Transforming Businesses - That's Also What We Do
by Jane Buyers Russo
From the December/January Issue of The Southside Woman
About three years ago, I started taking courses with Mary Elizabeth Lynch at the Personal Transformation and Courage Institute (PTCI). Since that time, I have experienced significant, intentional change in both my personal and professional lives. I am a different person now, AND I am more myself than I have ever been! It’s a wonderful thing.
Most of my 28 year professional career was spent in commercial banking, where I was involved in credit, marketing and relationship management for the securities industry. I decided to leave financial services in 2010, and have been greatly enjoying my time off to reenergize and refocus my life. It occurred to me as I was taking PTCI workshops that many of the principles, techniques and exercises could be adapted for use in the workplace. It is my belief that the concept of being firmly grounded in one’s strengths in the context of having an Ideal that captures the highest and best vision of oneself before addressing the inevitable challenges life brings, was one that would serve businesses well. So, for the better part of this year, I have been working with Mary Elizabeth and Wendy Rains, a PTCI course leader and former corporate trainer, to develop a consulting business to bring PTCI concepts and principles into the business world.
Earlier this year, Mary Elizabeth, Wendy and I ran several focus groups with business owners and senior business executives familiar with the PTCI work. Through that process, we were able to validate our idea that bringing the concept of Ideals, mindfulness practices and other methodologies, used so effectively by PTCI, into the executive suite could have a transformative effect on organizations.
We believe that for both organizations and the people who work there to flourish, business owners and CEOs first need to connect with their highest vision for themselves and their organizations. Based on that vision, they can proactively utilize their personal and organizational strengths more effectively. With deliberate intention and attention, business leaders can learn to see clearly where they and their company currently are, where they want to lead their organizations and what resources they have to face the opportunities and challenges along the way. Understanding and harnessing the power of the motivating forces in one’s organization from this perspective can have a powerful effect on how decisions are made and how daily life is experienced for everyone involved in the organization.
