Do you have the support you need to be the intrepid, bold leader your organization needs in 2024?

I spent part of the holiday break in “wintery” Los Angeles with local friends, wandering in neighbourhoods, galleries, beaches and parks. As I took in the work of artists in the Hammer Museum, at Hauser & Wirth and the bright installations of the “Enchanted Forest of Light” at Descanso Gardens, I was struck by the boldness of individuals to be creators – making art while the world spins madly on. “Audacity” is the word that kept echoing in my mind.

According to Mirriam Webster, audacity is “the quality or state of being audacious: intrepid boldness or bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints“.

If an artist spray-paints words on giant canvas and asserts it’s art, who am I to disagree? It’s intrepid boldness, as far as I am concerned.

Intrepid comes from the Latin word intrepidus, itself formed by the combination of the prefix in-, meaning “not,” and the adjective trepidus, meaning “alarmed.” If you are paying attention, there’s a good chance you’ve been feeling moments of overwhelm and/or even alarm on a daily basis these days, triggered by global events, financial stressors, ongoing inequities, polarization, health concerns etc. When we are alarmed we are unable to think clearly or act decisively. When we are limited by “normal restraints” we will never envision a future that’s different, let alone our highest potential.

Art is inherently rebellious.
So is leading a non-profit that wants to change the world!
In order to accomplish their missions, organizations need to make obsolete or transform current “reality” – create something new – something outside of “normal restraints”. It’s Stina’s job to help leaders do just that!

HOW?
Hire Stina to help you with:

ONE ON ONE SUPPORT
Structure, consistency and courage through one on one coaching.
How can you be a supportive leader unless you are also supported? Stina’s executive coaching helps you get to the heart of the issues to overcome whatever is limiting you. Stina has found the best way to help her clients is by supporting them in being responsible for themselves. Stina provides focus and feedback, thought partnership and empathic, enthusiastic solidarity. 

See a detailed list of self-directed practices and habits in support of your mental health as a leader here: Self Leadership and Self Care.

Stina! You are a force of nature! You have a powerful gift of compassion and a well-honed ability to clear through the clutter to get to the heart of matters.
~ Executive Director Coaching Client

GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES
Knowing your power and using it consciously.
Leaders who don’t know the territory of their inner world are bound to project their unconscious bias, fears, insecurities, triggers and shortcomings onto their staff. (What could go wrong?) It’s about taking responsibility for your effect on others and your organization. With racial equity (but really with all forms of equity), it’s necessary for leaders to genuinely “onboard” themselves into this conversation and establish new awareness, accountability structures, norms, and policies. Stina calls the early part of this work the “Equity Onramp.” Start where you are. Let go of some of the fear and begin.

ADDING SUPPORT TO THE COLLECTIVE
Understanding and evolving your organization’s culture.
Organizational culture is alive and influences everything. Some organizations are aware of the (internal and external) culture they foster – many are not. Sometimes the promoted “values” or “culture statements” are hugely disconnected from reality. In Stina’s work she helps people see and be seen. Organizational cultures that prioritize belonging and well-being outperform those that don’t. Stina supports leaders in building relational (vs transactional) cultures and deepening psychological safety at work. Here are a few practical steps to evolve your organization’s culture.

PROCESS DESIGN & ALIGNMENT
Becoming more intentional, deepening relationships and updating your plans.
Take time “offsite” to imagine how things could be better/different and encourage honest dialogue and relationship building. Shared experiences out of the office can be an excellent investment in your people, productivity, and your future – if it’s done right. Shared visioning and decision-making can create momentum around your priorities and set up the coming year(s) in a powerful new way. It’s high-risk stakes (setting expectations and spending time/money on a retreat)! You’ll be in good hands with Stina. Check out Stina’s Case Studies page for examples!

To have a conversation with Stina to explore what could help you feel more supported as a leader or as an organization – drop her at note:
stina at stinabrown.com.

2023 MISSIONS STINA SUPPORTED
Over the past year, Stina has supported leaders, teams and organizations working to fulfill the following INTREPID visions and missions:

• Ending Homelessness with housing, training, and hope https://hbofm.org/
• IndigenEYEZ engages, inspires and mobilizes change. Our vision is collective wellbeing for all our relations. https://indigeneyez.com/
• Helping organizations use the internet and emerging technologies to change their community, and then the world https://echo.co/about-us
• We build durable, beautiful websites for world-changing nonprofits. We are inspired and driven by the missions of our clients and making the world a better place. https://capellic.com/
• We work on behalf of our members to ensure a bright future for domestic media production and Canadian content https://cmpa.ca/about/
• PIBC is a thriving organization supporting and regulating respected professional planners, inspiring excellence, advocacy and community well-being. https://www.pibc.bc.ca/about-pibc
  • By co-creating places that foster connection, we contribute to the exchange of ideas, the solving of problems, and the growth of stronger, healthier communities better equipped to thrive in good times and navigate crisis when challenges arise. https://www.humanstudio.ca/purpose
• ArtSpring’s cause is to enrich lives and build community through Arts and Culture. https://artspring.ca/
  • An innovative and inclusive community where all learners belong and everyone soars. Our mission is to inspire and nurture future-ready learners. https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/district/our-vision/
  • Serving members (principals and vice principals in BC) by supporting effective leadership in education through representation, advocacy and leadership development. https://www.bcpvpa.org/about-bcpvpa/about/about-us
  • The aim of a PACT is to provide an alternative to police and shift BC’s crisis care to a community-led, client-centered, trauma-informed response centered on the mental health and well-being of the affected individual, their family, and their community. https://bc.cmha.ca/peer-assisted-care-teams/
  • Nourish envisions a future in which the full potential of food as medicine is honoured and realized in Canadian health and food systems. We equip, connect, and lift leaders, both inside and outside the walls of health care, to leverage the power of food, so that the health system can become more preventive, more equitable, and more sustainable. https://www.nourishleadership.ca/about-1
  • Help women break social and economic barriers by providing support, education and resources so they achieve their true potential. Empower women globally so they reach their full potential. https://saaheli.org/about-us/
  • OAN provides a secure environment for agency principals to learn how to better run our businesses, develop a professional network we can trust completely, find what we need personally to sustain our work for the long term, and grow and influence the movements for social transformation we are a part of. https://wordpress.com/page/bookofstina.com/2413

For more details on some of the projects above – head to
Stina’s Client Comments page.

Stina guided really sensitive conversations during our in-person retreat. She holds a balance between support and accountability. Keeping us focused and on track; capturing what was said and organizing within topic areas. Homeward Bound 2023

Stina truly is a very skilled coach who offers a perfect blend of non-judgemental listening, wisdom, insight, and ‘real talk.’ They have a wonderful ability to cut to the core of what you’re saying, often before you get there yourself. Even on a low day, I would come out of a coaching call with Stina feeling energized and focused on possibilities rather than deficits. I greatly appreciate their combination of expertise, experience, helpful prompts, and feedback. Thank you for creating a safe self-reflection space while also offering helpful observations and advice to help me grow! Robin Speedie, Nourish 2023

Stina sets the stage for deep trust and sharing at our annual retreat. She works with our wiley band of entrepreneurs to design an agenda that never loses momentum and she pilots us through a focused, five day process of sharing and discovery. Under her expert guidance, new ideas and deep understanding comes to the surface. OAN 2023

Stina has been an invaluable resource in designing and facilitating our organization’s strategic planning sessions through several iterations over the course of more than a decade. She brings well thought-out, nimble, and easy to understand structures and approaches to the planning process in a way that is engaging, dynamic, productive, and even fun. Her style and facilitation of sessions are always organized and yet creative, accommodating and yet focused, open and yet results-oriented – even when working through challenging discussions and bringing together seemingly disparate points of view. It is always a joy and pleasure to work with Stina.
Dave Crossley, Executive Director, Planning Institute of British Columbia