Ann M.
Title: Founder & CEO Turning Leaf Consulting Services
Leadership
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Biography
Three decades ago, I mustered the courage to step into a bank and request a job from the manager. It was a daunting task, one of the most challenging I’ve ever undertaken. From that point forward, I immersed myself in the diverse world of banking, acquiring knowledge in nearly every aspect. The journey has been thrilling, demanding, and at times, intimidating. However, that bold step launched my career, setting me on a path of continuous learning and growth. Reflecting on that crucial turning point, I often wonder: What was the source of my anxiety? What held me back with fear for so long, and why did I doubt my ability to be a teller at a major bank?
As I advanced in my career, I honed my leadership abilities and realized the importance of resilience in conquering the fears that haunted my early days. Why is leadership essential for survival? It’s simple: people are the ones who get the work done. As leaders, we have the capacity to shape environments that allow individuals to utilize their strengths and achieve success. This not only benefits the individuals but also boosts the business. And why is resilience crucial? Without it, we waste energy on matters that don’t propel us forward. This energy could be better used to overcome obstacles and continue our journey toward success.
Passion
Leadership resilience, Culture transformation, Strengths-based Leadership, Leadership Resiliency Coaching, and adding value to others.
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
Everything is negotiable
Topics
Best Story
Have you ever wished to control your reactions to challenging circumstances, bounce back swiftly from obstacles, or approach problem-solving with more creativity? The typical human response to stress is fear, defence, and protection. Ironically, the moments when we need to be most transformative or innovative are when our biological instincts urge us to do the opposite; we fall back on familiar patterns and old habits.
Over the years, I’ve gathered valuable experiences and resources to assist others in cultivating the emotional and behavioural adaptability needed to navigate life’s ups and downs successfully. This way, we avoid wasting energy on matters that don’t contribute to our progress.
This is the essence of resilient leadership. It begins with techniques to interrupt our internal reactions, enabling us to objectively view and tackle situations with creativity and innovation.
Origin Story
With a rich background in the financial services sector, where I’ve held various roles in banking and ascended to the position of a Chief People Officer, I’ve always been driven by a passion for people and the factors that fuel individual and team success. Now, I dedicate my expertise to helping others comprehend the profound influence of culture on their organizations and guide them in fostering resilient leadership and culture.
Example talks
HR is all about risk management
Human resources encompasses various facets, including employee experience, engagement, performance, talent development, and succession planning. However, at its core, it’s all about risk management. Failing to properly address the “people aspect” of your strategy can introduce risk throughout the organization. If your culture and its focus aren’t clearly defined, it can inadvertently pave the way for poor decisions. It’s crucial to ensure that your employees are well-cared for, your leaders understand their expectations, and your culture aligns with your strategy and risk tolerance. Otherwise, complacency can set in among your staff, leading to risky decision-making.
In this talk, I will discuss how both regulators and organizations are examining risks associated with people and culture. I will also guide you on how to start building a resilient culture that can effectively tackle present and future challenges.
Change the conversation, change the culture
Whether you are trying to create a culture that focuses on risk, innovation, or strengths, it all starts with changing the conversation. Culture is often described as "the stories we tell." If stories give you a sense of the culture in an organization, doesn't it make sense to change the stories? In this talk, I explore practical approaches that help you define what culture you want and what conversations to have to get it.
Leadership Resiliency
Have you ever wanted to manage your response to demanding situations, recover faster from setbacks, or be more innovative with problem-solving? The human reaction to stress is one of fear - defend - protect - the very time we need to transform or be innovative is when our biological response is to do the opposite; we revert to what we already know, back to old patterns.
In this talk, I will set down the foundation of leadership resilience and strategies to short-circuit the internal response and look at the situation objectively, creatively, and innovatively.
The 3 C's of Performance Management
As leaders we are often faced with employees that are not performing. In this talk, I explore the three areas of coaching that help leaders determine what focused conversations need to take place. Generally, performance issues can be grouped into three categories: Commitment, Capability, and Capacity, the outcome of the session will be to ensure leaders understand how to determine where the employee is having challenges and the power conversations needed to help them.