Podcast Summary: Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan Episode: Confidence Classic: The Secret To OWNING Your Power With Dalia Feldheim, Founder of Uppiness & Flow Leadership Consultancy

Introduction

In this episode of Creating Confidence with Heather Monahan, Heather sits down with Dalia Feldheim, the founder of Uppiness & Flow Leadership Consultancy. Dalia brings over two decades of corporate leadership experience from her time as a Global Marketing Executive at Procter & Gamble, where she spearheaded iconic campaigns like Tampax, Mother Nature, and the renowned "Always Like a Girl." Now, Dalia leverages her expertise to promote authentic, happy, and psychologically safe workplace cultures through her consultancy and bestselling book, Lead Like a Girl.

From Corporate Success to Empowering Leadership

[02:46] Dalia Feldheim: "There's no such thing as a masculine brain or a feminine brain. We all have masculine leadership traits and feminine leadership traits."

Dalia discusses her pivotal realization early in her career at Procter & Gamble. Initially focused on selling feminine care products, she recognized her deeper passion for women's empowerment. This epiphany led her to create impactful campaigns that challenged societal myths and empowered women globally. One such campaign, “I Dared I Touch the Pickle,” utilized humor to address menstrual stigma in India, becoming the most viral ad of 2014 and inspiring the globally influential “Always Like a Girl” campaign.

Navigating Toxic Leadership and Building Resilience

[06:34] Dalia Feldheim: "When someone at the senior most leadership position doesn't want to change and continues a toxic environment, that is no place for healthy people."

Dalia shares her challenging experience as a Chief Marketing Officer for Asia, where she encountered a toxic leadership style that clashed with her values of creativity and people empowerment. Despite being a top performer, she faced relentless negativity and personal attacks from her boss, leading to a significant decline in her well-being. Through resilience and a steadfast commitment to her strengths, Dalia managed to turn the situation around, culminating in an award-winning campaign that restored her confidence and affirmed the importance of leading with purpose.

The 5P Resilience Model: Purpose, Perseverance, Physical Power, People, and Positivity

[14:19] Dalia Feldheim: "Leading like a girl is about bringing empathy, intuition, and teamwork to balance out the world and humanize the workplace."
[26:25] Dalia Feldheim: "Focus on your strengths. If you're in a workplace where you're not able to bring your strengths to work every single day, you're not in the right place."

Dalia introduces her resilience model, the 5P, which serves as a foundation for both personal growth and effective leadership:

1. Purpose: Discovering and aligning with one's passion and strengths to create meaningful work.
2. Perseverance (Growth Mindset): Embracing challenges and viewing failures as opportunities for growth.
3. Physical Power (Self-Care): Prioritizing physical well-being through activities like digital detoxes to enhance productivity and mental health.
4. People: Building strong, authentic relationships at work to foster a supportive and engaging environment.
5. Positivity: Accepting negative emotions and cultivating gratitude to maintain a balanced and hopeful outlook.

Dalia emphasizes the importance of operating from strengths and maintaining a growth mindset. She underscores self-care as essential for sustaining energy and effectiveness, citing research that demonstrates the profound impact of physical wellness on productivity. Additionally, she highlights the critical role of interpersonal relationships in determining workplace happiness, advocating for deep connections and genuine camaraderie among colleagues.

Humanizing Leadership: Balancing Empathy and Assertiveness

[10:45] Dalia Feldheim: "What we're seeing is the corporate world is crashing because of lack of empathy. The Great Resignation is driven primarily by toxic environments."

Dalia critiques the prevailing "wounded masculine" leadership style dominated by power over people, arguing that it leads to disengagement and toxicity within organizations. She advocates for a balanced approach that incorporates traditionally feminine traits such as empathy, intuition, and teamwork to humanize the workplace. By fostering environments where leaders operate with empathy and assertiveness, organizations can enhance employee engagement and reduce turnover.

Practical Strategies for Enhancing Workplace Happiness

[26:25] Dalia Feldheim: "Everyone wins when you humanize the workplace."

Dalia provides actionable strategies to cultivate happiness and resilience in professional settings:

• Operate from Strengths: Encourage individuals to leverage their unique strengths daily, enhancing both personal fulfillment and organizational success.
• Adopt a Growth Mindset: Foster an environment where learning from failures is valued, promoting continuous improvement and resilience.
• Prioritize Self-Care: Implement practices like digital detoxes and ensure employees have the time to rest and recover, which can significantly boost productivity and well-being.
• Invest in People: Build strong, meaningful relationships within teams to create a supportive and engaging work environment.
• Cultivate Positivity: Encourage the acceptance of negative emotions and the practice of gratitude to maintain a balanced and optimistic workplace atmosphere.

Impact and Mission: Spreading Empathy and Positive Leadership

[34:42] Dalia Feldheim: "I'm on a mission to humanize the workplace. We know employees are dying and crying with stress and burnout, and we have a way of turning it around."

Dalia concludes by sharing the profound impact of her work, including feedback from both women and men who have embraced her teachings to become more empathetic and supportive leaders. Her dedication extends to her book, Lead Like a Girl, with all profits directed towards women’s causes globally. Dalia aims to distribute 100 free copies annually to further her mission of transforming workplaces into environments of empathy, resilience, and authentic leadership.

Conclusion

In this insightful episode, Dalia Feldheim imparts valuable lessons on leading with purpose, building resilience, and fostering a human-centric workplace. Her experiences and actionable strategies provide listeners with the tools to create more empathetic, productive, and fulfilling professional environments. By integrating the 5P resilience model, Dalia advocates for a balanced leadership approach that harmonizes empathy with assertiveness, ultimately aiming to revolutionize how organizations operate and support their employees.

Notable Quotes:

• Dalia Feldheim: "There's no such thing as a masculine brain or a feminine brain. We all have masculine leadership traits and feminine leadership traits." [00:14]
• Heather Monahan: "The business world has collapsed into wounded masculine power over people versus power with people." [00:14]
• Dalia Feldheim: "If you're in a workplace where you're not able to bring your strengths to work every single day, you're not in the right place." [26:25]
• Dalia Feldheim: "The Great Resignation is driven primarily by toxic environments." [10:45]

This episode offers a compelling exploration of leadership dynamics and personal resilience, guided by Dalia Feldheim's extensive experience and insightful strategies. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their strengths, cultivate meaningful relationships, and lead with empathy to create empowering and sustainable workplaces.