Episode 24: How To Be A Fearlessly Authentic Leader with Danessa Knaupp

Have you ever stepped into a role and questioned if you were the best person for the job? Do you carry the shame of failure and imperfection with you everywhere you go?

Meet Danessa Knaupp, executive coach, thought leader and bestselling author, who shares how to embrace your struggles and gain true confidence in your journey.

Danessa has coached hundreds of executives across every major industry and has developed a reputation as a candid, compassionate and courageous leadership partner. She is the author of Naked at Work: A Leader’s Guide to Fearless Authenticity and regularly addresses C-suite audiences on how to harness the power of real authenticity to drive measurable business results.

In this episode, Danessa shares how you can be the strong, inspirational leader you imagine by leading authentically. She makes the case for owning your unique story and using, that real, imperfect experience
to drive your personal and team performance. Danessa also provides her perspective on leadership principles for the digital age, and how to accelerate success.

Highlights:

[02:10] Danessa’s story

[05:16] How did you discover your superpower

[07:46] Proudest career accomplishment

[10:18] Making decisions with confidence

[12:08] Overcoming your gremlins

[13:12] Dealing with fears and limiting beliefs

[16:41] Juggling changes in your personal life with your career

[18:46] Comparison and the different versions of ourselves

[20:21] Naked at Work: A Leader's Guide to Fearless Authenticity

[24:00] Authenticity and Action

[27:50] Showing up with fearless authenticity

[35:10] Critical skills for women in the future of work

[39:02] Connection in a geographically diverse workplace

[41:41] Managing competing priorities

[46:53] Who inspires you

[50:12] Recommendation on accelerating success

Quotes:

“I have been gifted with an extraordinary number of spectacular failures.” – Danessa Knaupp

“I have this superpower now, that I am resilient. It' not about me, it's about what I'm willing to try or do or say.” – Danessa Knaupp

“You want to bet smart but betting and losing doesn't mean you'e out of the game.” – Danessa Knaupp

“I quiet my own internal interference. Those fears or doubts don't serve me. They are a distraction.” – Danessa Knaupp

“Remember and believe that you are a beginner here. You haven't done this before. And you are going to be really good at it. It takes us a while to learn new things.” – Danessa Knaupp

“Think about what decisions do I need to make to show up with intention in other areas of my life.” – Danessa Knaupp

“There's a version of me that is confident, connected, intentional and strategic. And then there's the 10pm “me”, that’s a little bit tired and a little bit worried and not sure about anything. All of those versions of us are appropriate.” - Danessa Knaupp

“I wonder how everybody in this room is different. And if we harness that, what could we do as a team?” – Danessa Knaupp

“Leaders who focus and lead with authenticity have much more effective teams.” – Danessa Knaupp

“Let go of thinking everyone is looking at you and just start to think about, what's the next right thing?” – Danessa Knaupp

“Emotional intelligence will be the key differentiator for leaders. It is what keeps us separate from machines.” – Danessa Knaupp

“The single most predictive factor of the collective intelligence of a group's ability to solve a problem was whether or not there was a woman present on the team.” – Danessa Knaupp

“Be mindful of how we show up for other people. The unintentional expectations that we sometimes create, is the responsibility of our leaders.” – Danessa Knaupp

About Danessa Knaupp:

Danessa is an executive coach, CEO, and keynote speaker shifting the global conversation on leadership. She has coached hundreds of executives across every major industry and has developed a reputation as a candid, compassionate and courageous leadership partner. She is the author of the leadership manual, Naked at Work: A Leader’s Guide to Fearless Authenticity and regularly addresses C-suite audiences on how to harness the power of real authenticity (not #authenticity) to drive measurable business results.

Known for her unique ability to drive new levels of engagement and performance with key leaders, Danessa is a fresh, positive voice on leadership, authenticity, and executive team effectiveness. She has coached CEOs, senior leaders, boards, and C-suite teams on issues related to leadership effectiveness, succession planning, M&A integration, and conflict intervention. Her clients have included Anthem, Bain Capital, BlackRock, Capital One, Comcast, Genworth, Hilton, KPMG, Mastercard, Nordstrom and more.

Danessa earned her executive coaching credentials from Georgetown University, and a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the College of William and Mary. She spent more than 20 years as an entrepreneur
and a senior executive and ultimately, CEO. She is licensed by the International Coaching Federation and certified in many of the top leadership assessment tools.

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danessa-knaupp/

Websites: https://www.danessaknaupp.com/

http://www.avenue8advisors.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danessa_knaupp

Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/154450747X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_HELHEbSJP30VK