Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Emotional Intelligence in Business: A Missing Piece of Effective Leadership




 Emotional Intelligence in Business:  A Missing Piece of Effective Leadership



    Emotional intelligence is the ability to express, understand, and manage your emotions, as well as being able to listen and respond appropriately to others as they express their emotions.  Emotional intelligence (EI) is an important foundation of any healthy relationship, whether it's a personal or professional relationship.  In business, EI is important because it helps to improve ways to communicate effectively to help with conflict resolution.  Emotional intelligence will help management to better support and motivate their team and help employees learn to collaborate together and value other perspectives.

What qualities does an emotionally intelligent person have?

  • Empathy and compassion for others.
  • Self-awareness
  • Emotional stability in high-stress situations
  • Understand their strengths and weaknesses
  • A capacity to perceive and respond to the emotions of others around them
  • Take responsibility for their actions
  • Actively listen to others
  • Strong social skills
  • Motivation

    Someone with high emotional intelligence is often seen as a strong leader, both personally and professionally.  Their relationships are healthy, their stress levels are managed, and they are very aware of their thoughts and actions.  The emotionally intelligent person will be better at decision-making and allow others to feel valued.  This is the future of leadership and quickly becoming an industry standard for organizations big and small.  As a leader, EI will allow you to build rock-solid relationships built on trust with your employees.   Below are some staggering statistics shared by Harvard Business Review.

 People at high-trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, and 40% less burnout.


    Emotional intelligence is not just a catchphrase, it's a powerful aspect of creating and sustaining a profitable business like never before.


By: Dr. Laurie Williams



Tuesday, January 21, 2025

5 Benefits Of Incorporating Holistic Wellness Into Your Organization

 

In today’s fast-paced and demanding work environments, corporations are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance productivity, reduce burnout, and create a thriving workplace culture. While traditional wellness programs often focus on physical health or stress management workshops, incorporating holistic wellness into the workplace offers a more comprehensive approach that benefits both employees and employers. Here's how and why holistic wellness should be part of your corporate strategy.

What Is Holistic Wellness?

Holistic wellness is an approach that considers the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. It recognizes that each aspect of well-being is interconnected and plays a vital role in achieving balance and fulfillment. For corporations, this means offering wellness programs that go beyond physical fitness or mental health days to include emotional intelligence training, mindfulness practices, personal, growth opportunities, and fostering authentic connections among teams.

Key Benefits of Holistic Wellness in the Workplace

  1. Improved Employee Productivity and Focus - Stress and burnout are two of the biggest productivity killers in the workplace. Holistic wellness practices like counselling and mindfulness training help employees manage stress more effectively, leading to enhanced focus, creativity, and overall job performance. When employees feel balanced and supported, they are more engaged and efficient.

  2. Reduced Absenteeism and Healthcare Costs - A healthy workplace is a productive workplace. Holistic wellness programs that address mental health, and emotional resilience reduce the risk of chronic illnesses and mental health challenges, leading to fewer sick days and lower healthcare expenses for the company.

  3. Stronger Team Dynamics - Incorporating team-building activities centered around holistic principles, such as group wellness retreats, fosters deeper connections among employees. This creates a more harmonious work environment where collaboration and mutual respect thrive.

  4. Enhanced Leadership Skills - Holistic wellness doesn’t just benefit employees—it transforms leaders too. Laurie Williams Wellness works to teach executives how to lead with empathy, clarity, and vision. Leaders who prioritize their own well-being are better equipped to inspire and guide their teams.

  5. Attracting and Retaining Top Talent - Today’s workforce values employers who prioritize employee well-being. Offering a holistic wellness program sets your company apart, showing potential hires that you care about their personal and professional growth. This not only helps attract top talent but also boosts retention rates as employees feel valued and supported.


Why Employers Should Invest in Holistic Wellness

Investing in holistic wellness is more than just an employee perk; it’s a strategic decision that positively impacts your bottom line. When employees feel cared for as whole individuals, they are more likely to stay committed, perform at their best, and contribute to a positive workplace culture. Employers who adopt a holistic approach demonstrate forward-thinking leadership and a genuine commitment to their team’s well-being.

By integrating holistic wellness into your corporate wellness plan, you’re not just improving individual health—you’re fostering a culture of balance, resilience, and success that benefits everyone involved.  


Ready to transform your workplace culture with holistic wellness? Contact Laurie Williams Wellness today through the link below to create a program that empowers your team and elevates your business.

Learn more about Laurie Williams Wellness

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

5 Signs You Are Ready To Heal

5 Signs You Are Ready To Heal 


    Not everyone who is on this earth will face mental, emotional, physical or spiritual healing.  The truth is, healing isn't for the faint of heart and for some the choice to stay the same is more comfortable than the choice to heal.  It comes down to fear of the unknown and there are times in everyone's life when that fear will stop you in your tracks.  There really is no right or wrong answer to the question, "Should I start a healing journey?"  We all have free will and free choice after all.  


    I have been helping others heal themselves for over a decade and for those that are truly ready, there are some signs.  In this blog, I wanted to share with you five of the most powerful and common signs that you may in fact be ready to begin the journey to healing and self-discovery.


Sign #1:  One of the earliest signs is the realization that your thought patterns are mostly negative or stuck in the past.  You may struggle with changing your focus to the present.  Typically you will struggle with depressive thoughts.  You may be in therapy and have the realization that it's not effective in helping you the way you would like.  You have considered or even dabbled in self-help through books and alternate therapies.  I call this the "I want to change but not sure how or where to start" phase.


Sign #2:  Another sign is you start to notice when you are triggered.  Triggers can result in you flying off the handle or regressing.  You will typically feel horrible for the way the trigger made you respond and this continues the pattern of negative self-talk that I mentioned above.  You will start to notice more and more emotional attachments that make you feel vulnerable and/or triggered.  I call this the "feeling it" phase.


Sign #3:  You want to be better.  Whether it's your sleep, physical health, or psychological health you truly want to be better than you are right now.  You may have started working out or eating better.  You are ready to step outside of what has been comfortable for you up to this point.  You are beginning to listen to your body when it needs rest and to recharge.  I call this the "it's go time" phase.


Sign #4:  You have started to ask yourself the question, "Why am I here?  What is my purpose?"  This is typically a sign that there is no going back.  The desire to know the answer to your life's purpose becomes far stronger than your desire to feel comfortable.  You may start to question the presence of "God" or a higher power as a form of connection.  Your relationships may begin to feel less fulfilling and you yearn for deeper connection mentally, emotionally and physically.  I call this the "who am I" phase.


Sign #5:  The greatest sign that you are ready to heal is that you feel ready.  You know there must be more to life than what you are currently living and it becomes too uncomfortable to stay the same.  You may not know what your path looks like but you take the first step and vow to keep going until you figure it out.  I call this the "transformation" phase.


If you are or have experienced any or all of these signs then you are ready to dive head first into the greatest transformation journey of your life.  When you heal you do so from the inside out on every level.  You will never be the same again, but after all, isn't that the point?


The Hidden Cost of Silence: Psychological Safety as a Leading Indicator of Enterprise Risk

 The Hidden Cost of Silence: Psychological Safety as a Leading Indicator of Enterprise Risk In complex organizations, risk rarely comes from...