Liz Nead

It can sometimes feel, no matter where you turn, you are offending someone. So much so, we now ask the “offended” to lighten up and not take us so seriously. It’s clear our words have power and it’s also become apparent we aren’t always sure how to use this instrument for good.

In her presentation, “You can’t say that.” Liz shares six categories of statements intended to connect, but actually widen the diversity gap. These statements make it harder to gain common ground and can cause irreparable harm to others personally and professionally.

Prepare yourself for bold humor and disarming dialogue as Liz gives you tools to become more effective in your communication with others and face the fears of saying the wrong thing. She equips you with five essential strategies to handle complex and diverse situations and important language to create connection under pressure.

Takeaways

• Positive insights into the WHY’S behind the WHAT NOT TO SAY.
• How to create a healthy space for curiosity around diversity.
• Valuable tools to investigate other cultures without offending.
• Simple language to diffuse difficult situations.

Note: This can be an “inspirational” talk or a more corporate “leadership” presentation. The descriptions are below.

The Climb of My Life

Liz Nead fulfilled a lifelong dream when she summited Mt. Kilimanjaro on July 4, 2014, climbing over 19,000 feet to the top of the largest free-standing mountain in Africa. She traveled to Tanzania ready to conquer the adventure but the thin air, jet lag and temperatures were challenging, forcing her to think and work differently during the 7-day journey. She completed the climb successfully, transformed by her own struggle and her experience with the Mt. Kili climb culture. Liz shares those lessons, sometimes humorous and often touching about personal growth, the power of imbalance and the transformation of living in the moment.

Takeaways:

The power of self-care. Moment of clarity on the mountain- a reminder for mindfulness How to create transformational stretch goals How to the buy the ticket for change

Active Leadership

Liz took on the challenge to travel to Tanzania and climb to the roof of Africa in search of adventure and transformation. She returned with a changed vision of leadership. With entertaining, exciting stories and visual videos and images, Liz tells the tale of her once-in-a-lifetime climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and her introduction to Active Leadership.

Thirteen inexperienced people from all over the world gathered at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It would take 7 days and 40 climb staff to summit and descend the mountain through eight hour hikes and 20 degree nights.

Through the process, Liz witnessed a different kind of leadership than what she was accustomed to in the traditional corporate setting. As the group struggled to work together and successful complete their mission, the climb guides quietly worked together with connection, clarity and focus.

The climb strategy, dubbed by Liz “Active Leadership” is focused on a stretch-goal, characterized by kind planning, measured paces and inspirational encouragement. Each team member had both a specific assignment and responsibility for the group goal. No role or detail is too insignificant.

By the end of the successful climb, the group was inspired, transformed and grateful, a hallmark of Active Leadership. This process, a combination of project management, servant leadership and visionary planning, is easily applied to sales teams, corporate groups, and project teams.

Takeaways:

How to determine and maintain the pace of excellence. Setting and selling stretch goals to a group of people with varying backgrounds and abilities. Creating a culture of joyous service. Effectively bringing new people into a team.

You live in the information age. Ninety percent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone. Recent studies reveal you receive 34 gigabytes of information a day, which is enough to overload a laptop in a week. That’s why mindfulness, paying attention with intention to this moment, is so vital to your success.

It’s easy to get into the frequency of productivity. Get as much done as you can, as quickly as you can. Efficiency reigns supreme. The to-do list, the Holy Grail. However, the most productive life is not always the best life. Leaning into the NOW is about harnessing the power of the now, using the lessons from the past and designing a future with purpose, using your attention and intention to choose excellence in this moment. balance, focus, peace and sustainability.

Takeaways: How to use Liz’s “1440 principle,” a strategy to evaluate priorities, actions and thoughts. Today’s trends in mindfulness and the immediate professional and personal benefits to your organization and your life. Four aspirational ways to utilize time. Scripting to say yes to what is important and no to common time-wasters.

Liz Nead shares 6 powerful leadership strategies she learned climbing 19,000 feet to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. As she witnessed and experienced the techniques the African and American climb guides used to get 14 novice climbers safely to the top, she realized effective leadership is not a lone voice controlling the masses. Active Leadership is a humble approach, achieving stretch goals with planning, mentorship and a secret ingredient that truly transformed Liz’s way of thinking.

Even though she is the daughter of Indian immigrants, Liz Nead experienced a simple American childhood growing up in midwest. As an adult, she began to explore her roots and as she uncovered the personal artifacts of her life, she also discovered six powerful truths around human identity. Liz invites the audience to connect to their own origins, answer essential questions and ultimately take their place as a superhero in the human community.