CURATORIALIST: What does success mean to you now versus when you started your career, and what do you think were the key moments in the evolution of your thinking?
Gabriela Elena Blaga: Evolutionary leap, reactivation of courage, and joy inspired in at least one person through my activities = SUCCESS.
The shift in perspective that has activated and manifested over the past few years came from tempering the part of me that tended towards perfectionism and didn't handle what we call failure very well.
From the moment I let go of perfectionism, I accepted failure as a milestone that might appear on the road to success. The key moments that generated this change were every life experience lived since 2014, the acceptance of personal vulnerability, and frequent steps out of my comfort zone.
** What does a leadership coach mean to you? **
Ever since I was a child, I've liked to observe life—in all its forms. In recent years, the observer in me has felt that many people "run" too much after things that perhaps have little to do with who they essentially are.
Maybe, in this rush, the joy of simple things has been forgotten. And something important is also being avoided: the acceptance of one's own vulnerability, with all the complex feelings and emotions we can access precisely through vulnerability.
A leadership coach, from my point of view, is a guide who, through wise questions, trains the client they work with in:
o Courage to step out of the comfort zone
o Manifesting vulnerability
o Agility and adaptation to the VUCA environment
o Creativity
o Presence
o A flexible, infinitely open mindset towards continuous learning
**What are the pillars of your coaching style, specifically " VUCA²”? **
The concept " VUCA²" took form in my mind in July 2020 while preparing a webinar for the Professional Women’s Network Romania community, where I am also a mentor.
I remember searching for a title to connect our inner power with the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) environment we live in.
That's how I arrived at the equation VUCA²: Vulnerability + Uniqueness + Courage + Authenticity.
These four pillars guide us towards accessing our inner power, providing a mirror to our authentic self. In a world where Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity have become chronic, I believe that "sharpening" these inner pearls makes a difference in how we adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
**How does a collaboration with you looks like, and what do you want future leaders to know about the program they commit to? **
Before we start working together, I want to better understand their needs and see if there is a congruence of values. So, with each one, I will establish an exploratory dialogue of 30-40 minutes, no money investment required.
To present and future leaders, I convey that collaboration with me will often mean stepping out of comfort zones, sharpening out-of-the-box thinking, and embracing and manifesting vulnerability.
I like to work with honest, authentic, curious people. I believe this is the only way that we can we co-create sustainable organic changes.
**Can you tell us about the challenges people face and a few general steps you recommend overcoming obstacles? For example, regarding mental limits like "this is how I am, and people don't change."**
One of the biggest fears, which is also a challenge, is the fear of change. Through the global projects I've been involved in, I've had the chance to witness large-scale organizational changes that, of course, also involved micro and individual changes.
It's easy to get used to routine and fear making changes even if they would lead to personal improvement. I see people around me on the verge of burnout who prefer to "burn out" in a job they no longer feel curiosity, joy, or interest in, instead of allowing themselves to try something else aligned with who they are. Of course, for that, it is necessary to have found the answer to the question: Who am I?
Marcus Aurelius said: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
So, I would invite those who say "this is how I am, and people don't change" to answer these questions:
o What are three traits that describe how you are now?
o When did these traits form?
o If you had a magic wand, what would you choose to change about yourself?
o Think of two dear people in your life whom you have known for at least five years. How have they evolved in this time?
o Take a piece of paper and draw an image/symbol that represents the statement "this is how I am."
Returning to fear, I will reiterate what I stated in my book.
Fear is an inevitable emotion in this life that accompanies any change triggered either from within us or by something external. It is important not to flee from fear but to engage in a dialogue with it, to understand what it wants to communicate to us, to tame it.
You may have noticed that to respond to the challenges that may arise on our path, I recommend an interrogative approach. Well-posed questions carry the seed of the solutions we need. And I also recommend writing about what we feel in a journal, imagining what will happen and how we will feel when we have overcome an obstacle.
**Are women more open to coaching? Why do you think that is? **
I believe that a greater ease in manifesting vulnerability makes women more open to coaching. However, I am pleased to see more and more men interested in the benefits of coaching.
**Can you recommend a few books that introduce us to leadership coaching, alongside the one you wrote? **
A short list of such books includes:
· Coaching for Performance by Sir John Whitmore
· Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
· Coach the Person, Not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds
· Trillion Dollar Coach by Alan Eagle
· The Hoshin North Star Process by Matthew Cross
· The School for Gods by Stefano Elio D'Anna
· The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
**How important is the balance between professional and personal life for you, and how do you delineate it? **
Extremely important! I perceive it more as a tango, where I attentively listen to what my body is telling me. I learned this "dance" since 2014, with small steps, and now I am a professional dancer 😊
**What daily steps do you take for emotional and physical balance?**
o Deep abdominal breathing upon waking.
o A glass of water with a few drops of lemon juice before breakfast.
o A teaspoon of honey with a pinch of Ceylon cinnamon.
o Dry brushing the body.
o Healthy, clean food.
o Dancing and singing around the house. Lately, I’ve found myself often humming Frank Sinatra's *New York, New York*.
o Jumping on the trampoline in the bedroom, an effective and cheap method for lymphatic drainage.
o Using clean, organic cosmetics.
o Loving.
o Gardening on the balcony when needed. These days, the strawberry flowers have brought me great joy.
o Walking in nature.
**What is something of beauty you are carrying today? **
Today and always is kindness. That's what I hear from people who interact with me. I believe the vibration of kindness causes cellular changes and heals.
Kindness is a value that, if cultivated by more of us, can change what happens to us. My mother is an ambassador of kindness.
