84: Resilience in Leadership: Transforming Stress into Strength with Jacque McCormack

To grow the business, career, and life you really want, you need to strengthen your resilience and rewire negative thought patterns. In today's episode, I’m joined by Jacque McCormack, a performance and ICF-certified executive coach and consultant with more than 15 years of experience. 

Since the way we respond to situations not only impacts us but our teams, families, and those around us, we first discuss how to better understand our mental patterns. Then she shares how to quickly develop strategies for managing stress and anxiety effectively to make better decisions to improve our future.

Jacque introduces the "Wyldfig" five-step model for resilience, providing listeners with actionable techniques to regulate emotions, develop personal growth, and achieve lasting stability in their professional and personal lives.

Timestamps:

  • 00:28 - Episode Introduction about Personal Resilience and Leadership Development

  • 01:35 - Jacque's Background and Focus on Resilience in Leadership

  • 04:10 - Patterns of Fragility Among Business Leaders: How Stress Affects Leadership

  • 07:00 - The Brain as a Prediction Machine: Overcoming Mental Patterns

  • 09:21 - The Foundation of Resilience: Introducing the Five-Step Model

  • 13:07 - First Step: Pause—Developing Mindfulness Techniques

  • 18:29 - Second Step: Catch—Identifying Negative Thought Patterns

  • 20:55 - Third Step: Shift—Using Empathy to Reframe Negative Thinking

  • 25:09 - Fourth Step: Feel—Understanding Emotional Triggers

  • 27:28 - Fifth Step: Act—Taking Measurable Steps Toward Growth

  • 31:00 - Debunking the Left-Brain/Right-Brain Myth: Balancing Logic and Creativity

  • 34:08 - Consistency Over Perfection: The Power of Small, Repeatable Actions

Key Takeaways for Business Leaders:

Pause to Build Mindfulness: During moments of stress, take 90 seconds to focus on your physical sensations, such as the feeling of your toes in your shoes. This simple action calms your brain and creates space to respond logically rather than emotionally.

Use Empathy to Reframe Negative Thoughts: When you catch yourself in a negative mindset, ask what you would say to a close friend in the same situation. This helps shift your perspective and leads to healthier decision-making.

Act by Setting Small, Attainable Goals: Instead of being overwhelmed by long-term goals, focus on the next three steps that will move you forward. For example, waking up earlier for mini-mindfulness can help regulate your emotions before the day starts.

Balance Logic and Emotion: Avoid over-relying on either logical or emotional thinking. When you're overwhelmed, take a step back to logically plan out the next actions, or, if you're too rigid, remind yourself of the larger purpose of your work to stay grounded.

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Connect with Jacque McCormack

https://www.wyldfig.com/ 

https://hudsongroupconsulting.com/

Connect with Christie Bilbrey

http://www.christiebilbrey.com

hello@christiebilbrey.com  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiebilbrey
Instagram: https://instagram.com/christiebilbrey 

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