I’ve always fancied myself a dancer despite clear evidence as to why I get paid to think (and not dance) on my feet. Questionable rhythm, inconsistent gracefulness and no training whatsoever aside, something magical happens when I step on the dance floor. Dancing is one of the few things that instantaneously get me out of my constantly-thinking-head and into my body and spirit. Endorphins that elude me during running and other forms of exercise kick in, and suddenly everything is right with the world.

For years I’ve had this latent theory that dancing, particularly ballroom, could serve as a powerful metaphor in leadership development training. The theory never matured or was put into practice, at least not yet by me. Then I attended a presentation entitled “The Leaders Dance: Where Ballroom Dance and Leadership Meet” at a storytelling conference – finally my idea got validation! What was most remarkable was observing the impact of the dancing metaphor and its illustration on the workshop participants.

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After meeting the dynamic and articulate Executive Director of Higher Achievement Lynsey Jeffries at a recent conference, I was compelled to invite her to be interviewed for our podcast! For those who are not familiar with Higher Achievement, it’s a fantastic DC-based non-profit that provides middle school children from underserved areas year-round academic enrichment programs […]

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