12 Essential Steps Every Leader Takes to Return with Elixir

A workbook to help you learn how to eas ily navigate your C onfident Leader journey...

. . .to choose the roads you’re meant to take so you leave your footprints in the sand.. .

. . .& feel a deep sense of fulfillment that who you are & what you do matters .

In this workbook Before you begin….

1. How Your Ordinary World Keeps You Stuck

2. Your Call to Adventure

3. Why You Refuse the Call at First

4. Find Your Wise Old Man or Woman

5. Cross the First Threshold into Your Special World

6. Tests, Allies and Enemies Help You Grow

7. Why you Must Approach the Inmost Cave

8. Your Ordeal Will Make You Stronger

9. Claim Victory and Seize Your Sword of Reward

10. More to Do on Your Road Back

11. Your Final Exam is Your Resurrection

12. The Journey is Meaningless if You Don’t Return with the Elixir

Your Next Step

About the author - Suzanne Beveridge helps people transform into confident leaders in life and at work. Since she left her long corporate career to start her own business - Get Ready To Lead Institute - at the end of 2011, she has been coaching, training, speaking & writing about leadership for both private and corporate clients. She is an Accredited Certified Coach (ACC-ICF) with a Masters of Business in International Marketing. Suzanne lives amidst her Mediterranean country garden with her husband and MiMi the cat.

Copyright 2013-2015, Potencium Ltd, Suzanne Beveridge 3

B efore you begin When people think about leadership, they tend to think of it as something they either have or they don't have. They think: you’re either born a leader or it’s a job that is handed to you. And if neither of those two apply to them, then - somewhere deep inside - a voice tells them they aren’t a leader at all. That they don't have a chance to really get what they want. They don't feel as happy and fulfilled as they would like to be. And they don't feel there is much they can do to take the lead. But what about when you reach a point in your life and work when you just know now is your time to shine. Your time to emerge and expand, to play bigger than you ever have before, to transition to the next stage in your career or to your own business, to teach and share the powerful lessons you have learned, to reclaim your creative passion. But you might be less than confident, afraid or unsure about the next step... or even the first step. Maybe there’s a constant chatter in your head holding you back. Voices that whisper you’ve got more to learn before you jump, you’re not as good as others already there, no-one sees and hears what you do and what you care about, you can’t organize yourself or others, you don't communicate well enough. Or maybe you can’t put a finger on what it is you are really passionate about - your unique contribution only you can make. When it boils down to it, what you really want is to feel happy and fulfilled with who you are in life, what you choose to do and how you do it. You want to feel worthy to contribute all you are. You want others to connect with you because they value your uniqueness, just as you believe in what is special about them. You want to feel confident about taking the lead to have exactly what YOU want! To do that, you have to know that you have everything inside you to be the confident person and leader you dream of being. Your Confident Leader is just waiting for you to reach in, coax it out and let it go hand-in-hand with you as you step forward with all your brilliance. Now is the time to


learn to trust your leader inside... and that is what your Confident Leader’s journey is all about. Whic h means that, before you s et out, you need to have a roadmap. Your very own flexible, durable and dependable roadmap that will tell you 3 things:

● where you are right now & what you’ve got going for you (your brilliant strengths)

● roads you can take & the ones you’ll steer clear of (thanks to your brilliance) ● you’re the one who gets to choose who you are as a leader, & how and what

you will do B ut where do you get this roadmap made just for you? That’s what this book will give you. It will teach you that you are exactly where you need to be, right now - in your world as it is right now. And you already have everything you need - to set out on your journey and to sustain you along the way - to be the confident leader you really want to be. It will teach you what to expect when - like all leaders since the beginning of time - you reach out for help to navigate the perils of your Special World where you will transform, begin to lead with INTENT, and skill up before you attempt the big change you dream of. It will teach you how much easier it is to lead with VISION and PURPOSE when you energetically engage your inner leader. And it will give you the confidence to lead with INTEGRITY when you return to your Ordinary World with that special Elixir that makes change happen. Return without it and you are bound to repeat your adventure.. over and over again.


1. How Y our Ordinary World K eeps Y ou S tuck Speaking of leading with integrity, you really can’t do that if you aren’t fully aware of

where you are starting from, who you are, what you’ve got going for you, and what is going on in the world around you. Much like Luke S kywalker, hero of S tar Wars , bored to death on his uncle’s farm in his Ordinary World, dreaming of joining the Academy - unaware of his unique gifts and the extent of devastation by the E vil E mpire in his

galaxy. Your Ordinary World is always a journey. You may not see it that way with all the drama of everyday life at home and at work that distracts you from making progress and that keeps you stuck. Drama that - if you don't watch out - steers you on the outer journey others want you to take. Rather than find the natural intersection where your brilliant strengths contribute to the reality of your world. But it’s also an inner journey... if you let it be. A journey of your mind, your heart and your very essence: your spirit. That’s a story in itself. One where you grow and change. A journey that transforms you from one way of being to another: from despair to hope, weakness to strength, hate to love, alone to connected, clueless to wise. And it’s this inner journey that makes it worth your while to invest your time, your mind, your heart and your spirit to feel great about who you are as you lead your life and work. Because you are reading this workbook, it means you are already a few steps ahead on your journey. You may already be at step 2 or 3, or even further on your journey. If so, take time now to reflect on what has got you here. Wherever you are right now, is the perfect place for you to start. Many people get stuck in their Ordinary World and don't even know it. They aren't totally aware of where they are and what is going on around them, and the brilliance that they have going for them.


Each of us lives in our very own weird little world. Driven by our perceptions of what is going on - or not going on - around us. Some of those perceptions are already conscious thoughts. Your opinions. Some you aren't conscious of at all. Yet both conscious and unconscious thoughts and perceptions influence how you feel about things and what you do about them. But someone else does not see the same things exactly like you do. Why? Because those conscious and unconscious thoughts are influenced by the experiences that are completely unique to us... in our own weird little world. NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? What values and principles guide you in life? How well do you ‘walk the talk’ and live those values? How come you ‘walk the talk’ for some values and not others? Make a list of what you are good at - your brilliant strengths. Ask 2-3 different people what they think are your strengths. Try to choose one person from each of 3 groups - family and loved ones, work and profession, someone you have just met who does not know you well. Observe how some of the strengths you listed come up. What do others see that you didn’t even know you had? How aware are you of what is going on around you in your world? How does what is going on distract you and keep you stuck? How does that make you feel? What do you tell yourself, what stories and beliefs do you hold true that in fact are not true? Who or what is an example that it really isn't true? (Think about traditional beliefs, stories that perhaps are just myths from, for example, your family, your culture? Things like no-one can run a mile in less than 4 minutes; or - like I told myself forever - I’m a dog-person. I can’t keep a cat!) How is the way you interpret your world different from the way a friend or colleague interprets it? What would change if you could see things from another viewpoint? What are you assuming will not change, will be the same as it always has been? How willing are you to consider it could be different this time?


If there was a much easier way to get what you want, how willing would you be to take the risk to challenge your thinking about what is or is not possible?

2. Y our C all to Adventure S taying with our S tar Wars theme, Luke is smitten by the desperate message of P rincess Leia to wise Obi-W an K enobi. Luke’s C all to Adventure is to join in the quest to rescue the princess from the evil Darth V ader and restore the normal balance of the galaxy.

Your Call to Adventure may not be as challenging as Luke’s... but there will be some lust, some adventure to undertake, a problem to solve, a change that wants to happen. Once you see a glimmer of what’s possible, your world is changed forever. When you are presented with your Call to

Adventure, your eyes, ears and heart open. You can no longer remain indefinitely in the comfort of your Ordinary World. The stakes of the game become clear and so does your goal, whatever it may be:

● Get the leader role you desperately want (but that scares you to hell) ● Present a new you to the world - a calmer, cooler and more collected YOU ● Start your own business ● Write a book about your passion ● Paint the world purple!

Your Call to Adventure poses what’s at stake in the form of a question: W ill Luke rescue P rincess Leia and defeat Darth Vader? Will you once-and-for-all control your emotions? Will you learn how to speak up & be recognized for your contributions? Will you find the courage to put yourself forward for that V.(I.)P. job? Will you mold and fire Raku every weekend to stock your Etsy shop? NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou?


Recall a past opportunity that suddenly came your way. (A new job opening, a business solution only you could see, your ideal home on the market.) One that you immediately saw was meant for you. It was so perfect that you did not hesitate about going for it. Relax and think deeply about how you felt when you first imagined it might be

possible for you to have this ideal opportunity. Recall how you went about making it happen. Remember your unique strengths that made it happen. How did you feel once it was yours? Take a moment now to record what your success feels like.

Now make a list of the top 2-3 things you have been dreaming about. What do you dream about doing that you are not doing? The things that, when you achieve them, would make you the happiest and most fulfilled in any or all areas of your life. What would it mean to you to achieve these things? What would each give you? How similar is each ‘gift’ to another? List 3-5 of your brilliant strengths (from Step 1) that would help you achieve your dreams? Narrow your list down to just one. Write your Call to Adventure in the form of a question (as in the last paragraph of Step 2 above). “Will I ..........................................................................................................................?”

3. Why Y ou R efus e the C all at F irs t It’s natural to get scared as hell at this stage. On the very threshold of the adventure you really want to take, you Refuse the Call or, at the very least are reluctant. It’s terror of the unknown for many. You’re not fully committed to the change you want to happen and are still thinking of turning back. It’s going to take some much greater influence to get you past your fear. Luke refused Obi-W an’s C all to Adventure and returned to the farm to find his uncle and aunt barbecued by the E mpire’s s tormtroopers . R eluctant no more, he is motivated to join the quest s ince the E mpire made it personal to him.


The constant chatter in your head now gets in your way. Telling you some form of:

● I’m not good enough. ● I don't know enough. ● I’m not important enough. ● I can’t speak in public. ● I don't earn enough. ● I can’t draw well enough...yet!

But you are enough! Know this - everyone (and I mean every single person on this planet) has that dire voice inside them, just like you have, an inner critic that says in one way or another: I’m not good enough. This is the peril that lurks in wait for you as you bravely Approach the Inmost Cave on your journey through the Special World you will soon enter. Your task is to expose the evil self-sabotage monster for what it is! One big fat ugly gremlin! You're going to put an end to this dark side of The Force. You will find important, life-critical work for it instead! NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? What’s the ‘not good enough’ message of your gremlin, your inner critic? Dig deep - you’ll be surprised how it disguises itself. How does it set you up for self-sabotage? Relax and think back into your past. Where has it’s message stopped you from being who you really want to be? Stopped you from doing something that will move you forward? Held you in the same holding pattern you have been in for years? What does your self-sabotage monster look like? Give it a name. Draw a picture, put it on your desk in the cold hard light of day it despises. Don’t hide it away. It will only grow stronger and bigger in the dark.

4. F ind Y our Wis e Old Man or Woman


W ise old Obi-Wan K enobi prepared Luke to face the unknown. His advice, guidance and magical equipment included giving Luke his father’s light-saber which he needs to battle the dark s ide of T he F orce. You didn't get this far without people to guide you. Mother, father, uncle, aunt, teacher, professor, boss or friend. It’s no different now. Now is the time - if you haven't already - to make your choice to access wisdom. To find your mentor, your coach (!), your Obi-Wan to guide you and help you learn the ways of The Force that will lead you to success, not to the dark side. To show you how to bring out your inner leader... into the sunlight... so your brilliance shines. What to expect from your Obi-Wan:

● Trusted & respected partner who holds your agenda, your goal, your dilemma sacred, private & confidential

● Help you find, let go of & breakthrough what holds you back ● Shift your energy up & challenge you to set SMART goals & plans ● Keep you accountable and champion your progress ● Celebrate your achievements & move you forward to set your next goal

Your Obi-Wan can only go so far with you. Eventually you must face the unknown alone. Now is the time to transform and skill up. And don't forget to instruct your Obi-Wan to give you a swift kick up the pants when needed to get you going on your adventure! NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? With your Call to Adventure question top of mind, look around you. Find a role

model-mentor-coach to guide you as you traverse your Special World. Ask them for help - and if your inner gremlin starts to chatter away, don't let it stop you. The person you approach will be honored that you think so much of them to ask for their support in your personal quest.


5. C ros s the F irs t T hres hold into Y our S pecial World Okay, so you have signed up for your adventure. You want to once-and-for-all ace what’s at stake in your Call to Adventure. Great. That’s why now you are 100% committed to your adventure. You have crossed your first threshold into your Special World. Where you will transform into the Confident Leader you want to be. You have agreed to face the consequences of dealing with your struggle. To control your emotions, to learn how to speak up with confidence, to put yourself forward for your ideal leader role, to effect the change that wants to happen. Luke’s adventure really took off as he set off with Obi-W an to hire the ship for their journey into the galaxy.

Your adventure is now taking off on the good ship of Intentional Engagement. There’s no turning back. You get to choose the roads you take and the ones you’ll steer clear of. With help from your Obi-Wan as you need it.

Time to check the physiology of your engagement to be sure you are in great shape for the journey. With head-heart-body-gut all flush along the arrow of your intention, there’s no chance you won’t find The Force to hit your bulls-eye. NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? Go gather your intelligence by surveying what your head, heart, body and gut are up to. Ask questions that will get each of them to reveal themselves to you - in terms of how they might help your progress and how they might hinder you. Ask your Head: How alert, clear and focused are you... really? What distracts you? How present are you in each moment? How clear are you on what you want to achieve? What skills will you choose to develop in your Special World? Ask your Heart: How strong is your sense of purpose? How do your values, beliefs, goals, & vision show up? How does your vision relate to who you are - your beliefs and values? How does it support your overall purpose? What values do you want to


honor? How aligned is who you are with the mission and values of your work or business? Ask your Body: How much sleep do you get each night? Are you eating healthy light meals or lots of fried and carb-rich foods? Is the most exercise you get walking to and from your car each day? Are you under- or over-weight? Are any of these stopping you from doing what you most want to do? Ask your Gut: Do you bottle up your emotions or sometimes lose control of them? Do you get all fired up by the words of others that hit a sensitive bone in your body? How do you feel when roadblocks suddenly appear? What aspects of your plans excite you the most? What aspects make you feel stressed? With your head-heart-body-gut aligned, now it’s time to set your target. Turn your Call to Adventure question into a statement of intent - the conscious choice you are making. Write it now: “I choose to ................................................................................................................”


6. T es ts , Allies and E nemies Help Y ou G row Now the real work begins. And make no mistake about it. It’s hard.

Why? Because people and things will get in your way, will test and oppose your effort to bring about change. It’s character-building stuff! Designed to test your allegiance. In S tar Wars , Luke gets a taste of his exciting and dangerous S pecial W orld in the cantina swarming with bizarre aliens . He is saved by Obi-W an’s warrior-wizard masterful use of the

F orce. Han S olo and C hewbacca become their allies and help them evade their s tormtrooper enemies . Luke’s test continues on board when Obi-Wan teaches Luke to use the F orce as he fights blindfolded to prepare to meet the object of his quest. Fuel-up your bow with energy that makes you grow, that does not cut you down. Reject the dark side, choose to act in the light side of The Force. Don't let yourself be victim to anything or in conflict over anything. Take responsibility, be in service to your goal and those you lead, live and lead with purposeful vision. Create! NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? What are your energy levels like - in typical normal life & when you are under stress? What causes you to get stressed? How much of your stress is due to your head or your heart or your body or your gut not able to engage fully? That is, is the stress caused by what you are thinking, against your inner values, lack of sleep, feeling afraid or victimized? Take action now - think of 1 or 2 things you can do right now to reduce your stressor.


7. Why you Mus t Approach the Inmos t C ave Right, your bow is taut with energy ready to launch your flush & aligned bow of engagement at your target - the object of your quest to be the Confident Leader in

the role or change of your Call to Adventure. You must get ready, plan and overcome your greatest enemy - your very own self-sabotage monster, your inner gremlin. Your quest lies in the Inmost Cave, your Approach lies at its edge. The gate between is the second threshold you will cross as you go

deep inside to achieve your quest. Thorough preparation is essential - peril lies in wait in the depths of the cave, obscuring your quest. Your mission is to overcome the peril - your inner gremlin telling you that you just aren't good enough, important enough, good looking enough ... Luke and his allies are sucked into the Death S tar (Inmost cave) where they will face the peril of Darth Vader and rescue P rincess Leia (Quest). R 2D2 idles in the control room. NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? Take time to think again of a past success. Perhaps the same opportunity from Step 2. What fears did you have when attempting to pursue it? What were those fears telling you? How much did their message relate to you not being good enough? How did you set those fears aside to go after and achieve your goal? What do you think were your strengths? Keep them in mind as you go onto the next step.


8. Y our Ordeal Will Make Y ou S tronger T rapped in the giant trash compactor, Luke and P rincess Leia and allies face their

peril without Obi-Wan who is in search of Darth V ader. Luke survives the tentacled monster that pulls him down into the sewage. R 2D2 halts the contracting walls of the compactor. Your Ordeal will be in direct confrontation with your greatest fear. The gremlin voice inside your head that tells you some version: “I’m not good enough”. This will likely be so very hard for you to accept.

But you must die... or appear to die in this stage.. like any hero does. Your Ordeal may find people resisting the new you, asking for your old ways. When attempting to make a change - like being more open about your feelings - antagonism of others may threaten you so much you defend yourself with ‘an eye for an eye’ approach. You may get so overwhelmed, you forget about your intention to develop others by ‘waiting and listening’ to their ideas and jump in with your solution instead. Now you have to call on your new skills and your allies. Call forth your leader inside that your Obi-Wan has helped you find. Shift up from the ‘Dark Side’ of distracting and destructive energy of your gremlin to the focused and constructive ‘Light Side’ of the Force. Put your gremlin in service to resist and remove yourself from the peril. I kid you not - you will feel elated and exhilarated. You’re never more alive than when you’re looking death in the face. NE XT S T E P S What is T rue for Y ou? What tasks can your gremlin do instead of distracting you from your intention? How can you align it with your strengths to achieve your Call to Adventure?


9. C laim V ictory and S eize Y our S word of R eward New knowledge and experience from your Ordeal brings greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces. You take possession of the ‘sword’ of your reward - the Elixir that will heal the wounded land, make the change happen. You may come to understand better the situation, others and the environment you face.

As a result of your ordeal, you will be calmer, more peaceful and be more attractive to others. You will be the confident leader you have dreamed of being and others will be inspired by your success. Your Elixir is an engaging, high-energy flame that you are in full control of to let it light and warm the way as you make progress in your goal.

Luke achieves his quest and rescues P rincess Leia. His reward - the E lixir - contains the plans of the Death S tar - the key to defeating Darth V ader. NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? On a scale of 1-10, how important is it for you to claim victory and seize your reward so you can play bigger than you ever have before? (1 not at all, 10 nothing can stop me.)

10. More to Do on Y our R oad B ack W ith E lixir in hand, Luke decides to return to his Ordinary World. B ut the Millennium S tar is furious ly pursued by Darth Vader. Luke joins the rebel’s attack on the Death

S tar. Armed with your intuitive ability to access the energy of your leader inside, you are confident to assume your role as leader. You know the wisdom of your leader inside

is with you always. All you need to remember is to choose it instead of the outer forces.


As is Luke’s, your road back may be paved with the consequences of confronting the dark forces of Your Ordeal. This is the time is when you may decide to settle past conflicts, reconcile your differences with others. To put your Elixir in service to your Ordinary World. You’re now entering the third stage of your Confident Leader’s journey - the stage where you get to choose who you are as a leader & how and what you will do. NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? Now you are stronger and confident with your leader inside to guide you, what are some past conflicts, differences with others, situations that you have previously judged as right or wrong, good or bad? How can you accept the past for what it was? Without judgement? How can you be calm in the present moment? What will you choose to do to repair and cure past conflicts, differences, harsh words, step up to situations you once shied away from?

11. Y our F inal E xam is Y our R es urrection

You may be tested once more on your return to your Ordinary World. A final exam to see if you have really learned the lessons of Your Ordeal.

This is your transformation. Where you can transcend yourself and tap into your inner leader to guide you in the moment. To create the change that wants to happen. In the final battle scene of S tar Wars , Luke hears Obi-Wan’s voice: “Luke, trust your feelings .”

“Use the F orce Luke.” “Let go Luke.”


“R emember the F orce will be with you always.” You now can access your leader inside - your inner wisdom in any moment. All you need to do is let go of the control your mind has over you and trust your intuition. Remember you can choose the energy to use in any situation. NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? I’m curious, how will you let go, trust your feelings & intuition as you begin to play bigger as the Confident Leader you want to be? What will you do to remember that your wise leader inside will always be with you?

12. T he J ourney is Meaningles s if Y ou Don’t R eturn with the E lixir T he power of the E vil E mpire is destroyed and Luke returns to the Ordinary World. He and his team are honored as heroes and peace is restored to the galaxy. Remember: You must return with the Elixir. The journey is meaningless without it. Unless something is brought back from Your Ordeal in the Inmost Cave, you are doomed to repeat the adventure.

The Elixir is your new knowledge and experience applied. It is your inner wisdom - the leader inside that steps out into the sunlight as the Confident Leader you have always wanted to be.


NE XT S T E P S What is the T ruth for Y ou? How ready are you to take your next step & Return with the Elixir to be the Confident leader you so want to be? To play bigger than you ever have before?

Y our Next S tep So now you know the 12 E s s ential S teps E very L eader T akes to R eturn with the E lix ir and be the Confident Leader you truly want to be. 12 steps along a journey that grows through:

1. Limited Awareness 2. Increased Awareness 3. Reluctance to change 4. Overcoming reluctance - Meeting your mentor 5. Committing to change 6. Experimenting with your first change 7. Preparing for a big change 8. Attempting a big change 9. Improvements & setbacks 10. Rededication to change 11. Final attempt at a big change 12. Final mastery

Did you recognize parts of your own journey? Where you are right now? Some paths you have taken, others you wish you hadn't? Are you wondering: What if I don't know my strengths? What if I fail? What if I am not trusted? Not funny or engaging enough? Who am I anyway to want to play big like this?

Don’t worry If you are feeling uncertain about who you want to be as a leader, I am here to help you S ize Up to assess who you are as the leader of your life, to S hift Up into action with powerful coaching, S kill Up with trainings and to S peak Up with confidence. I am passionate about helping people play bigger than they ever have before.


Y ou can work with me in s everal ways S hift Up with private 1: 1 c oac hing If you know that now is your time and you are ready to make that one-and-for-all commitment to yourself, then I invite you to join me. Together we reach in to find what it is you really want to achieve & make a plan for you to play big... and start leaving your footprints in the sand. In our highly personalized coaching partnership, you get the support you need to create personal awareness about what you are here to do, to grow and feel competent in your ability to have everything you dream about. I will help you work through the specific issues that frighten you and hold you back from success, so that you can have the greatest impact in service to you and to those you lead. Find out more about my coaching packages at ‘Coach with me’ on my website suzannebeveridge.com. Choose one program...or let’s step out on a coaching path made just for you.

B ut really, why wait? Let’s connect by phone and explore how we could work together! Book a free half-hour introductory coaching session with me at… https://www.timetrade.com/book/MKZTL

R esources

In preparing this workbook about the C onfident Leader journey every leader takes , C hris topher Vogler’s interpretation of J oseph C ampbell's ’ work in his book ‘T he Writer’s J ourney’ was invaluable. Nancy Duarte’s ‘R esonate’ served me equally. B oth books guide me as I accompany each of my clients on their own heroic leader's journey.

https://www.timetrade.com/book/MKZTL�

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12 Essential Steps Every Leader Takes to Return with Elixir