NEW BOOK RELEASE!

Dancing the Tightrope; What Falling Off a Horse Taught Me About Embracing Pressure, Fear, and Uncertainty

In Lynn Carnes new book, find out how pressure, something we may not like, can become the catalyst to unleashing our most courageous self.

Read the Introduction and the First Chapter by Clicking Here.

Get the book on Amazon! 

lynn-carnes

Hi, I'm Lynn Carnes. My official title is Executive Coach, focusing deeply on leadership.  My unofficial title is "Professional Unleasher", focusing on unleashing YOU. If you believe you have to choose between performing under pressure and having work life balance, you might be making a false choice.  What if you need BOTH in order to get what you want?

Is pressure happening to you or for you?

Pressure takes our power away. You can either strive to keep pressure from crushing you  -  or you can allow it to elevate you. The first way is an outside–in approach that allows the external world to define you. It comes from the proving mindset that our modern world perpetuates. Following the “rules” puts the power in everyone else’s hands. Isn’t that convenient for them?

Does any of this happen to you?

  • Everyone you work with thinks their priorities should be YOUR priorities.
  • You’ve been told you are up for promotion, but it would help to have more ”executive presence.” (And what the heck is executive presence anyway?)
  • You feel powerless to delegate because people are making mistakes and you are not sure what to do about it.
  • Just about the time you are in a rhythm with your boss and co-workers, they change everything, and it feels like you are starting over.
  • The only way you will meet your objectives is to say no to people that matter…and you hate disappointing people or feeling like you can’t do it all
  • You feel like you must answer every email or phone call immediately, and yet doing so leaves you little or no time to get your primary work done
  • You believe that you could perform so much better if you just had less pressure.

If this kind of pressure defines your life, you might feel like you are slowly drowning.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Pressure is the catalyst for your growth

The second way is an inside-out approach that keeps the power in your hands. We cannot escape pressure (as much as we would like to). However, we can make new choices under pressure that free us from our past. Pressure is not the problem; how we’ve been indoctrinated to handle pressure works against us. When you choose an improving mindset, it’s ok to make mistakes. Recovery from disequilibrium becomes more important than the end goal.

  • There is a way to say no to those who are sweeping you up into their game, including your boss.
  • You can develop executive presence, only not the way you’ve probably been taught.
  • Your glass ceiling is defined by your ability to handle mistakes made by others on your behalf – and you can raise that ceiling.
  • Change is a constant and co-workers, bosses and strategies will come and go; you can dance with all of it by learning how to reach for your “tools” instead of the “rules” made by others.
  • You can become the co-writer of your life.

You are going to be uncomfortable either way. The focus on proving yourself creates a hole you can never fill. The discomfort from cultivating an improving, learning mindset offers deeper rewards by charting your own path. You might even find peace of mind.

Instead of chasing empty goals, my hope for you is a journey of self-awareness, one which unleashes the true spirit within you.

Curious about how to make pressure work for you? Start by discovering the hidden rules that limit you. Download this free coaching exercise:

The Rule Breakers Guide to Success

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You'll also get access to the Coaching Digest - four emails a month where I share coaching insights and podcast interviews with personal mentors who give their secrets for resolving pressure, dealing with mistakes, and pivoting from failure.

Here's my story.

Fighting to make it to the top then realizing I could have a great life - TODAY

GO DEEPER WITH THESE BOOKS

Lynn Carnes: Dancing the Tightrope What Falling Off a Horse Taught Me About Embracing Pressure, Fear, and Uncertainty

Lynn Carnes: The Elegant Pivot: An Inspired Move for Navigating Corporate Politics

Lynn Carnes: The Delicate Art: Learn to Say "No" and Unleash Your Performance

The latest from my desk

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TEDx Talk

Raging Bitch to Engaging Coach

Oct 19, 2015

What’s Your Picture?

Today, I’m sharing an excerpt from my upcoming book Dancing the Tightrope, The Gift of Pressure, Uncertainty and Failure. The book chronicles my three-year journey of getting back on the horse after a bad accident. In the ensuing three years, what I thought would be a journey about learning to ride horses became instead a catalyst to raise my pressure threshold, to operate more in the present moment and yes, to get back on the horse.

Make like a virus – and adapt!

If we have learned anything over the last two years, it’s that we have less control than we would like to have. Think about it. How many times have you wished COVID 19 away? How many times have you wanted to get someone to take the same actions you have to address the pressures and uncertainties we are living with? How many times have you thought or said “When all of this is over, I’m going to…”?

Tis the Season…To Be Grateful

So far, this Christmas is not going as planned. This is our second year not going home to Texas to spend Christmas with family. For over 20 years, we’ve had a well-oiled machine for the season. Land at DFW Airport. Head straight to my brother’s house to bake cookies. Take a long walk with my sister-in-law to work off the calories from the cookies. Eat more cookies. Find and wrap all the presents shipped to their house. Eat more cookies. Run last minute errands. Eat more cookies. Ride horses at Marshall Creek. Eat more cookies. Go play at the local climbing gym. Eat more cookies. Make sure we have all the food for Christmas dinner. And on and on.

When Reality and Feelings are Miles Apart

When I was learning to ride my bike as a child, the huge moment came the day my Dad took off the training wheels. I would finally get to be like the other big kids! In my kid brain, I thought it would be a simple matter of getting on and doing what I had done so many times before, only like a grown up. Not even close. It took many falls and skinned knees until the moment of cheating occurred. I would get on, try to pedal and before the other foot could make the circle, the bike would fall over. I became acutely aware of just how much those training wheels had held me up.

It’s Part of the Process

When I was learning to ride my bike as a child, the huge moment came the day my Dad took off the training wheels. I would finally get to be like the other big kids! In my kid brain, I thought it would be a simple matter of getting on and doing what I had done so many times before, only like a grown up. Not even close. It took many falls and skinned knees until the moment of cheating occurred. I would get on, try to pedal and before the other foot could make the circle, the bike would fall over. I became acutely aware of just how much those training wheels had held me up.

When You Are Under Attack…

Sometimes, people really are trying to make things personal. In my book The Elegant Pivot, An Inspired Move for Navigating Corporate Politics, the most challenging character I describe is Fighting Francis. As much as we wish it weren’t so, the FF’s in the world really are out to get us. There may be no better […]