Exclusive Trusted Magazine Q&A with Regina Huber, CEO of Transform Your Performance
Regina Huber CEO of Transform Your Performance. Transformational Leadership Coach, Inspirational Speaker, Author www.transformyourperformance.com
How could you describe your career path in a few words?
What shaped me into the multicultural and multilingual Transformational Leadership Coach, Speaker and Author I am today, is my eclectic experience on five continents, which started in Germany. It includes leadership positions at BCG in multiple locations and ownership of businesses in Argentina, Brazil, and the U.S. My holistic coaching and leadership development approach has been enriched by my passion for holistic healing modalities, languages, and dance. Let me explain: My holistic studies provided me with deep insights into mindset (and especially our subconscious conditioning and what to do about its limiting parts), the role of energy in business (especially in executive presence), the relevance of hearts, as well as effective methods for stress management and self-care. Studying languages has been enlightening as to how people from other cultures think. It also allowed me to grasp new concepts more easily, to express myself in ways that are untypical for my native German language, and thus, to not only open my horizon of thinking and feeling but also increase my adaptability. Later, I complemented my language studies with the Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ)® methodology, which provides terrific concepts for trust-building as well as navigating more comfortably through critical conversations and negotiations.
Last, but not least, dance has taught me a myriad of valuable lessons in the areas of business presence, non-verbal communication, self-expression and individuation, confidence-building, team dynamics, and leadership. In my current coaching, training and speaking business Transform Your Performance, I brought all the wisdom and skills I gained through my eclectic background into my unique Transformational Leadership Coaching approach as well as two proprietary leadership frameworks, and I continue adding to it every single day.
What was your most challenging experience, and how has it changed or strengthened your mindset?
While owning businesses in three countries, I have repeatedly been confronted with serious corruption attempts. In one instance, this implied contesting an unjustified fine (which was imposed on me when I refused to pay off corrupt inspectors). I won the lawsuit. No one reimbursed my expenses, but I left the courtroom without paying the fine and with my chin up. Later, in a different location, I lost my residency permit to corrupt immigration authorities, when renewing my investor’s visa. As requested, I had submitted (and paid for) a two-inch stack of documentation, all of which in 12 months’ time was gradually “lost,” and with it, my visa extension. My disappointment was huge after paying endless fees and spending entire days on multiple trips to the immigration office. Was my attitude of not wanting to pass money under the table too rigid and naïve, or was it the right thing to do? I don’t know. In hindsight, I know that it was simply time for me to leave and launch a new chapter elsewhere.
In most recent years, when faced with situations where I had to choose between winning business and staying true to my values, I decided to stick with the latter. This has cost me money, but it didn’t cost me my integrity, which is what counts in the end, and it has also made me stronger. In all these cases, I felt called to stand for what I thought was right at the time. When we are clear on our top values, we can find courage in our hearts, self-empowerment in our minds, and growth in our adversities.
When you get surprised by unusual or uncertain context, what do you think?
To me, unusual and uncertain are not necessarily related. My entire life has been one of uncertainty... because I have moved often, lived and worked on several continents, and took many risks, but also because uncertainty is an integral part of our human experience. Hence, uncertainty is probably more “usual” than “unusual.” The more truth we uncover about the world we live in and what’s behind the veil of the matrix, the more uncertain it may feel. In the end, what we can always rely on is our inner power, our own truth, our intuition, our Higher Self. Connecting to it requires blocking out “me time” to meditate, reflect, and shut out distractions. I sometimes do this spontaneously, when I feel a need to ground and bring myself back into the present moment, step out of fear and remind myself of my limitless potential. One question that helps in most circumstances is: “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” The next question is: “What (if anything) can I do right now to make this situation better?” In some instances, the best we can do is wait, observe, and gauge; then prepare... so we can take aligned action when the timing is right. Responding to a circumstance with purpose tends to give us better results than reacting impulsively. This also applies to any kind of conflict in business or in the workplace, like when we feel triggered, frustrated, or angry. We are all so much stronger and more powerful than we think. Remembering this is critical.
Based on your experience, what’s the key success factor for a female leader?
In my view, key success factors are the same for all well-intentioned leaders. Self-leadership is the most essential leadership trait. Leaders who transform themselves can transform their teams. Personal transformation requires self-inquiry, introspection, and self-reflection. This places us on a path toward self-discovery, which leads to greater self-awareness, and consequently, transformation (assuming we are not resisting it). Greater understanding of self also allows us to better understand others and become more compassionate leaders. I believe that value-driven, heart and people-centered leaders are the most sustainably effective and successful ones, and they gain the highest levels of fulfillment from their work. This doesn’t mean they have it the easiest; many must deal with organizational politics as well as other players, who may be obstructing their intentions. Being a value-driven leader commands courage. Courage is found in the heart, which is just one of the reasons why leaders benefit from focusing on both mindset and heart-set, not neglecting one for the other. Successful leaders know how to build trust in all directions –through transparent, clear communication (words, body language, and energy); conversational intelligence; authenticity; a compelling presence; leading by example; sharing their knowledge and wisdom; supporting others on their path to leadership; keeping an open mind and ear; and a willingness to learn from their teams and grow with them. Finally, thriving leaders don’t blend in; they dare to stand out. In a sense of embodying and showing their brilliance, but also by swimming against the stream when their conscience warrants it, standing up for what’s right. Leadership doesn’t come with a title. Leadership is an attitude that shines through an individual’s behavior. My clients know and breathe this. Some challenges I have observed in my female clients and that women tend to experience more frequently than men, are the impostor syndrome, self-doubt, hesitancy to speak up or being talked over in meetings. This can express itself in ways that slow down their career advancement or unnecessarily limit their income. For example, some women I have coached didn’t feel confident about asking for the promotions or compensation they deserved. Developing a powerful mindset and specific skills made their career and salary negotiations more effective, and they now feel more recognized and happier in their jobs. Others had taken on far too much work, while neglecting a focus on strategic responsibilities; once they learned to set healthy boundaries and rearranged their priorities with the help of my Priority Management tool, they could reduce their stress, better showcase their potential, and gain positive visibility. In a nutshell, I believe the key success factors are the same for all, but studies suggest that the above challenges tend to affect more women than men.
