Alisha Leytem: Hi everyone! Welcome back to the show. It’s your host Alisha. Today I have a pretty fun episode for you. I am actually being interviewed in this particular episode. I was featured on a podcast called Inclusive Leadership in a Virtual World. This is by Matthew who owns and runs the Percipio Company.
We will actually have the link to the show notes to this podcast episode if you want to check it out after the episode. It’s a short episode and it’s about 5 minutes long. He asks 3 questions for each leader that he has on the show. I think that you all will really enjoy this and see me in the hot seat.
I wanted to hop on and give you all a little intro before the show comes on so you can have a little context of what this episode itself is. I actually have been on vacation with my family. My husband, daughter, and I went to Florida for a little bit to get some sunshine and pool time and completely turn off. It was beautiful and we made a lot of really great memories together.
On the way back my daughter did pick up a little bug from the airplane and she passed it on to us. So you might hear that in my voice right now. Luckily, it’s not too bad for me and we should be done with it here in just a little bit. We want to make sure that we have this episode out and ready for you like we do every single friday.
If you are really enjoying the show, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes. You can leave us 5 stars, you can subscribe after the show so you never miss an episode. If you want to learn more about working with Alisha Leytem Wellness you can head to alishaleytem.com.
Of course, you can grab a copy of my book if you don’t have that yet. It’s called The Six G.O.L.D. Keys to Well-Being a guide to unlocking a happy and healthy life. That is available for you over on amazon. If you would like a little bit of direction to start living a healthy life you can head to my website and take a free assessment and get your personal well-being score. That’s all for you at alishaleytem.com.
Here we go with the episode, and I will see you all very soon. Namaste.
Matthew Cahill: Welcome to the inclusive leadership in a virtual world podcast. My name is Matthew Cahill and I am the president and principal consultant of Percipio Company. We frame 3 questions that we ask each of our weekly facilitators to capture their unique perspective and approach towards inclusive leadership. Today we have none other than Alisha Leytem. Founder of Alisha Leytem Wellness which is an organization that improves workforce wellbeing one organization at a time. Alisha, welcome to our podcast.
Alisha Leytem: Thank you! I am so grateful and excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Matthew Cahill: Let’s jump right into our first question. Alisha tells our listeners what is unique about you as an inclusive leader.
Alisha Leytem: I think the thing that makes me stand out the most is my commitment and devotion to authenticity. I think more than anything what we need in leadership is for people to just be real. I think vulnerability is one of our biggest ways to be authentic. When you are vulnerable and open then others can have their own hearts cracked open and are able to hear the message even more. So authenticity is really powerful.
Matthew Cahill: So remember I said I might go off on a tangent, this is one of them. How do you become a leader when their intent is authentic and real, but it comes across as “assholish” or arrogant or it impacts others negatively?
Alisha Leytem: The thing about that is when you’re genuinely self aware as a person, then the more your authenticity is coming from a place of vulnerability and less ego.
Matthew Cahill: Yes. The better prepared you are to receive the feedback when somebody says “hey.”
Alisha Leytem: Exactly because you’re not doing it from this place of “look at me.” That’s not real authenticity. That’s just straight I am in charge, my way is the highway, I know all the answers. This is my authentic truth. That’s not your authentic truth because that’s not from your heart, that's from your head, from wanting to look a certain way. Typically people do that if they are afraid of being judged or afraid of who they really are and they try to put up this mask to hide.
Really when you come down to knowing who you are and being truly self-aware and knowing thyself. I believe Socrates is the one that said that. The foundation of all wisdom is knowing thyself. When you really know you can be that authentic person.
Matthew Cahill: Super important distinction. Our next question is what are you striving for?
Alisha Leytem: I love this question. I think there are a couple of things. One of my favorite quotes and it’s actually the foundation of my book The Six G.O.L.D. Keys to Well-Being, it’s a quote by Rumi. He said “Yesterday I was clever and I want to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
When I first learned that quote more than a decade ago that helped me really take my power back and helped me realize if I want to make a difference in the world I have to make a difference and change myself first.
That’s what I am really striving for. Continuing to know myself and grow personally and turning on my own light, so that I can spread and share that light to everyone else in the world. I almost like to visualize myself as a light and help other people turn their light on. I just so happen to be doing that with organizations and their well-being
Matthew Cahill: Yes. I love that metaphor. Especially if you think of it as a candle and you light somebody else's candle and they take it with them. It’s beautiful. What would you say the world needs more of and why?
Alisha Leytem: Well this one is an easy one for me. I think the world needs happier people. We need more happy people, we just do. When there are happier people the world is a happier place. When people do things to hurt others, hurt people hurt people.
You are genuinely happy with yourself, love yourself, and content with who you are. You are such a kinder, compassionate, loving person to everyone else around you. Plus happiness is contagious. So, we need happier people.
Matthew Cahill: Yes and more yes. Listeners, you cannot see Alisha right now but she has a hat on right now that says “eternal optimist.” If anyone is listening and would like to learn more, connect with you, hire you, bring in your work with their organization, where do they go to connect with you?
Alisha Leytem: You can go to my website alishaleytem.com. You can connect with me over LinkedIn. I am pretty active over there. Or I have a podcast called Unlock Your Well-Being. Connect with me over on instagram @alishaleytem as well.
Matthew Cahill: Thank you Alisha. It’s truly been a pleasure.
Alisha Leytem: Thank you so much for having me.
