Parissa Behnia: How Badass Leaders Convert Raw Power into Real Influence

What is a badass leader? According to my guest today, they're badasses who go 80MPH in a 45MPH zone but don’t always check to see if their team is strapped in or interested in going for the ride. These leaders are high value to a company but their "prickly" edges may start to diminish their value. But what if we could help those leaders embrace more empathy and channel that energy and drive into success and innovation? What is the opportunity cost of dismissing or sidelining such prickly leaders? 

Executive coach and advisor Parissa Behnia coaches C Suite and Senior leaders who are high will - high skill and have a growth mindset. Today, we talk about the hierarchy of prickly leadership, why many 3D leaders actually do care about the negative impact they have but are not sure how to change the dynamic; why they protect themselves so much, and how they can use her EMPATHY framework to create stronger relationships, set aside ego, and have much more influence and success. 

Key Takeaways:

• You don’t have to like a leader personally to understand the radical impact that they've had on us and on society.
• Once we start learning to have acceptance for our vulnerability, it becomes easier to have a conversation about leadership ultimately being about humanity, and not about the "doing" of whatever it is that they do.
• A manager worries about doing things right, a leader worries about doing the right things. 
• In terms of empathy, when it comes to leadership, it's really about content and context.

"The number one problem with badasses is that they're called " too much" whereas I think they're exactly what we need." —  Parissa Behnia

About Parissa Behnia,  Executive Coach and Advisor

Parissa Behnia coaches C Suite and Senior leaders who are high will - high skill and have a growth mindset. In other words, they're badasses like you who go 80MPH in a 45MPH zone but don’t always check to see if their team is strapped in or interested in going for the ride. These leaders are high value to a company but their edges may start to diminish their value.

These days, leadership is full of complexities whether you’re navigating from an audacious goal or trying to avoid that iceberg up ahead. In either case, Parissa's clients choose her because she's either sat in those seats or next to those seats often enough to know how it can feel to be alone in a crowded leadership room. She's unafraid to speak truth to power to help propel you forward.

With over 20 years of corporate, consulting, coaching, Parissa’s key strategic difference is Empathy as a strategic imperative. She’s so passionate about employing empathy in business that she’s developed the Sixense Empathy Model™. 

Parissa has taught entrepreneurship seminars and is a frequent speaker on strategy, leadership and entrepreneurship. She is a Certified Professional Coach, holds a BA from Northwestern University and MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

References Mentioned:

Empathy Edge Podcast Episode with Paul Marobella, Leading Through Crisis: https://theempathyedge.com/paul-marobella-leading-through-crisis/

Connect with Parissa Behnia

Sixense Coaching: www.sixensestrategy.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behnia

Inconceivable Influence Coaching Program: https://bit.ly/InconceivableInfluence. A group program for leaders and aspiring leaders who want to convert their raw power into influence.

Don’t forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Connect with Maria: 

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria’s brand strategy work and books: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

Twitter: @redslice

Facebook: Red Slice

We would love to get your thoughts on the show! Please click https://bit.ly/edge-feedback to take this 5-minute survey, thanks!