52 – Disrupting Leadership with Lael Couper Jepson

Lael Couper Jepson is all about change powered by women. Founder of SheChanges, she makes it her business to hold space for those willing to live from the crossroads of conventional thought and unconventional wisdom. In this episode, they discuss important conversations often buried – which Lael is passionate about uncovering – and the language needed to disrupt traditional leadership thinking. Lack of safety in organizations, and welcoming the ‘dominant cast’ to the change conversation with compassion and enthusiasm – because for things to change, everybody needs to be at the party. The ripple effect of public courage when making unconventional choices, being true to oneself and collapsing what’s not working in order to rebuild.

Listen in as they discuss:

[00:03:32] Lael’s passion for uncovering buried conversations, sensing what is being unsaid.
[00:06:02] The importance of language and how it can point us to what needs to be disrupted in leadership thinking.
[00:07:55] The need to move away from outdated models in leadership and the impact of the economic model that is centred on growth.
[00:13:29] The use of coded language in organizations and the need to speak plainly and uncover truth for true transformation and integrity.
[00:16:08] The importance of welcoming the ‘dominant cast’ to the conversation with compassion and enthusiasm – because in order for things to change everybody needs to be at the party.
[00:20:11] How lack of resources in our organic World and bodies have created a feeling of scarcity, that is contributing to the lack of safety and high cost of vulnerability in organizations.
[00:22:30] The changing perceptions of safety between working inside organizations and entrepreneurial ventures.
[00:24:30] The politicization of conversations as a means to avoid uncomfortable topics in organizations.
[00:25:59] The importance of supporting graceful endings in organizations and recognizing the lack of a noble narrative around death in society.
[00:26:44] Lael references a TED Talk by Amanda Bennett, who highlights the need for a different narrative that supports graceful endings.
[00:27:30] Reference to Atul Gawande’s book ‘Being Mortal: Medicine and what matters in the End.’
[00:28:07] Lael describes a performance piece by Amanda Palmer that symbolizes the need for dismantling and decomposing in order to rebuild.
[00:31:23] The challenge of unintentionally bringing entrenched beliefs and expectations regarding work and productivity when leaving corporate and entering entrepreneurship.
[00:33:30] The importance of addressing the conversations that are avoided due to their proximity to our identities.
[00:37:50] Lael shares her observation that those at the margins are no longer willing to do emotional labour for those at the centre.
[00:40:00] The contagious effect of public courage to make unconventional choices in entrepreneurship and being true to oneself.
[00:43:28] Lael reveals the financial success she experienced when taking more breaks and embracing her authenticity.
[00:45:20] The internal doubts associated with taking extended breaks, yet the transformative power of trusting and the flow that emerges.
[00:47:00] How the COVID-19 pandemic flipped on it’s head everything that we thought was safe, predictable and reliable – both the economic implications and the relational ruptures.
[00:50:00] An example from Lael’s work where clients realize that they don’t need to leave their jobs to find freedom and wholeness, but rather reconfigure themselves internally.
[00:53:33] The interplay between internal and external changes and the ripple effect they have on relationships and circumstances.
[00:55:17] Exploring one’s relationship with ease and giving yourself permission to do easy things without judgement or feeling behind.
[00:58:06] Challenging the conventional notion of retirement and reimagining it by sprinkling seasons of rest and rejuvenation throughout working years.
[01:00:09] Lael’s current leadership edges, including disrupting the grind, rest as resistance (reference: Tricia Hersey: Rest Is Resistance) and exploring the concept of being a ‘fierce dangerous woman’
[01:04:00] Lael’s experience of stepping into a new level of power and voice as an aging woman and the shift from being seen as elderly to becoming an elder. She references Hagitude by Sharon Blackie.

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More from Lael

Lael currently offers three self-guided courses ‘Stand Tall’, ‘Kindle Your Fire’ and her free mini-course offering – ‘Get Unstuck’. These courses are a great entrance into Lael’s work. To learn more about these, head here.

To enquire to work with Lael 1:1, or other ways to work with her, head here.

About Lael

Lael Couper Jepson is all about change powered by women.

As the founder of SheChanges, she makes it her business to hold space for those willing to live from the crossroads of conventional thought and unconventional wisdom. Lael works nationally with senior leaders and business owners who are committed to disrupt themselves and their organizations with the intention to lead us more boldly toward a future.

A future that will invite all of us to unleash more of who we are—freely, unapologetically, and in service of our greater good.

A storyteller and the author of two books, Unscripted: A Woman’s Living Prayer and Ignite: Lighting the Leader Fire, Lael is known for blowing on the embers of change and generating electricity that inspires people to think more creatively and move more audaciously. At the heart of her work is a deep appreciation for harnessing both the masculine and feminine energies that live within us. She believes women will show us how.

Find Lael Here