Coaching Tools: Empowerment Reframing
Empowerment Reframing: Transforming Negative Thoughts into Growth Opportunities
In a world where challenges are part of everyday life, it’s common to grapple with negative thoughts, particularly for empathic leaders. These thoughts often arise from high expectations, self-doubt, or external criticism. However, our responses to these feelings can significantly shape our leadership journey. Enter Empowerment Reframing—an effective technique that helps us acknowledge our emotions and transform them into powerful catalysts for growth.
In this blog post, I will take you through a 3-step process that combines emotional awareness with a growth mindset. Rather than dismissing negative feelings, this approach encourages us to pause and reflect, gain perspective, and ultimately shift towards a focus on learning and development.
A 3-Step Process
Negative thoughts can often feel overwhelming, but reframing them is a powerful way to shift our mindset. While traditional positive reframing is effective, I prefer to use the approach below which helps create deeper shifts in perspective, allowing you to move from feeling stuck to feeling empowered.
1. Pause and Reflect on the Emotion
When you experience a negative thought, the first step is to pause and acknowledge the emotion behind it. Rather than pushing it aside, ask yourself questions like:
• What am I truly feeling right now?(Is it frustration, fear, or disappointment?)
• Why do I feel this way? (Are my expectations too high, or am I afraid of failure?)
By identifying the emotional root of the thought, you allow yourself to process it instead of suppressing it. This emotional awareness is key to reframing effectively.
2. Zoom Out and Gain Perspective
Once you’ve reflected on the emotion, take a step back to view the situation from a broader angle:
• How would I see this if I weren’t so emotionally involved?
• What would a trusted friend or mentor advise?
• What would I say to someone else in the same situation?
This step helps you detach from the emotional intensity, providing clarity and allowing you to see things more objectively. It’s often easier to reframe a situation when we view it from a distance.
3. Shift to a Growth-Oriented Reframe
Now, shift your perspective from merely looking for the positive to focusing on growth and opportunity:
• What can I learn from this situation?
• How can this challenge help me grow?
• What new skills can I develop as a result?
This approach encourages seeing obstacles as chances for growth, making it easier to embrace them constructively and boost your resilience.
Empowerment Reframing combines emotional awareness with a growth mindset, helping you not only shift your thoughts but also build emotional strength and long-term personal development. By practising this technique, you can transform challenges into stepping stones towards a more empowered and fulfilled life.
An Example; Board Presentation
I used this approach to help a coachee who had received some highly critical feedback from a board presentation. Taking her through this process meant that She acknowledged the feelings of hurt and frustration, recognising that the feedback triggered her fear of not being enough. We then examined the feedback from a wider lens, considering how others might view the situation and reminding her that even highly experienced leaders face criticism. Finally, she reframed the feedback as an opportunity to gain clearer insights from stakeholders ahead of future board presentations.
Final Thought
By taking a moment to pause and acknowledge our feelings, gaining a fresh perspective, and focusing on growth, we can turn those negative thoughts into real opportunities for development.
This approach not only boosts our resilience but also helps us lead with authenticity and confidence.
Take a moment to reflect on what you’re feeling right now and think about how you can use these steps in your own life.
And if it’s still hard; get in touch
Stefan
‘Enjoyed’ reading this? Consider doing one of these:
Sign up to my newsletter ‘Be The Waves” here - which collates each weeks long form post on a monthly basis and you’ll get to read it later in the month
Get in touch - If any of this topic resonated with you and you have something you’d like to share with me or if you’d like to discuss working with me on this topic - stefan@stefanpowell.co.uk works really well for me.
Connect with me on linked in and read my long form posts on the rotating topics of Work, Rest. Play, Sustenance and Love every Thursday
Book an inquisitive session with me to find out more about what I do and how I do it or run a challenge or thought you have passed me.
I look forward to sharing my next OPINION blog soon.
For now; thank you
I am…
An executive coach who specialises in helping good people lead great things.
Good people care about others, our planet and beauty. Great things are changes for the betterment of society and all that lives within an around it.
It sounds big and fun - it is.
I'm also an endurance racing cyclist and a go. getter.
You can read more about me and what I do; how I work here