming to make them individual episodes, we decided to do this. Maika, what kind of advice would you give to someone as we think about now having this short intro, the Talent Mindfulness, and then I'll wrap each one of those. What kind of advice would you give to people in listening to these? What, what do you think is the best way to consume them?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:08Great question. I think treat it more as a practice, a habit or a routine, and less as something you want to consume. So don't think about these podcasts as chapters in a book. And you want to get through the book so that you can say it's finished or go to book club. See this, instead, as something that you should return to as maybe a daily activity, maybe even just a weekly activity. That was originally how they came out. We did Theme Thursday every Thursday. And some of them, you'll find, are even designed to say, Hey, over the next week, here's an action you can go take. Realize that they're never meant to be prescriptive, that they are -- you're doing it right if you're listening to yourself. You're getting it wrong if you're thinking that there's a right answer that I've somehow given you. And, I think, allow yourself to come back to it time and time again, especially if you're listening for that mind of How do I make a business better? Or how do I help other people?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:05There can be that temptation to say, OK, I want to learn this exactly how it was so that I can repeat it. And that is not what this is designed to be. You can just share Talent Mindfulness with the people that you're serving or the people who you're leading. Because the beauty of it is, it should mean something different to you when you listen to it today, versus when you listen to it a couple weeks from now. And it should maybe spark something different in somebody else than it'll ever spark in you.
Jim Collison 3:30So let me do the technical aspect of this. We're going to create these as a podcast, so you can listen to them on your Podcatchers, podcast applications on either your, on your phone, Android or iPhone. You can download them and use them how you want. You can take them with you, if you need to do it that way. They're gonna be available on YouTube as well as video. We thought that was kind of weird at first, just to be honest. We were like, "Really?" But I asked the community, and that's what they wanted. And so we're going to create YouTube videos and a playlist that will be available on the CliftonStrengths channel as well. So we'll have a variety of ways for you to interact with them. They won't be live; we're not creating new ones. These -- we're going back to Season 5 and Season 6, and pulling those out and re-presenting them to you. Many of you haven't even heard many of them. So you'll get an opportunity to rehear, to reengage with. And I think these aren't intended for "one and done." I think these are intended to be, to be used on a regular basis, for an opportunity for you to learn and to grow as you work your way through them. Maika, anything else you want to add to that?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:30Yeah, you know, there might be folks who are stumbling across this and don't know anything about Theme Thursday or CliftonStrengths. So it's also important to mention that Talent Mindfulness were really born as a way to activate your CliftonStrengths. But that being said, you don't, it's not a precursor to getting the good that there is out of, out of Talent Mindfulness. You might hear whispers of different CliftonStrengths themes that show up in different Talent Mindfulness practice sessions, but none of them are really meant to be overtly tied to any one CliftonStrengths theme. A great way, if you're brand new to strengths, a great way to sort of get yourself into the mindset of focusing on your own talents is, A) to listen to all the past seasons of Theme Thursday; or B) just get yourself in a space and think about, What are you doing that really lights you up? What part of a recent project could you not wait to do again? What do other people say you do really well? And allow yourself the brave space to have that be different than other people around you.
Maika Leibbrandt 5:31We know that the chances of having the same strengths as somebody else in the exact same order, are about 1 in 34 million. So if you've ever been told that you're 1 in a million, they were wrong; you're much more unique than that! So allow yourself to focus on what you do well, to realize that the greatest place to grow is not just from building a deficit model of plugging all the holes or fixing weaknesses, but that you're truly going to get to world-class performance by focusing on areas that are already strong for you.
Maika Leibbrandt 6:02Lately, I've used this, this illustration to describe strengths-based development to people. It's focus on what you -- think about your strengths right now as being the worst you're ever going to be at those things, instead of saying, "Well, this is the best I'm ever going to get." Strengths-based development raises the floor of expectations. And when you do that, that's how you get to the kind of thriving wellbeing that we know focusing on, on CliftonStrengths can bring; the kind of teamwork, the kind of productivity and boosts in engagement that really makes a difference.
Jim Collison 6:35Maika, I think, well said. I am really looking forward to producing these throughout the year. We will be releasing one a week throughout 2021 and be putting them in their own Talent Mindfulness feed. Good news is, if you're listening to this, you've probably already found it. So you don't have to worry about that. But they'll be available one a week, as we, as we pull them out and edit them for you and give them to you, Maika, I'm really excited about providing these for people in, in the new year, in 2021. Anything else you'd add?
Maika Leibbrandt 7:05Yeah, Jim, if you are, how do we tell other people how to find it? So for those not-so-lucky people who are not already here, what's the easiest way to direct them to Talent Mindfulness?
Jim Collison 7:14Yeah, so just search, go to any podcast app and search, "Talent Mindfulness," or you can search "Gallup Talent Mindfulness," because we'll put all three of those words in the title as we, as we do this, and a great opportunity for them, then to subscribe or listen. But really the best way is send them a link. Like you've consumed this, ask them how and then send them a link. Kind of encourage them to do it. Walk them through it. Do it with them. Talk about this. Use it as an opportunity, share this with those that you coach. Take it with you. Give it away. We intend for this to be used and given away and all the things that, that we do. So we're excited to give it to you. And then you're welcome to just pass this on to others that you know that need it. Maika, anything else?
Maika Leibbrandt 7:58I just love partnering with you. Thanks for doing this, Jim!
Jim Collison 8:00It's been a great journey to do it through the Season 5 and Season 6. And Maika, I'm really looking forward to getting these out, kind of as their own -- well, not live, like we traditionally would do. But still super impactful and super powerful. So with that, we'll remind everyone to take full advantages of all the resources we do have available. If this is -- maybe you're new, maybe you came across this just in that search term, "Talent Mindfulness," and you're wondering, What is this CliftonStrengths stuff? So all our resources that are available, go to gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter, available in a link at the very bottom of the page. Just scroll all the way to the bottom, put your email address in and hit Submit. You get an opportunity, and we'll send that to you each and every month, spam free. If you have any questions, or if you'd like to know more information about becoming a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, or maybe you need some -- you're a current coach and you need some master coaching, send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. We'll get you set up with that as well. Join us in our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/calledtocoach. You can search "CliftonStrengths" on your favorite social platform. And we want to thank you for listening today. Hope you enjoyed it, and we hope you enjoy this series enough that you'll share it, and you'll share it with others. Thanks for coming out. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Think About Your Past Power and Your Future Promise
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Think about the past 6 months that you've spent in your job, in your family, in your community, on this planet. When was a time during those 6 months that you felt especially proud? Remember where you were, remember what it felt like. Maybe even think about what it smelled like, what were you hearing, who was there with you? When, during those 6 months, did you experience a feeling of power? Maybe a time you physically took up just a little bit more space. Now let's -- let's think about the next 6 months. Finish this sentence in your head: In the next 6 months, the most promising thing about me is _____.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:17I'm excited for your next 6 months. These are amazingly important questions. You are powerful. There's something about you you should be incredibly proud of. We need you to fill that space, fill the space and, and maybe hold a space for the power of others as well.
Jim Collison 2:40And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Listen to Your Talents and Make Adjustments
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05So let's start with a deep breath in. And a nice long exhale. For two more breaths, focus only on your breathing. ... When your thoughts stray over the next 5 minutes, bring them back to your breath. Visualize a current challenge. It doesn't have to be monumental. It might even just be a simple task. What is a current challenge that you actually have?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:05Let's imagine every idea inside your brain is a tiny light. And you activate those lights with your breathing. So if every idea you've had in the past 24 hours is currently swirling around inside your brain, take a long, slow inhale and see them light up. And with your exhale, those lights go dim. Try this a few times, just with normal breathing. Inhale and light up your ideas. Exhale and let them dim.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:55If every idea from the past 24 hours is a light, then ideas you've had about this specific challenge more than once get to be bigger, brighter light bulbs. Breathe normally, but notice which ideas are lighting up brighter than others. Again, the more you've had the idea, the brighter the light is inside your brain.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:33Now let's focus just on today's waking hours instead of the past 24. What solutions have crossed your mind? What ideas, concerns, sensations inside your brain have you had most often? Are there ideas that maybe seemed fleeting but are now coming back to you, now that you're giving your brain some time?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:15Now that you think about it on purpose, what are you noticing about your current challenge? If you were to trust only the ideas inside your own brain, no external influence, which solution would you trust the most?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:50We're gonna take one more deep inhale, and this time, as you breathe in, see that cluster of possible solutions join together to form one bright light. And keep that light on as you exhale. Take with you the power of your own talent filter to solve the problems in your world in a way that makes the most sense to you. And that's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 5:32And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Interpret What's Happening Through Your Own Lens
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04So today is just a listening exercise to what's going on right now. So let's do this together. Let's take a deep breath in. And let that all out. Just be here in the moment. I'm going to be more quiet than I think you've ever heard me be. And I just want you today to listen. Start as close to yourself as you can get. Listen to the sound of your own breath. What are the sounds just 10 centimeters around your own skin?
Maika Leibbrandt 1:49Now we're gonna press a little farther out; I'd like you to focus on hearing any movement, any sound that's happening within 10 paces -- 10 steps around you in any direction. What do you hear moving? What's happening?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:12You don't need to react to any of this. You don't have to fix it. Just hear it.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:22Now let's go a little farther. I want you to pay attention to your ears and just think how far can you hear? Focus on your listening at maybe the end of a city block, or as far as you can see -- what's happening there, within that bigger space?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:55All right, let's come back to ourselves. And just realize, there's always something going on. There's usually a lot of things going on. Most of us are absorbed in our own agendas or our plans. We don't always notice what's happening in the moment. This is not a call for everybody to have Adaptability; this is a call to, as you go throughout the rest of your day, pay attention to what's happening. And pay attention to your own perspective. What are you noticing? What are you hearing? What talent -- what your talent filter is picking up is different than what other people are going to pick up.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:33You might have just done this with somebody sitting right next to you and probably heard different things, had different visualizations in your mind of what it was you were hearing, what it was you were noticing. What seems obvious and loud to you, others may miss altogether. That's why we need you to understand your own talent filter. We need you to have the courage to share what you notice with other people. Notice what you hear and listen for it often.
Jim Collison 4:04And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Prioritize Your Day According to Your Talents
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Let's do this. Let's just take a deep breath in and really fill your lungs. Maybe hold that at the top. Exhale all desire to be taking notes or thinking too hard. Just let it all out and be here in the moment. I want you to think about all the things you've done in the past day. There's likely a lot. Get it all in your head, really let it kind of swirl and cluster around in your brain. Think of all the people you helped, all the work you accomplished, anything you pushed just a little bit further. Think about all the thinking you did, all the questions you asked, all the, the ideas that you had -- either out loud or just in your head.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:57Let all of this storm of, of activity that you did in the last 24 hours circle and, and kind of swarm around in your brain right now. You might think about it forming a really great storm cloud, created by the different droplets of your day. As that cloud builds, and you start to remember all the things you've done in the last day, it might feel like that cloud's getting really heavy, really dark, really saturated, like it could burst at any moment. It's not going to just yet; just kind of keep building. Soon, I will ask you to imagine that that cloud's about to release just a few raindrops. What is going to escape from that cloud -- that, that swarm of everything you've done in the past day -- is only the very, very best.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:50So before it starts to rain, I want you to think of squeezing out the moments of your yesterday that demonstrated your most highly concentrated talent. Out of everything that you did or thought or felt, what was slightly better than you've done or thought or felt it before? What was slightly better than someone else could have done it? What was easy and excellent for you?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:31All right, now it's going to rain, but it's not gonna storm. From that giant, heavy cloud of yesterday, there are only three raindrops that are gonna fall from that huge, that huge cloud. Imagine those drops to be drops of your best talent. Ease, excellence, enjoyment, edge. And the beautiful thing about clouds is they keep on moving. So the rest of that day is now dissipating. It's going away. It was yesterday and now it's, it's moving on. You're left with only your very best.
Jim Collison 4:21And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Sort the Next 4 Hours by Going With the Flow
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Let's do it. Let's take a really deep breath in ... and an audible exhale. Really let it go! Let's be right here. So some of the magic of Arranger is the ability to dance in the moment -- to know how much time to spend on one thing before moving to the next, to really understand the rhythm, maybe the syncopation, to your day. Today is about acknowledging that we all have rhythm to our day. And this exercise is going to help you look forward more purposefully to the next half of your day.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:49We're going to explore what you have coming up, and how you might move through it with slightly more gracefulness and agility. We're going to use a mantra that mirrors some of the magic of Arranger, but again, can be applied to your themes: I see. I sort. I choose. I act.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:14Your natural talents act as filters to what you notice, what you prioritize and what you do. Take another really deep breath in right now. ... And then press that breath all the way out, really emptying your lungs. ... You can resume your normal breathing as you continue to listen and I guide you through this. I want you to think about what you'll face in the next hour of today. Imagine if that entire hour showed up in your lap right now. You see it. You sort it. You choose what to do. You act.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:04Now, what if the next 2 hours of your day showed up, all in your lap, all at once? Everything you need to do, know, feel or see -- it's all there. It's starting to get heavier. And still you have the talent to handle it. I see. I sort. I choose. I act. Whatever you have coming over the next half of your day, let's say the next 4 to 5 hours, there's a lot filling that time. Right now I want you to imagine one big, messy pile. It all shows up right here in your lap, and it spills off of your lap onto the floor, maybe even a splashing onto anybody within arm's reach. You can still get through it but not without being thoughtful. See it. Take it in. Acknowledge all that you have in front of you. ...
Maika Leibbrandt 4:11You sort. Pay attention to what your talents are sorting toward; what makes something feel worthy of your energy? You choose. Say "Yes" to those parts that resonate with your goals, that make the most of the talent that you have to give. You act. Suddenly, this pile doesn't matter anymore. You've said "Yes" to the most important priorities, and you've left the rest to sort of dissipate into the atmosphere. There's no longer a pile on your lap; you're left with only those most important priorities.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:58Lean into those moments of flow, of greatness, when how to act just makes sense to you. That is moving forward from a place of talent, acknowledging that you know best how to proceed throughout your day. Let's take one more deep breath in. ... And as you exhale, know that whatever the rest of your day has to bring to you -- no matter how structured it is, or how full or relaxing it is -- as you go throughout your day, notice your filter is working for you. I see. I sort. I choose. I act.
Jim Collison 5:48And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Let a Single Word Be Your Guide
Listen to the audio-only version of "Awareness: Let a Single Word Be Your Guide" on Spreaker.
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Let's dive in right now. Just let go of anything you might be physically hanging on to. If you're sitting in a chair, get comfortable, get all your wiggles out. Maybe you really feel the weight of your body in that chair. If you're driving, don't do this! Here, we're gonna, we're gonna go into this together. I'd like you to absorb and really inhale all your day and all of your thoughts. Take that deep inhale in. And then squeeze out all that clutter, exhale, let it all out.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:42Here we are with a fresh, clean slate to get in touch with our talents. So let's breathe in fresh. Exhale clean. Today, I invite you to focus on one single word -- you get to choose it -- a word that will guide you through the rest of your day and maybe spill into tomorrow or to next week. You might choose a word right now that aligns with your priorities, your values, maybe an aspiration that you have. Think of one word that can lead you through the rest of your day. A word that could serve as your safari guide. If you can't think of one right now, or it's getting to be too much work, it's bringing you out of this space to come up with a word, I invite you to borrow mine. That'll be the word "hope" -- H-O-P-E.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:48Close your eyes if you're comfortable. Or if you're not, you can look down past your nose to a single spot right in front of you. I'd like to see the whole worl -- whole word -- floating around in your brain. Spell that word in your mind. Imagine how it feels in your mouth, if you were to speak that word out loud. In your mind's eye, think of that word floating in the air around your head after you've spoken it. And imagine what that word sounds like when someone you love says it out loud.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:52Imagine that word going back in through your ears, into your brain. And now it's back in your brain. It's floating around, mixing and mingling with the rest of your thoughts. That word is going to land on the inside of your brain, right at the front, right behind your forehead, and settle in. You'll carry this word with you for the rest of today, until it no longer serves you. Let that word be your focus. Let it be your guide. You are in charge.
Jim Collison 4:38And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Recognize How Your Talents Bring You Clarity
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Start with a big, deep breath. Our topic right now, similar to Command, is clarity. Now different talent themes are going to find clarity in different times and in unique ways. So as we think a little more about clarity, put both of your feet on the floor. Lengthen your spine. Imagine how it feels to truly know the answer to something. Feel how solid your feet are on the ground right now. Think of that feeling, feeling that same kind of solid peace or that same certainty in your gut, in your heart or in your brain. Roll your shoulders up, back and then slide your, your shoulder blades down your spine. Now you're slightly bigger, maybe even a little bit more powerful.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:03When you feed your talents, they bring an element of clarity, of certainty, of calm. What gives you clarity? Depending on your talent themes, it might be time, plans, chaos, people talking, studying, doing, sorting. What brings you clarity? Your greatest strengths give you power. That power is comforting. It's addicting. It's really beautiful. Know that right now, you are powerful, not in the same way that anyone else is, not in a way that's momentary or fleeting. I want you to carry that power with you today. The world needs it. And that's our Talent Mindfulness exercise for the day.
Jim Collison 2:56And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course, you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Craft One Line to Convey What You're Great At
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Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:00Today is a creative reflection. So you can either do this in your head or at a computer, wherever you are more comfortable. If you're going to participate by actually typing at a computer, I invite you to open up a blank word processing application right now. If you are doing it in your head, I want you to imagine a word processing application. So let's start with just one deep breath.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:33All right, I'm going to challenge you over the next 3 to 5 minutes. Five minutes from now you will leave this short head space having written, edited and kind of finalized something. So you're going to do a bit of work. Get comfortable, get out your wiggles, be here. Imagine that you're typing and you only have one line to use. You must be able to read the font size without straining. This is your canvas -- this one line. And in this one line, in your mind or at a computer, type the answer to this question. I'm gonna ask you it, ask it several times. So first, I just want your first attempt.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:14Here's the question: What are you great at? Go ahead. If you're really at a computer, type it; if you're not, type it in your mind. Use the full width of the page -- one full line. What are you great at?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:45If you're struggling, that's OK. We're going to edit a bit to get down to a polished few words. So to help you narrow it down, I'm going to ask you a series of harder questions that help you answer, What are you great at? What do you usually do faster and better than other people? What do your partners tend to ask you for? What has someone else appreciated about you that you thought was just no big deal?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:28Now let's go back to your computer screen, either in your mind or an actual computer screen. Answer the question, "What are you great at?" in half as many words as you did before. So now you still get one line, but you only get half the width of your paper.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:56If you're comfortable -- this is a habit I used when I was a journalist -- say what you're typing out loud. What are you great at? What are you GREAT at?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:19Now I want you to click "Save" in your brain. This is true. This is something you will know about yourself and share through contribution with other people. Often we think, "Gosh, what's next, after Name it, Claim it, Aim it?" when we're talking about CliftonStrengths and that coaching journey, as if those are easy steps. But as you probably just realized, naming what you're great at and then editing it to what's really true, what's the essence and what's unique -- that can be hard work. So thank you for starting that hard work today. That's the end of our Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 5:07And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Envision a Recent "Victor's Circle" Moment
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Take a really deep breath in. Hold it at the top. And exhale anything you're thinking about -- just let it all go. People with strong Competition talent feel a special burst of energy when they win. Now, you might not have Competition, but there is a time in your life when you feel similar bursts of restorative, life-giving energy. So for those with Competition, it might feel like a sequence in a horse-racing movie, where your underdog racehorse starts to come from behind and overtake that favored front-runner. The music swells, the ambient noise goes away. You feel moved by seeing the reactions on all the onlookers' faces. There's joy, there's elation, there's excitement, pride, power, there's connection. And there's often that moment in that victor's circle when the winning horse gets showered with flowers, and you're just sort of awash in the glow of positive energy.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:19Think about a time for yourself in the past 30 days when you felt positive energy, joy -- even if it was fleeting. When was your horserace-movie victory montage? Maybe it was solving a problem, connecting with a friend, comforting someone, making a big plan. What were you doing when you felt replenished? Like even if it was only in your head, it was worthy of perhaps a movie clip? Let's take another deep breath in. This time, inhale all that joy, that restorative spirit from that moment. Let it fill your lungs and your brainwaves for just a little bit. As you exhale, breathe out any doubt you have about yourself and your talent. You are powerful. You are worthy of a victory lap.
Jim Collison 3:28And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Feed Your Confidence by Feeding Your Talents
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Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:00We're gonna start with a deep breath. So breathe in. And breathe out. And just be present. Just be here. I want to talk a little about calmness, certainty, power. We talked about Connectedness today, and Connectedness does bring with it a certain amount of knowing. You have this within you somewhere, even if you don't have Connectedness, but it probably comes from somewhere very unique to you. So I want you to think about the last week. When did you feel confident? Just be in that moment. Remember what that felt like, what you were doing, what you were feeling, maybe who you were with. And then we're gonna dig a little bit deeper into how you got there.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:00When you're hungry for confidence, what do your talents crave, specifically? What do you look for or do when you're confused? What makes you feel ready to proceed most powerfully? In that moment in the last week, when you felt confident, how did you get there? You are at your most powerful when you're feeding your talents what they crave. And today it's that idea of, you know, knowing, Do you need time? Do you need ideas? Do you need to talk? Do you need to draw? Do you need to listen? Do you need to research? Do you need to listen to a great podcast? I want you to commit in your brain right now to doing something that will feed your confidence by feeding your talents. Imagine what that something might be.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:56And I want you to give you a, give yourself a score. How likely are you to actually do that in the next 7 days? A "10" is, "I will absolutely do it"; a "1" is "I've already forgotten it." Give yourself a score in your head, from 1 to 10. How likely are you to really do that? And then edit your plan so that it goes 1 point higher. So now the question is, What are you going to do to feed your confidence by feeding your talents?
Jim Collison 3:35And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Dig Into Your Group's Excellence via "Always"
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Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Let's start just with a deep breath in, and exhale anything else that might be cluttering your brain. Today, we are going to think about strengths as they relate to your experience as part of a group. You could say this is an exercise in understanding perhaps what might lead to greater group engagement. I'd like you to consider a group that you identify as part of, maybe it's your team, a neighborhood, an organization, an industry, your family. Get that group in your mind.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:43Now I'd like you to think, What is that group known for doing well? Sort through all those ideas you have, and pick one word to describe what's great about that group. If you're joining us live, add that word in the chat.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:12Now let's focus on that word. See the word in your brain. Imagine what it would sound like if you were gonna say it out loud. Again, this is one word to describe something that the group you're thinking of does really well. Now, let's get curious about how this group does that so well. What is one "always" that people in this group agree to? Maybe you could think of it as, you know, "In this group, we always ... ," or "Anytime this group is together, we always ... "
Maika Leibbrandt 2:57Now think of the role that you specifically play within that group. I'm going to ask you 3 sentences that I'd like you to finish in your brain. 1) "As part of this group, here's something I enjoy doing." 2) "As part of this group, others look to me for ... " 3) "In this group, I always ... "
Maika Leibbrandt 3:46Take some notes if you need to. I think this is important to be able to really dive into the ingredients of an engaged team and your role within a group. There is consistency to our talents, whether or not you lead with a Consistency theme. They are recurring patterns of how we make sense of the world. And we can learn a lot by being mindful about what we always do, how we always partner, or expectations that we always have. As you continue through the rest of your day. I want to encourage you to notice how you're contributing -- not just to yourself, but as part of a whole. And that's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 4:32And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Focus on Your Talent Then, Now, in Relationships
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Let's start with a deep breath. Breathe in through your mouth and exhale, let it all go, just be here in the moment. So it's helpful to study the past in order to understand the future, even if that isn't where your brain naturally goes. Today, we're going to do just that. If you're comfortable, and it's safe to do so, close your eyes. If that doesn't make you comfortable, or it's not safe to do so, choose a spot -- kind of cast your gaze down, choose a spot somewhere beyond your nose that you can focus on.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:41I'd like you to think about your own Top 5 talent themes. Which one of those can you remember showing up earliest in your life? Focus on that one. If you're in the chat, type the theme name into the chat. If you're not, just think about that theme name. See it in your mind, think about what it sounds like to say it out loud.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:11Now we're going to go back in our own history. Go back in your own life to a time that that theme showed up brilliantly for you. What were you doing? Who were you with? What did it look like? What words do you think you or someone else would use to describe that early talent of yours? What was valuable about that talent back then? Maybe that talent was appreciated and nurtured early on. What did someone do or notice and care for that talent in you? How did somebody really honor it early on?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:11Now I want you to stay in your imagination, but bring your focus to today. Think about that same talent theme and how it plays out today. What is valuable about that same talent theme as it manifests in your current life? Who's someone in your life who appreciates and honors that talent? How do they do that?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:52I'm going to close with 2 sentence stems. I want you to think about how to end these 2 sentences right now: 1) "A great talent of mine is ... " 2) "This talent feels appreciated when ... "
Maika Leibbrandt 4:19You've probably noticed a couple elements of some truths about CliftonStrengths, and one is that talents grow best in relationships. Another is that they are naturally recurring, and they've probably been there a lot longer than you realize. It's worth studying past success. It's worth studying current success. And it's worth studying what great partners do to make the most of you. You are the best educator of others in terms of how to get the most of you.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:48So if you need to replay this, feel free to replay it. I hope you get to that point where you can finish those 2 sentences: 1) What is a great talent of yours? and 2) What can people do to appreciate it? That's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 5:06And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Finish a Key Task: Risks, Rewards, First Step
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:00I invite you to just take a deep breath, in through your nose, and out through your mouth. In Gallup's Advanced Strengths Coaching course, one of the coaching techniques that we describe is something called "mental contrasting." It's a way to help your client expand their thinking around a problem by exploring the emotions, the ideas or maybe even the plans other than what they're currently focused on.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:35So right now I'd like you to think about an important task that you need to complete. It could be personal or professional, long-term or short, or short-term; it needs to be real, not, not a "what if -- maybe I should do this?" What is something you really do need to complete? What is it? Why is it important to you? What does success look like upon completing that task? Maybe even imagine yourself after having completed that task. What will you be doing? How will you celebrate? How will, will your world be a little bit different?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:22Which of your dominant talent themes is going to help you complete that task with ease, excellence, enjoyment? OK, hope you have a real spotlight in your mind of what this task is and how you plan on going, going through with it. Now I'd like you to consider what factor -- either one that you know about or one that could just be a potential, you haven't experienced yet -- could get in your way?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:59Let yourself go there. You don't have to say any of this out loud. You don't have to acknowledge it anywhere but your brain. But what could really go wrong? How would you react if that happened? I'm going to give you permission to go a little bit deeper: What is the worst that could happen? And how would you react? What would you do?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:40Now let's come back to what you thought of before. Let's come back to why this task is important to you. And now that you've considered potential risks, I want to invite you to refocus on the "but really"; what do you really need to do? What is the very first step that you need to take?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:16Now let's take another deep breath in through your nose. And a big exhale out through your mouth. There's your Talent Mindfulness for today, hopefully a nice little refresh on an important task.
Jim Collison 4:38And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Reflect on How One Person Has Helped You Change
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04So a deep breath in, and release that breath out. Of all the people in your life, who has helped you grow? You might be thinking of a lot of people, a lot of names, maybe some of them are living and some of them aren't. If you were to think about all the people you've ever known who have helped you grow, and line them up facing you, that line might wrap around you in a giant circle or a tiny little circle, so that no matter where you turned, you'd see the face of someone who's contributed to your development. Strengths -- and, for that matter, human beings -- grow best in relationship with others.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:57Of all the people you're imagining right now, I'd like you to narrow your focus to just one person. Who has helped you grow the most in the past 90 days? From that Developer lineup you've got going in your imagination, imagine that one person taking a step toward you, and the rest of your great Developers kind of fade away. Now you're left with one person who has significantly helped you improve recently. See their face. Imagine how their voice sounds when they say your name.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:45Growth requires change. Because of this person, you are changed -- for better, for good. How are you different than you were before this person? What's better about you? What is stronger about you? What did they uncover in you? What's brighter, more powerful, more sophisticated? Let's take all those ideas and finish this statement in your mind: "Because of this person, I am _____."
Maika Leibbrandt 3:51I want to encourage you to first appreciate the growth in yourself. Understand that areas of talent bring infinite potential to get better. But we don't get to world class by accident. You deserve to feel proud of the change that you have made. And next, I want to encourage you as well to reach out to this person if possible over the next week, and share that gratitude. That's a dose of Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 4:27And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Name a Practice That Helped You Reach a Goal
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:00I invite you just to take a deep breath. Let it out, let it all go. There is no need to figure anything out for the next 3 minutes. Today's Talent Mindfulness exercise is about detail -- something people with dominant Discipline talents might get excited about hearing, and something, if you don't have high Discipline, you might shy away from. You probably have some relationship with detail that's slightly different than your colleagues who have Discipline. But building upon our talents requires each of us to really understand our own perspective and invest in our own patterns. So with or without strong Discipline, again, this Mindfulness exercise is for you.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:51Let's take one more deep breath, in through the nose. Hold it at the top; really feel that breath filling your lungs, and out through the mouth. I want you to keep your eyes open for the start of this. Today, we're building awareness of your surroundings. From where you are, we're going to take a physical stretch. Turn your head to the left side as far as you can to where your body naturally stops. Don't push it any farther. Look at everything you can see from this point. Now slowly bring your gaze back to the center. I'm gonna invite you to turn your head over toward your right shoulder. Turn as far as you can until your body naturally tells you to stop. And take in everything you can see.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:51As you continue to breathe and continue to look around, bring your head back to that neutral, spine-forward-facing position. And still observing everything that you can see, just look at what's in your current field of vision. I'd like you to find one detail -- something you can see from where you are right now. What's one specific detail that makes the space you're in THAT space? One thing in your space that if it wasn't there, you would notice that it was gone. Now I'm not just talking about the couch because it's huge. What's one specific thing in that space that truly makes it?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:43Now we're going to go a little bit deeper and take this Mindfulness exercise away from what we can see into an observation of how we get things done. So now I'm gonna invite you to close your eyes. If you're not comfortable closing your eyes, just bring your gaze down so you're not distracted by anything that you can, you can see. I'd like you to consider a goal that you have achieved -- something you're proud of accomplishing. This doesn't have to be monumental. It doesn't have to impress anyone else. But get a specific goal in mind.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:20Now think about the process you followed to reach that goal. What was one thing, one detail, if you will, that enabled your success? Be as specific as you can in your mind. Just like picking that detail that makes your space -- makes, makes or breaks the space that you're in, what part of your process do you think you would notice if you failed to repeat it the next time you pursue a goal? Maybe it's a partnership, an expectation, a way of working, a habit, a ritual, a routine.
Maika Leibbrandt 5:04What we're discussing here is the concept of practice. And that's worth naming. Talent multiplied by investment equals strength. And sometimes that investment is in the form of practice. So it's worth studying, especially when goals are achieved. We know that areas of nontalent can get to mediocrity at best, but in, in places where you truly have talent, you can grow those infinitely. You have to be committed to being curious about what works when it works, in order to grow them. So it's worth studying these practices, it's worth naming. You can bring your gaze back up, sort of come back into consciousness. I invite you to write down the discovery that you made throughout that exercise. Maybe it's naming the practice that works for you. Write it down somewhere, bring it with you, maybe incorporate it into your next partnership. That is your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 6:03And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Explore Your Feelings Over the Past 24 Hours
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Take a deep breath in, and I'll guide you through this. Let that breath out. Let any expectations go. Empathy deals in the currency of emotion. We've talked about that quite a bit today. And today in our Talent Mindfulness practice, we're going to help you sort through emotions that exist in your world. Now, I want to encourage you not to judge any of your experience as being good or bad. You will not be challenged at the end of today's exercise to do anything with the emotions that you're observing. Today is simply about acknowledging them. So let's take one more deep breath in. And exhale.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:52Now that we're in a nice, fresh headspace, think about the past 24 hours of your life. If you were a sports coach playing game tape to review with your team, what moments would stand out? In your mind's eye, imagine what the past day looked like: where you went, what you did, what you heard, as if you're simply reviewing the entire 24-hour game tape.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:23Now, let's review not just the whole 24 hours of video, but the feelings within those 24 hours. In the past 24 hours, where did you have the most energy? See in your mind what you were doing, who you were with -- if anyone -- and what was happening.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:56In the past 24 hours, when did you feel a negative emotion? Again, play that film in your head. What was happening? What led up to it? What was that negative emotion that you felt? Give it a name.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:28In the past 24 hours, when did you feel a positive emotion? When was a time throughout the past day that you felt something positive? What was going on? What was that feeling? Give it a name. What would you name that emotion?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:59In the past 24 hours, when did you feel the most at peace?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:20What we feel helps us understand what we experience. Our feelings inform our thoughts and encourage our behaviors. Being aware of your emotional experience without judgment or qualification builds those Mindfulness muscles; it is a practice. Eventually, you might find that this leads you to a plan of action, something you can implement, something you learn so that you can invest farther into your talent. But today really is just about practicing the acknowledgment of our own emotions. Let's take one more deep breath, and come back to your consciousness for today. That brings us to the close of Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 5:13And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Narrow Your Focus to One Thing You Contribute
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Let's take a deep breath in. Exhale as if you are full screen. We live in a world where the word "priority" has been stretched a little bit farther than I think it was intended to. Too often, we're aiming for 5 or 10 or even more priorities. But when it comes to getting things done, there is power in placing your energy in only one place. The same is true for talent. Today, I want you to be brave enough to consider, even just momentarily, what it would mean to put all your eggs in one basket: that of your highest potential.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:47So let go right now of whatever it is that keeps you clinging onto the safety of diversifying your talent investment. You are not a mutual fund; you do not do better when you're trying to cover all the bases at the same time. You do best when you focus on your very, very best. So let's take one more deep breath. Inhale the courage to think about that. Exhale fear. Let it all go. And one more. Inhale courage. Exhale worry. Now think about how you spend the typical work week. What are 3 to 5 contributions you normally make? What do you produce, think about, attend, do? If you're struggling to answer this question, think, How would you describe what you're spending your time on during a typical work week to someone who knows nothing about your industry?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:02Of those 3 to 5 contributions, which ones do you enjoy the most? Which ones give you the most energy? What happens during a regular cadence of a typical work week that you always look forward to -- that moment that gets you through the rest of the week?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:40Now let's narrow your focus a bit. Out of everything that you typically do, if you could only do one of those things, and you are guaranteed to succeed at it, what would you do? If you were doing only one thing, offering one specific contribution, and you were succeeding at it, what would that mean for the people around you?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:17We spend way too much time trying to sort out how we fit among a team, how we meet a need that somebody else has. When -- if we would just get better at understanding what we offer and trusting that others would do the same and then offering it, we would all be better. As you go about your week, I want you to look for one opportunity to say "No" to something and honor your best and highest "Yes." You'll be making an improvement for yourself and for everyone else. Take one more deep breath in and out. That's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 5:09And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Write a Postcard to Yourself, Past and Future
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:00I invite you to take a deep breath through your nose, fill your lungs, and exhale through your mouth. Let's make the most of this and do it again. Once more, really expand from your sides, fill your lungs, take up horizontal space. And exhale through your lips. You are more powerful today than you were yesterday. You know more about your natural patterns of behavior, emotion and problem-solving than you used to in the past. You have gained skills that you didn't use to have. You've learned more about the world than you used to know. And your awareness is going to continue to expand. Whether you try or not, it's, it's part of being on the planet. If you channel that awareness into areas of your best potential, it multiplies the effect that your talent has on yourself and on those people who care about you.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:12So let's spend some time thinking about how effective you will be in the future. For now, just listen. You can come back later and write things down. You can play it back, you can hit "Pause." But for now, really just be comfortable with, with listening and thinking. You might even close your eyes or turn your gaze downward. From where you are in time right now, if you were to write a postcard to your childhood self that made them hopeful for the future, what would you write? It's a postcard, so you don't get any more than 2 sentences. And again, it's about today, where you are right now. But you're writing to your childhood self. Think about what those sentences would be.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:09Keep your eyes closed. I want you to imagine now that you would get up from where you are and go to your own mailbox. In that mailbox, you find a postcard from yourself 10 years in the future. It's got a beautiful picture on the front, and you flip over and there's your handwriting. What are 2 to 3 things that you read on that postcard that make you hopeful?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:57Sometimes, studying talent means you're brave enough to focus on your whole self, on the whole person experience. I intentionally am not asking you to write on that postcard about your talent specifically; I didn't even use the word "strength." Maybe what you have to be hopeful about in the future is the relationships in your life, your health, your accomplishments, your community. Whatever it is, I do know this to be true: Your future can be better than your present. And you do have the power to make it that way. That's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 4:44And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Honor Partners Whose "Notes" Harmonize With Yours
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Start with a deep breath in and a nice long exhale. Folks, I love choral music. And I mean LOVE. Hearing a whole bunch of humans singing together creates an emotional experience in me that I have never been able to replicate with any amount of stimulant, you name it. I, I just -- there's something magical to me about people singing. And to me, that real magic happens when a group of people, whether that's a choir or a family or people in some sort of a space, are singing different notes from each other, but they're creating one unified chord. Go ahead. You know where I'm going with this? Yes, it is called "harmony."
Maika Leibbrandt 1:50But more than a play on words for this, this week's theme, Harmony, describes collaboration at its best. It's an example of a truly strengths-based team. It's where each person is offering the very best of their own part, sharing a common pace, a common end goal, and really complementing each other. So today, we're going to take that idea of harmony. And I'd like you to use this idea to think about your best complementary partners. Who do you reach harmony with? And perhaps how could you do it more purposefully?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:27Let's start by imagining your own success. So you can either close your eyes, if you're not driving, or you can gaze down so that you're not distracted by what you're looking at. I just want you to imagine something recent that you are proud of having accomplished. Let's say in the past 90 days, what are you proud of accomplishing?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:58Once you have that in mind, who helped you get there? May have been someone who was working alongside you, whose contribution was more directly felt; it might be someone who was supporting you from more of a distance. It might even have been someone who was leading you. Think of one specific person who helped you accomplish this. See their face. Hear their voice say your name.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:38Now I want you to identify something that person does consistently well. Something that's different from what you do well. What does this person always bring that you don't? Whatever that person brings, give it a name, even if it's not a CliftonStrengths talent theme. What is it? How would you describe what they bring that you do not?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:18Now I've got two sentences. I'll give them to you in progress. I want you to fill in the blank. The first one has two blanks: "Because my partner provides _____, I am free to provide more _____." Let me read that to you again: "Because my partner provides this, I'm free to provide more of that."
Maika Leibbrandt 4:56The second and final sentence I want you to fill in, again, two blanks: "Because my partner is _____, I can be more _____." That again, "Because my partner is this, I can be more that."
Maika Leibbrandt 5:28I hope you're just thinking about this right now, but eventually this might be something you want to write down. Maybe you want to rewind and play this again in a place where you can really take notes. What I hope you take away from this is the realization that we don't reach harmony by learning how to sing the other person's part. We create amazing, magical musical experiences when we get better at our own parts, and when we know how to lean into them on purpose, and when to offer them and when to let other people sing. I challenge you today to recognize those partners who help you succeed and to get curious about ways you can honor their talent. That, in turn, makes even more of your talent. And that's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 6:22And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Solve Today's Problems in "Light" of Your Talents
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05So let's start with a deep breath in. And a nice long exhale. For two more breaths, focus only on your breathing. ... When your thoughts stray over the next 5 minutes, bring them back to your breath. Visualize a current challenge. It doesn't have to be monumental. It might even just be a simple task. What is a current challenge that you actually have?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:05Let's imagine every idea inside your brain is a tiny light. And you activate those lights with your breathing. So if every idea you've had in the past 24 hours is currently swirling around inside your brain, take a long, slow inhale and see them light up. And with your exhale, those lights go dim. Try this a few times, just with normal breathing. Inhale and light up your ideas. Exhale and let them dim.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:55If every idea from the past 24 hours is a light, then ideas you've had about this specific challenge more than once get to be bigger, brighter light bulbs. Breathe normally, but notice which ideas are lighting up brighter than others. Again, the more you've had the idea, the brighter the light is inside your brain.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:33Now let's focus just on today's waking hours instead of the past 24. What solutions have crossed your mind? What ideas, concerns, sensations inside your brain have you had most often? Are there ideas that maybe seemed fleeting but are now coming back to you, now that you're giving your brain some time?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:15Now that you think about it on purpose, what are you noticing about your current challenge? If you were to trust only the ideas inside your own brain, no external influence, which solution would you trust the most?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:50We're gonna take one more deep inhale, and this time, as you breathe in, see that cluster of possible solutions join together to form one bright light. And keep that light on as you exhale. Take with you the power of your own talent filter to solve the problems in your world in a way that makes the most sense to you. And that's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 5:32And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Celebrate Someone Who's Had an Impact on Others
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05So let's, let's start just by emptying your lungs. Push all the air out of your body, to the point that you feel almost uncomfortably deflated. Now breathe in slowly through your nose, as if you're inhaling through a small, focused stream of oxygen. I want you to hold that renewing, refreshing breath at the top as it fills your lungs, your trunk, your body. And now exhale through your mouth, dropping anything that you carried into this practice. I invite you to close your eyes for the next 3 to 5 minutes, or if that's not comfortable for you, just turn your gaze downward so that you're not distracted by anything that you might be seeing.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:52Today, we're going to focus on the idea of belonging. There are two elements of wellbeing that require other people in order to improve: social and community wellbeing. Social is about having a lot of love in your life. And community is about feeling a connection to a larger group of people. When we're thriving in wellbeing, our talents show up in healthy ways for ourselves and for others. This matters, quite a bit. And it is something that we have the control to influence. This exercise is not about whether or not you belong somewhere. It's about cultivating that sense of belonging for others.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:33Imagine you've been placed on a nominating committee for an important award. It's for having a meaningful impact within a group of people. And this award is kind of magical -- you see, it doesn't come with a trophy necessarily. It comes with 3 wishes. The recipient of this award gets to select 3 ways that they would most like to be recognized. And the budget is infinite.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:08Wait, hold on, I have some more news. This just in: You're not just on the nominating committee; you've been promoted. Congratulations. Now you are the sole decision-maker of who should receive this very important award. And again, the award is for having a meaningful impact within a group of people. So of all the people that you have seen, heard or felt connected to this week, pick one. Who deserves special celebration for the impact they have had on others? If everyone that you've seen this week was standing on your front lawn or your doorstep, which one steps forward in your imagination as being especially deserving of this award that you get to give? See their face. Hear their voice.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:05Now imagine yourself delivering this award to them. What is it you would tell them is the reason they deserve this award? This is pretty fun to imagine. Now I want you to come back from the "magical dream space" of your mind and into the "planning for reality reflection space" of your mind. The person that you just nominated to receive this great award, in real life, they need to hear what you think. You see them. You see the impact that they have. It's very likely that you are seeing their talent at its very best. And you see how they magnify the human element of a community.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:52Write it down today and share it with them. More breaking news from the chair of this huge award committee: You are so good at this, at giving this award that you have recently been elected to recognize someone with this exact same award every single week. That's right. The magical, huge Make 3 Wishes With No Budget Too Large Award regenerates once it's been given. Go make a difference. That's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 5:33And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Ponder Where Ease and Enjoyment Come Together
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Let's start with a deep breath, first out -- wherever you are, just breathe out so you really empty those lungs. And then take a deep breath in through your nose and let it go through your mouth, letting go of any expectation, any worry, any striving or desire to sort out anything. You can resume normal breathing. You're invited to close your eyes if you like, or just turn your gaze downward so you're not distracted by what you're seeing. Your breath that you're focusing on right now, just like every single part of you, is unique. No one on this planet has ever existed who breathes just like you. No one has or ever will exist who sees the world exactly like you see it. Even the, the physical lens that makes up your eye causes you to literally see color in a slightly different way than I see it.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:10Today, let's explore that uniqueness. This is a simple practice. I'm just going to ask you some questions about yourself. And I'd like you to answer them in your mind. Maybe later you come back and write this down or press Pause and do it again. What is something you do at least once a week that brings you joy? What is something that comes easily for you, but seems to be a challenge to others?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:56If you can slow your breathing even more to deeper breaths, we're going to slow down and think about those two questions again. What do you do every week that you just love -- something that when you're thinking about doing it right now, you feel a little bit lighter? When was a time recently you seemed to have the answer faster than others? What could you do right now pretty well without taking a lot of effort?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:56Now get more specific. Of everything you've been thinking of so far, go beyond the activity. What is the contribution that you are making in that activity? You're not playing a sport, you're noticing a pattern. You're not singing on stage, you're delighting an audience. What's, what's within that activity that's unique to you?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:45This deserves another deep breath in before we summarize. So let's take another deep breath in through your nose. Think about what it is and how you would name that, and out through your mouth.
Maika Leibbrandt 5:10Now two questions to summarize your reflection. Where do ease and enjoyment come together to form excellence for you? The second question is just another way to say it. What is something you do easily and also enjoy? Name it. Maybe see yourself from above doing that very thing. This is a clue to your incredible individual contribution, your unique talent. Let's all agree to stop asking people what they need from you and being that, and start doing a little bit more of being who you are uniquely. We will all benefit so much more in the end. That is your Talent Mindfulness practice for today. Jim, back to you.
Jim Collison 6:22And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Dive Into an Issue of Interest via Your Talents
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Go ahead and take a deep breath with me. Inhale all the way from like the base of your trunk. Take a big inhale all the way to the top of your head. And exhale. Really challenge yourself to exhale all the way. Get rid of all that air. Let's take one more deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Input is a Strategic Thinking theme. But regardless of where your dominant themes fall, whether or not you lead with Strategic Thinking, you do need to think.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:45Now the good news is by nature, by, by the very nature of being human, you are a problem-solver. You wake up solving problems, and you proceed to slay your day by overcoming obstacles, even if you don't realize that you're doing it. Even if you don't do it in the way that somebody with high Strategic Thinking does it, you do it. You solve problems. Let's take one more breath in and just think about that. Inhale the power and presence and problem-solving. Exhale any doubt.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:20I'm going to imagine, I'm gonna ask you to imagine and visualize some things. So if you're comfortable, go ahead and close your eyes. If you're not comfortable closing your eyes, I invite you to just turn your gaze downward so that you don't get distracted by whatever you're seeing. Imagine an empty bookshelf. It can be as big or as small as you like. The key is that it has nothing on it. Imagine what this bookshelf looks like. What color is it? How old or new is it? Is it worn in? Is it from IKEA or an antiques store? Focus your attention just on this empty shelf.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:07As you continue to inhale, with every inhale, take in every detail of this bookshelf. And exhale, just focusing on this one piece of imaginary furniture. Continue to breathe normally. And now think about all the problems that you've solved or helped to solve this week. Looking backwards over a week, they might seem small in the grand picture of an entire week. But maybe there were specific moments of breakthrough or very obvious accomplishment. If every problem that you have solved is a book, there are big ones, little ones starting to populate on that bookshelf. Maybe there's some colorful books, some really worn-in books that have been there for a while, heavy ones. See those books start to line up on that bookshelf.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:20Let's not just think about problems. Let's also consider the questions that you've asked out loud this week. See more books start to line up on that, on that bookshelf representing all the questions that you've been brave enough to ask out loud. Now let's add another book for every question that you've investigated on your own through some kind of a search. And another book on that shelf for every question that you've wondered about this week but have not yet explored.
Maika Leibbrandt 5:05Zoom out and see the whole bookcase, the entire shelf. It's now full of books. Again, these books are the problems that you solved, the questions you asked, the ideas that you researched and the wonderings that you have yet to explore. Looking at that whole bookshelf, which one would you most like to further investigate? Which one do you want to pull off that shelf and really dive into? What's important to you about that book? What do you need to do that will help you focus today on that one book?
Maika Leibbrandt 6:12You have great power. You have an excellent talent to consider, to solve, to improve upon the ideas that fill your world. Maybe you do it best with other people or by working really hard. Maybe you just need to spend some time in your own brain. No one will improve your natural ability to solve problems but you. So I invite you to do it today just with a bit more purpose. And that's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 6:53And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Commit to an Action That Enhances Your Clarity
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:00We're going to start by internalizing our focus. And I'm going to try something slightly physical. So you are 2 inches taller than you give yourself credit for. So to really center our focus, we're going to begin with the, with our, an acknowledgment of this great body, this great being we have, and then that'll help us really bring our thoughts inward. So I want you to take your right hand and reach it out as far away from your body as you can where you're sitting right now. And as you reach it out, reach it up over your head, and lean into that diagonal, really making a long line from the tips of your fingers all the way to your hip. And then all the way back and let it go -- shake it out so that you see that kind of release. Don't you already feel longer on that side?
Maika Leibbrandt 1:53Let's honor the other side as well. With your left hand, I want you to reach as far out as you possibly can. If your arm is completely out kind of in line with your shoulder, just reach a little bit farther. You might even lean into it, and then pull that arm on over your head, some nice dancer fingers if you have them. Lean into that other horizontal diagonal and back -- the same pathway that you, that you traced the first time. Shake that out from the shoulder. There we go. We feel a little bit refreshed, right, a little, little more focused on this beautiful vessel that we have.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:29So now I invite you to stretch. One deep breath in. Hold it at the top for just a second. And let that go. Exhale. Now that we feel ourselves present in this world, let's, let's continue to minimize the external distraction. Close your eyes or focus on an object, just one object, as you turn your gaze downward, so you're not distracted. Today, we're going to think about your own experience in the recent past. And then we'll focus your intention on the immediate future.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:07In the past 30 days, when did you feel smart? When did you make a discovery? When were you most curious? In the past 30 days, when did you feel or experience a moment of mental clarity? Clarity is where we're gonna land and camp out a little bit. You know how your arms feel right now because you just did that stretch. When was a time in the last month when your brain felt that way? Like it was switched on, really working efficiently for you. If you can, focus on a specific time, a specific experience or maybe even just a specific day when you felt mental clarity. When was this? Who contributed to your clarity? If someone else was involved, how did they support you? What did you contribute that led to this moment?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:46Now let's get tactical. What practice or task or activity brings you clarity? When do you feel most ready mentally to face the challenges that you have to face? It is within your power and your responsibility to know what lights up your brain and make it happen. So in the next 7 days, what would you like to feel more clarity, more certainty or more discovery about?
Maika Leibbrandt 5:40What can you commit to doing that will serve you best? What might get in the way of that commitment? How could you make that commitment 10% easier on yourself? Again, what is it you're gonna do?
Maika Leibbrandt 6:32My friend, there is no greater power than the power that's already within you. We spend so much effort gathering new skills, polishing the peripheral, when our greatest potential to perform and succeed -- to really taste that greatness and dwell in it -- comes from understanding those bigger, more natural, talent-level parts of our core self. Thank you for exploring that power in today's Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 7:05And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Invest in Your Specialty to Move Toward Greatness
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05I invite you to take a deep breath, close your eyes, or just turn your attention in toward yourself. In the very recent past, say from yesterday to a week ago, when did you do something really well? Imagine a time in the recent past you did something you might even call your "specialty." Now exhale, really push all the air out. Get that moment of excellence in your mind. And with your next inhale, imagine yourself floating above the image of your own self performing with excellence. You're floating up like you're a fly on the wall somewhere where the wall meets the ceiling. Exhale, but keep your gaze down on your best self.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:10Let's take another deep breath in again, with that perspective of hovering from the point of a, an overlooking observer high above your best self. And exhale. As you settle into your position near the top of the room, continue to breathe normally. But imagine you're looking at yourself during that moment of strength. What do you see? What emotion might you observe in yourself when you're doing that specialty? Who, if anyone, is with you?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:58From that fly-on-the-wall position, how would you describe what it is that your best self is doing? What are you creating or bringing or offering? What effect is it having on other people? Again, what is it that you're doing? In your mind, give it a name. Let's call this your "specialty."
Maika Leibbrandt 3:35Take one more deep inhale through your nose. As you exhale, allow yourself to float down from the ceiling and back into your body. And from here, we're going to do some reflection about how you got to that specialty. It's likely true that you haven't always been great at it. Think about a time when you were good at this but not as good as you are today. What changed that made you better?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:16What have you learned at any point in your life -- this could be through experience, through a class you took, through people who helped you -- what have you learned that helped you improve upon your specialty? What moments of discomfort ultimately benefited your talent? If you were guaranteed not to fail, how could you improve upon this specialty? How could you be even more effective, world-class, near-perfect, top of the industry, best in the league?
Maika Leibbrandt 5:09My friend, here's a challenging truth: The learning and growing that got you to where you are is not enough to get you to even better. Like an athlete training to win, the more you improve, the tougher your workout needs to get. You have brilliance within you -- the power to do something truly, truly great. And it might take a little discomfort to break through the "good" into the "remarkable."
Maika Leibbrandt 5:42Now to help you simplify that discovery we just did today, I have three questions, three summary thoughts for you. These might be thoughts you want to open your eyes and write down the answer to. You don't have to break that meditative state right now; you can just keep your eyes closed, but I'm gonna ask you three final summary thoughts.
Maika Leibbrandt 6:02No. 1: What is your specialty? No. 2: If you invested further and improved upon that specialty, what might happen? And No. 3: What do you need to learn more about? Thank you for investing in yourself. That's our Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 6:52And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Discover the Power of Your Positive Influence
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04So you can feel free to close your eyes. If that's not comfortable or possible for you, just look down at something unmoving. The goal here is to minimize the distraction and really focus on your own experience. I'd like you to think about a group that you are a part of. This could be a team, an organization, a family, a community. If you were to introduce this group to someone who knew nothing about them, what would you say that they're best at? What would you promote about this group as being a positive attribute that they should be famous for? Something this group does consistently well.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:01Now today's challenge is not going to be to unpack what makes this strength so strong; it's to take it a step further. If your group was to up their game, let's say, improve upon that greatest strength by 100%, what are 3 positive consequences that would happen? Let me ask you that again. If your group was to get 100% better at what they're already good at, what are 3 positive consequences that would happen? Think through this specifically: If my group was to get 100% better at that thing they're already great at, here's what that would mean. And what else? Good. And what else? What is the biggest dream you can imagine having for this group?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:15I'm not asking you to commit to 100% improvement. Today, I'm not even going to ask you to enforce 1% improvement. But encouragement is a powerful tool. As you come off this "high" that we're in right now about dreaming about what's possible, I want you to take a specific thing with you that you appreciate about this group.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:46OK, now open your eyes and look at your watch or a clock, or -- if you have to -- your phone. I want you to see exactly what time it is right now. Over the next 24 hours before this exact time tomorrow, I challenge you to turn that appreciation into encouragement. Find at least one other member of this group, and tell them out loud what you appreciate about them. We talked about an Influencing theme today. But the truth is, we all have influence. No one is here alone; the effect you have on others is real. So it might as well be positive. Someday, your group very well may achieve world-class performance that you just imagined. But they won't do it without encouragement. And that is something you can create today and every day.
Jim Collison 4:50And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Plan an Extra Moment of Fun This Week
Listen to the audio-only version of "Application: Plan an Extra Moment of Fun This Week" on Spreaker.
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04Let me invite you just for 3 minutes to close your eyes or turn your gaze downward, so you're minimizing distraction. In the past week, when was a time you were having fun? What were you doing? Who were you with? What was happening or not happening? in your mind's eye, see yourself in one moment that you were having fun. As you're seeing yourself having fun, as an onlooker, what do you notice about yourself? If you were to describe what you notice, what 1 to 3 words would you use?
Maika Leibbrandt 1:59You know, sometimes we dismiss fun as being a bonus, a perk, an extra. But fun is a clue to notice the presence of joy. And we are beings who are made for joy. When we experience joy, we're more open to offering what's inside of us. And in many cases, that means we're better able to share our talent. Moments of joy happen when we release that heaviness that we're wearing and we let that lightness out.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:28Have you ever been in a busy place and heard a child laugh? If you can right now, even just imagine what children's laughter sounds like. Notice what happened to you when you, when you thought about that -- you're a little bit lighter. That has an effect on an entire place. My favorite is when you're on an airplane and you hear a kid laugh. One burst of vocalized fun, that giggle, it uplifts and it energizes the entire group of people. We are born knowing that kind of joy, accepting it, dwelling in it, living in it.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:04Strengths science actually teaches us to notice how our own functionality improves when we're working in areas of enjoyment. You might call it "satisfaction." There's probably elements of that in "flow." And those are 2 of the 5 clues to talent. You might also just call it "fun."
Maika Leibbrandt 3:23So remember when I asked you to pick 1 to 3 words to describe what you noticed about yourself during that moment of fun? Let's go back there. Let that observation -- those 1 to 3 words -- be your motivation as you move throughout the next week. I invite you to create a moment of fun on purpose. Plan to have one more moment of fun in the next 7 days. Don't just notice them, don't just hope that they're going to happen. But really make a, make a plan. Your challenge is to have one more moment of fun in the next 7 days. And that's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 4:10And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Gain Insights From Someone Who Makes You Healthier
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04So do a good shrug, just bring your shoulders up to your ears, and then shake them out, let them fall. Drop your shoulders, drop anything that might be weighing heavy on you. Shake out your wrists, and release any expectations. Exhale, empty your lungs of anything that's on your mind from the rest of the day. Take a deep breath in through your nose, inhaling with focus. Exhale through your lips, setting your intention on yourself and your talent.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:48Now we're going to just reflect a little bit, now that you're in this space. Who is someone in your life who makes you healthier? Maybe it's someone whose effect on you is your physical health, your mental safety, your community experience, your confidence. Think of someone who encourages you in a way that improves your health.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:16Now, if you're lucky, you've got a whole bunch of people in your mind right now and you can't choose. But for now, just focus on one. Select the person whose face is easiest to see in your mind right now. Hear them say, "Hello!" to you.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:44Now that you're focused on that one special supporter, let's get curious about them. What's something you admire about this person? What's something this person consistently does well? What's something this person does that makes you feel important?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:26Now take all those ideas. And we're going to summarize them by answering a statement that has two fill-in-the-blanks. When I'm with _____ (think of the person's name), I do this more often: _____. I'm going to read that to you again. When I'm with this person, I do this more often.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:02Oftentimes in a relationship, we do things for other people that we wouldn't do for ourselves or by ourselves. What happens when you're with this person that you'd like to take back to your own life when you're not with them? How could you do more of that on your own? What's the easiest way to infuse more of that today?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:37We are collaborative creatures; we are made for connection. We're learning from each other every day. The healthier decisions that you make affect the people around you. There might be people who are doing this exercise thinking about you that you don't even notice. So it's going to benefit you, and the 6 or 7 people closest to you, for you to really think about this: how your talent shows up and how it affects your health. That's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 5:09And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, goodbye, everybody.
Application: Renew Your Connection With One Other Person
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05So let's make the most of this. Just take -- push all the air in your body completely out, exhale. And then take a deep breath in through your nose. Hold it at the top. And exhale when you're ready -- let it all go. Let's face it, not everything works all the time. It takes courage and patience to really slow down and fix things. Many of us would rather move on to an alternative, rather than focus on what truly needs improving. It's usually faster to move on -- typically requires a lot less vulnerability -- but it's not always less expensive. Some things, we don't have the choice of moving around or moving beyond. And, as it says in one of my son's favorite books, parts of you will grow back. You'll get more hair and more fingernails, but you only get one body so take care of it. (Don't worry, this Talent Mindfulness is not about your anatomy!)
Maika Leibbrandt 2:17Today, I want you to think about a relationship that is important to you right now. This could be in your personal or professional experience. Think about someone you have relied upon in the past who has also relied upon you. Please don't think too hard; you can always replay this and do it with a different person in mind. But get someone in mind who you have an established relationship with that you would say that relationship is important to you today. See their face. Hear them say your name. What's important to you about that relationship?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:16On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the best possible partnership and 1 is a total stranger, where would you currently rank your relationship? Give yourself a number. Now in your mind, name something this person does well that benefits your relationship with them. Now again, in your mind, name something you do well that benefits this relationship.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:17Let's go back to that number you gave yourself when I asked you to rank the relationship. Your challenge is to increase that number by one. What ideas do you have right now on how to do that? What courage is it gonna take to make that improvement? What's the easiest first step you could take to make the improvement? What's something your partner could do that they would be excited about doing?
Maika Leibbrandt 5:25We're never really alone here. There's a few billion of us on this planet. And our impact is so much stronger when we aren't just thinking about giving something out, but also focusing on the connections that we have with others. Even if a relationship isn't something that's broken, tinkering can improve it, can restore it. There's something refreshing about that kind of purposeful renewal of the connections that you have side-by-side with, with the other people that you're doing life with.
Maika Leibbrandt 6:03So let's breathe in. And I challenge you, if you're in a place that this is safe -- so probably not driving a car -- as you breathe in, stretch your arms as high out to the side (think about all those people that you're on the planet with) and then all the way up over your head. Really, just give yourself a little stretch. Hold everything up there that you have discovered and thought about today. And as you exhale, bring it down and keep those discoveries, that energy with you. Be brave enough to share what you've thought about today with someone else that matters. That's your Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 6:46And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Use Your Successes, Core Values to Shift Your Priorities
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Let's start by exhaling, let go of all expectation. For the next few minutes, you're free to explore without judgment. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Fill yourself with fresh air. Exhale again, really getting rid of any of that air that's already been used. Let go of anything that you're carrying. As you continue to breathe normally, I want you to think back on a few successes that you've had this year. What would you consider to be a personal or a professional win that you've had?
Maika Leibbrandt 1:52Just to help you really get success in your mind, I'll ask you a couple more questions. What have you accomplished this year that made you proud? What would someone who loves you say you've done well this year?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:15You don't have to narrow to your greatest or your flashiest success. But do think about more than one; ideally, two or three successes. They can be small. They can be personal. They can be ones that other people know about or that nobody knows about. Get two or three of them.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:35Now let's get a little bit more clear, really help you think about these two or three successes. Imagine you have two or three different rocks, about the size of a soccer ball or a football (I could just say "football," because it's the same size, no matter what country you're in). Each one of those rocks represents one of your successes this year. Now in your mind's eye, take a big black marker and write the name of one success on each rock. Now set those rocks down.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:21I'd like you to see these successes as something worth celebrating in their individual right. Each individual rock deserves some acknowledgment. So breathe in some personal acknowledgment. Breathe in some celebration. You did this! Exhale. This is good!
Maika Leibbrandt 3:50Now look at your cluster of rocks -- two or three of them. This time, see them as something connected to each other. What, what is one common theme that all of these successes share?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:17How do your successes this year describe a value that you have?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:28What core belief do you have that shows up when you look across these different successes?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:44Looking at these two to three big rocks, what do you notice about your priorities?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:55Whether you lead with Responsibility or any of 33 other CliftonStrengths themes, your values show up in what you choose to say "Yes" to -- the promises that you make to others, the commitments you follow through to completion. Aligning your priorities to your core values helps you make the most of that precious time you have, helps you truly make the most of the brilliant talent that you can offer.
Maika Leibbrandt 5:26So one more time, while it's still fresh in your mind, here's how we're going to summarize. When you consider your successes, what value or core belief shows up for you? Some people think about these as community, love, honesty, family, communicating, service, profit, honesty, humility. I'm not going to prescribe it for you. What comes to mind for you in terms of a word or a phrase that you can use to describe the value that shows up across your successes?
Maika Leibbrandt 6:14Your rocks are heavy, and sometimes weight is a good thing. If you were to put all the weight of those rocks into one priority, you'd be able to make a significant change in some direction. What do you need to do today to shift some of your effort back onto your most important priorities? That is your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 6:55And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Grow in What You Can Do Better Than 10,000 Others
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05So let's start with exhaling anything you're carrying in your lungs right now. I really want to empty your lungs of all your breath. And as you take a fresh breath of air that's never been used before, fill up those lungs, maybe sit up a little bit straighter, hold it at the top and let it go. I invite you to close your eyes if you're comfortable and if it's safe. If not, just focus your, your gaze downward so that you're not distracted. Really be intentional about taking this time for yourself. You can breathe normally.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:41We're doing a bit of illustration. So again, you might want to have your eyes closed. I invite you to imagine seeing yourself where you are right now, but from above, as if there was no ceiling, no roof on the building that you're in. If you were perched a few stories in the air, you'd not be able to just see yourself; you could see all the people who are currently around you, but maybe are in other rooms of the building that you're in or other places in the area where you are. Think of all the people that you could see from above in about 3 city blocks. Now expand your thinking or think about going a little bit higher, and consider how many people are in the entire city that you're in right now.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:33Because I grew up in a rural part of the United States, I'm going to ask you to stretch however far your geography needs to stretch in order to see yourself among at least 1,000 other people. Now stretch just a little farther and imagine yourself among 10,000 other people. Now, let's say all 10,000 of those people are in a room. This is not an exercise in feeling like you're crowded; it's a huge, huge room. But the only way for you to get out of that room is to perform something better than everybody else in that room. You can do anything -- it can be small, it can be big, it can be creative, it can be analytical, it can be simple. The catch is, you have to narrow your performance to doing only one thing -- that one thing that you are certain that if you had to, you could do it better than 10,000 other people.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:45Now you're feeling probably a little fear creeping up your spine that you're going to be judged about what you choose to do. I promise you're not. Just shake that off; nobody can hear what you're thinking right now. Shake off the baggage of any guilt that your talent isn't good enough or desired enough or flashy enough. Remember, you have to do one thing. What are you thinking of doing? How about if I told you that your talent today is just a starting point, that once you choose what you're going to do, you're going to be given a coach and a team that's going to help you do it even better; people who are going to help you invest in that talent, skills, knowledge, experience, practice, permission and whatever else you need in order to make sure that that starting point of talent really transitions into a performance better than 10,000 other people?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:45Now what have you -- what are you thinking of doing? I think too many of us would choose just to stay in the room; set up camp. If you had 10,000 people in a room, you pretty much have an entire city -- OK, maybe a small town. Remember, I'm from a town without a stoplight. But you could very comfortably form a community of people who are good enough and be just fine and be very comfortable. But if you try, if you invest, you can be better. It takes a certain amount of certainty; it takes an amount of courage. It also takes having people around you who will help you invest, who believe in your talent enough.
Maika Leibbrandt 5:36So believe it or not, you can do something better than 10,000 other people. Maybe it's not stand on a stage in the middle of the room, and, you know, sing something amazing. Maybe it's not even make sense of an Excel spreadsheet. Maybe it's something really simple. Like that thing you did last week that somebody noticed that meant a lot to you. Maybe it's the way that you connect to people. Maybe it's the way you work really hard. Maybe it's how you think; maybe it's how you show up when you're not even trying. Your talent is that powerful. Your talent is that unique. And your talent is needed.
Maika Leibbrandt 6:19Keep thinking about this as you go about the day. I encourage you to really stand in your certainty that you do have something within you that is powerful, that is true and that is important. That's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Jim Collison 6:40And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Awareness: Reflect on the Talents of a Person of Influence
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Take a deep breath in through your nose and fill your lungs with that fresh air, kind of hold it at the top. And then release that breath through your lips, let it go, maybe an audible exhale. As you continue to breathe normally, you're in a clean space. And I just want you to think. You don't have to tell anyone what you're about to think about. This is a space for you. Imagine someone in your life who has had a significant and positive impact on you. This might be someone you know personally. Maybe it's someone that has affected you from afar. You don't have to pick the one who's had the most effect, but just think about somebody who's been significant in your life. See this person in your mind. Imagine they're here in the room with you. If there's an empty chair around you, or maybe you're driving to work, maybe they're sitting in the passenger side. Feel their presence with you.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:15What's something you admire about this person? What's something they do better than others? How would you describe the talent of theirs that they have shared or offered with you? How are you different because of this person?
Maika Leibbrandt 2:58It takes a lot of investment to have this kind of impact on another human being. You have huge talent inside of you, and that kind of huge potential to positively affect someone else. Now, it's not likely that your talent is exactly the same as the person you're imagining in the room with you right now. Chances are you have something very different to offer. And you might offer it in a different way. Now, not only is that OK, that is necessary, but you can learn from this person. So let's keep thinking a little bit and try and do just that.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:37How did this person offer you the best of themselves? What really worked, or is working, about this relationship? I'm not going to challenge you to take this whole thing full circle and turn it inside out and design an action right now. I want to keep the focus on what you're learning from someone who's had a meaningful impact on you just by doing the practice of reflection.
Maika Leibbrandt 4:15So what is something that you're noticing right now about this person, something you want to think a little bit more about? What is something you're admiring about them? Because this person was bold, courageous or simply generous with their talent, how is your world slightly better?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:56If right now you're feeling a pull of energy toward doing something, an idea, an action that you need to take, all I ask is that you do it today. That's your Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 5:15And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Appreciation: Tune Out Daily Noise and Hear Your Own Instincts
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:04For now, I invite you to just be in the moment. Don't have any expectations about taking notes. Listen as, as fully as you possibly can. Our world is lousy with input. It is easier to receive messages from others -- whether that's people, companies, politicians, products -- than it is to hear our own thoughts. When was the last time that you were in your own head without other people influencing your thoughts in some way? All that input -- from your family to your social media feed to your email -- it, what if it was all generating actual noise? I want you to imagine every thing that has vied for your attention today having a sound to it. Some of those sounds are going to be louder than others. And chances are, if they're all playing, all at the same time, it's not exactly going to be working in harmony.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:00So I invite you now to take a deep breath in, thinking about all the noise that you've been exposed to today. Hold that breath in at the top, and really hear that noise build, maybe even to a roar. As you exhale, imagine turning that volume down. You don't have to silence everything; you're not going clear to zero, but adjust that volume dial all the way until it's almost off, but not quite. First, just enjoy that silence with one more inhale. Breathe in a sense of freedom and independence, and exhale. Continue to breathe normally, and allow the noise in your mind right now to be your own voice alone -- your ideas, your thoughts, your patterns.
Maika Leibbrandt 3:03I'm gonna give you 3 prompts to fill your brain with your own insight. And I'm going to challenge you to be very, very specific. 1) What is one thing you're grateful for right now? Don't just say, "Health" or "My dog." Be real specific. 2) Over the past 10 days, what have you noticed yourself doing better than you did before? 3) What's one thing you need to focus on today -- one task that deserves your full attention, something you can accomplish, so that by the time you go to sleep, you can cross it off and consider it a success?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:14In a moment, I'll set you on your way for your rest, the rest of your day. The volume of things that are fighting for your attention is going to go back up naturally. So you don't have to touch that dial; it'll do it on its own. But your instincts have a place in this world, and you are better when you can hear them. You might find you want to focus on these prompts first thing in the morning, when you're at your most impressionable. I would even challenge you, if you're somebody who sleeps with your cellphone in your room, to think about these three prompts before you touch your phone when your alarm goes off. So here they are one more time: One thing you're grateful for; one thing you're doing better than before; and one thing you need to focus on. Inhale one more time. Breathe in your own power, your own resilience, your own answers. And exhale, ready to take on the rest of your day. That's your Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 5:21And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.
Application: Lean 5% More Into Something You Do Well
Transcription
Maika Leibbrandt 0:00Hey there, I'm Maika Leibbrandt, a Consultant here with Gallup. Talent Mindfulness is a practice, an invitation to listen on purpose to your own greatest potential -- those natural patterns of how you think, feel and behave that lead you to experiencing success, to thriving and having your own best version of your life. CliftonStrengths measures a presence of talent across 34 areas that we call "themes." And these Talent Mindfulness moments help you activate your strengths. Don't try, as you're listening, to force an answer or write down everything you think of. Just experience the practice; you can always come back again. Strengths don't improve themselves. Greatness comes from a bit of effort, building upon who you already are. So lean in, get comfortable and listen to your own insights that your talents have to offer. Here's your Talent Mindfulness for today.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:05Let's start really fresh. I want to invite you to push all the air out of your lungs, just exhale, empty your body of any stale breath. Take a deep breath in from below your belly button all the way to above your crown, and exhale once more. Let's wake up your body a bit to remind yourself of your presence here today. Scrunch your shoulders up to your ears. Really create tension, almost to the point that it hurts, and then release. Shake out your shoulders, shake out your arms, let them hang like a rag doll. Let's roll your shoulders up and back, and rest your hands comfortably in your lap. You're already fresher than you were 20 seconds ago. And now we're ready to explore.
Maika Leibbrandt 1:55I want you to, you can close your eyes if you want, or just turn your gaze downward so that you're not distracted. I want you to think about a time that someone made you feel comfortable. A time someone made you feel like you could just be yourself without having to put on any sort of face or pretense. Who's someone you could really exhale with? Maybe you have to go pretty far into your past to find this. That's OK. Maybe it's someone you've known a long time; maybe it's someone you don't even know personally, or experience directly in the same space as you.
Maika Leibbrandt 2:42Focus your, your reflection on just one person, somebody who makes you feel comfortable. How would you describe how you feel when you're with this person or in that moment? If you can believe for just a second that this person isn't magic, but that they do something on purpose to create that kind of comfort, what is one thing they do really well? Think about that -- what is one thing you can always count on this person to do?
Maika Leibbrandt 3:44Now let's turn your reflection energy to yourself. What is something, anything that you naturally do well? Doesn't even have to be about the influence you have on anyone, just something that we could count on you to do well. If you do that thing more purposefully, I guarantee it will have an effect on the people around you. What's one thing you need to focus on today, in order to lean into your own best self just 5% more?
Maika Leibbrandt 4:37It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of this. It's easy to feel like you need to be everything to everyone. We don't all have Woo, and we don't all need it. But we do all have an influence. We do all have an opportunity to understand what we do really well, and to offer that on purpose. Thanks for spending this time today. That's your Talent Mindfulness.
Jim Collison 5:05And with that, we'd like to remind everyone to take full advantage of all the resources we have available on Gallup Access. Just visit gallup.com/cliftonstrengths. And while you're there, sign up for the CliftonStrengths Insight Newsletter. The link is at the bottom of every page at gallup.com. For coaching, master coaching or to become a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, of course you can send us an email: coaching@gallup.com. Join us on any social platform by searching "CliftonStrengths," and thanks for listening today. If you enjoyed it, please share it. With that, we'll say, Goodbye, everybody.