PHASE Two of my Living with Intention Motivational Mission is going pretty well. One of the highlights was John Maxwell’s LIVE2LEAD in Atlanta. I have been in the room with my LIVE2LEAD mentor, John Maxwell, before but this time we chatted. I also met Mark Cole who is the CEO of Maxwell Enterprises. He is a great listener and I had the opportunity to tell him how much his teaching has impacted my life and some of the projects I am working on, including my books. This is my second year as a volunteer at this event and it has benefited me tremendously. I have learnt so much from the behind the scenes operation, but you have an up close and personal view to what the public doesn’t have access to. Both years I was assigned to serve in the platinum and VIP area. It is always great to reconnect with old JMT family and meet new ones. It was great to turn around to calls like “Miss Sonia Noel in the flesh”, “Miss Glamorous Guyana,” “Here is Sonia the great motivator” or “Sonia the energiser.”

A friend at the event was asking me how can I know so many people and not live in the US. I think people remember me for various reasons and one is my signature braids which stand out and set me apart. I was told my positive spirit, authenticity and contagious energy make people gravitate towards me. I had a similar experience at the Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo with more than 200 exhibitors from over 50 countries. So many people remembered me from my participation last year. You are your brand and people do business with people they know, like and trust.

I have learnt so much from John Maxwell teachings which I share every time I have an opportunity. Every time I go on that online university I learn something. LIVE2LEAD was broadcast to numerous host sites around the world, but it is different attending the live event and experiencing great speakers like Tyler Perry, Carly Fiorina, Daniel Pink, Debra Seattle, and of course the number one leadership Guru in the world, Dr. John C Maxwell. Traci Marrow who hosted the programme said: “Be relentless in the pursuit of Excellence.” The session with John and Tyler had us laughing so much because they both have a great sense of humour. I love when Tyler said, “My biggest shift was when I realised I wasn’t dreaming big enough and when I started to dream bigger, it becomes contagious to the people I was leading.”

Carly Fiorina was named the most powerful woman in Business by Fortune Magazine, and was the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company as the CEO of Hewlett Packard. Daniel Pink is one of the bestselling nonfiction authors of the last decade. “Greatness and nearsightedness are incompatible. Meaningful achievement depends on lifting one’s sights and pushing towards the horizon”- Daniel Pink.

Debra Searle always thought leadership was about leading from the front but she was wrong. “There was a whole situation that encouraged me to shift away from micromanaging to empowering and trusting others to lead themselves. I now realise when you train a team to perform well together and empower each individual to be the best version of themselves, you allow them to make a “leadershift” of their own. Leadershift is the next John Maxwell book that will be out and I can’t wait to read it. We all need to learn the art of shift and how to make the changes we need to make as a leader, to ensure personal and professional growth.
I love interacting with the young emerging leaders from across the globe, and one in particular I admire is Abigail Loncke, who is hosting a leadership event on the November 5 and 6. I am honoured to be on the panel for the empowered leadership conference and I am inviting you to join us. Also join Dr. Colleen Bovell and Neil Mc Phoy, for another discussion on the “Importance of Leadership in our Society” on the Living with Intention Radio Show on 96.1 VOICE FM at 15:00hrs today. You can email us on livingwithintention11@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us on the next leadership mastermind. Make a decision today to learn more about yourself as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.