When the work no longer feels right 👀

THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
The Quiet Power of Alignment

My friend, a year ago, I invited you to explore what it means to lead in alignment with your values (read the post here).

Since then, I've gone deeper into that exploration than I ever imagined. And it changed everything. It even reshaped my business.

In case you missed it, I kicked off 2025 pivoting away from 1:1 executive coaching, and I stepped fully into cultivating high-impact, immersive, evidence-based leadership experiences for executive teams. Shifting to a one-to-many model has brought new energy to my work.

The first leadership experience I am offering? The Executive Alignment Playbook. This immersive, high-impact experience is built on my hard-earned lessons about the living, breathing, constantly evolving nature of alignment. I’m taking a lifetime’s worth of hard-earned insights and bringing it to executive teams in experiential ways.

Why? Because alignment isn't just a nice-to-have. It is foundational.

And when it slips, everything else begins to slip too. Clarity fades. Momentum stalls. Trust wears thin.

But, what exactly is alignment?

At its core, alignment is "a position of agreement or alliance." That word “alliance” resonates with me. It suggests something beyond simple agreement. It points to harmony.

Harmony between your values and your actions. Harmony between your decisions and your deeper motivations. Harmony between the people at the leadership table and the future they are working to create.

And if you're not feeling it right now, here are 3 signs that misalignment may be at play.

1. You’ve lost touch with your “why” 😳

Simon Sinek built an empire on this idea, and for good reason. Your "why" is more than a tagline. It is your inner compass. When it goes quiet, that silence often signals that misalignment has crept in.

2. Breakdowns in trust 😞

Misalignment erodes trust like rust on steel. And I don't just mean trust with others. I mean self-trust too. It’s one thing to have your trust violated. It’s difficult to realize you have participated in the erosion of your ability to trust yourself.

Because when clarity fades, so does confidence in your own decisions. You begin second-guessing. You move slower. You feel less steady on your feet.

Slow or conflicted decisions 🤦🏽‍♀️

Here's the truth: decision-making is rooted in belief. When your beliefs and values are not aligned, decisions become cloudy. You hesitate. You defer. You wonder, "Why can't I just make a call?"

The answer might be misalignment.

These signs don't only show up at work. They ripple into your relationships, your health, and your ability to focus.

I know because I lived it.

Around the time I rebooted this newsletter, I started digging into the roots of my own misalignment. I revisited my values and my “why”. I realized that I was executing on an old “why.” One that no longer held true.

Then, I looked more closely at the beliefs that were shaping my decision making. Surprise, surprise: Some of them were shaped by assessments (subjective judgments) and the shaky interpretations that flow from assessments.

As I gained greater clarity, I spent more time engaging in reflection. This helped me start grounding my thinking in assertions (empirically-verifiable observations). Greater objectivity was the natural result.

I knew what I needed to do. It was time to pivot towards what had been calling me for far too long: bringing these powerful leadership experiences into the world.

Mindfulness supported this 7-month-long process. After all, we know:

Mindset is a function of mindfulness. Also known as: M = f(m)

As I brought more awareness to my patterns, I could see the subtle misalignments that were shaping my choices. And from that place, I could choose again. With more clarity. With greater courage. With deeper harmony.

The result?

I let go of what was no longer true. Not because it never was, but because any person or organization that is growing, developing, and evolving will have to do the intentional work to realign (again, and again). And there can be so much joy in that because that is a space of lifelong learning.

Now, I help executive teams do the same. Because alignment doesn't just change how you feel or perform. It transforms what becomes possible.

If you want to learn more about how I am building some of the most engaging, transformative, results-driven experiences out there, scroll down and click the link to book time to discuss. This isn’t about PowerPoint and conference rooms. It’s so much more. 🚀

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Putting It Into Practice

If something in this message is resonating, take 10 minutes this week to do a personal alignment scan. Ask yourself:

• What are my top 3 values?

• What beliefs or assumptions am I holding that don’t fully support those values?

• Where in my work or life have I been second-guessing myself lately? What deeper misalignment might be driving that?

Write down what comes up. Don't edit. Just notice.

Then, take one small action to move closer to alignment. Maybe it's having a conversation you've been avoiding. Maybe it's saying “no” to something that used to be a “yes”. Maybe it's just getting quiet enough to hear your own voice again.

Small shifts in awareness lead to big shifts in leadership.

DEEPENING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Resources for You

📖 Want to understand how to see new possibilities in your leadership? This book provides transformative insights on leading from purpose. (Link)

🎧 Looking for practical ways to align your actions with your values? This podcast episode offers actionable insights. (Link)

🧠 Understand the neuroscience of aligning your actions and values. (Link)

📚 Explore how somatic awareness reveals internal misalignment before your mind catches up. (Link)

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

High-performing executive teams don't happen by chance. They happen by design.

If you're leading an executive team right now and feeling even a hint of misalignment, don't ignore it. You have the power to realign.

High-performing executive teams are not built on strategy alone. They are built on clarity, trust, and aligned decision-making.

That's the work I do inside The Executive Alignment Playbook.

It's a high-impact, evidence-based experience that helps leadership teams reestablish trust, sharpen focus, and accelerate execution — all by returning to alignment.

Book a call to learn more about The Executive Alignment Playbook 🚀, an immersive, experiential leadership program.

Realign your leadership team. Accelerate execution. Drive measurable results.

🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

If you are interested in having me speak at your event, please fill out this form.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD 📢

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette