Dana Theus, Author at InPower Coaching

3 Ways to Avoid Founder’s Syndrome

by Dana Theus | Jul 18, 2023

In entrepreneurial circles, there is a well-known trap waiting for any successful startup visionary, the Founder’s Syndrome, which has gotten many an organization’s founder fired by the board and/or their funders. No matter how smart they are, even experienced entrepreneurs rarely know all that they need to know to lead a long-term successful effort. Here are three things you can do to make sure you don’t fall prey to Founder’s Syndrome, and better yet, transform yourself in the process.

Team Achievements Examples: Accomplishments When Applying for a Job

by Dana Theus | Jul 11, 2023

Welcome to “Dear Dana”, a column to give you career and workplace advice/coaching from executive coach, Dana Theus Dear Dana, I am updating my resume to apply for jobs. I read your article about "speaking accomplishments." I liked your advice and will apply it to how I manage the way I think about...

How To Maintain And Use Group Power – Book Review of The PRIMES by Chris McGoff

by Dana Theus | Jun 30, 2023

A PRIME is a pattern or principle that reliably comes into play when people gather in a group. This observable pattern – once named and shared with the group – goes from being an unconscious pattern to a manageable dynamic. Use the PRIMES to increase your team’s power. A powerful group makes a more powerful leader.

3 Things Women in Leadership Can Do To Stop Workplace Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

by Dana Theus | Jun 28, 2023

If you’re a woman in leadership, chances are you’ve experienced workplace discrimination due to your gender, even if you’re not aware of it. More likely, you were aware of it (especially if you’ve experienced sexual harassment) and were trying to ignore it so it doesn’t get in the way of your...

Take Back Your Power – Watch Your Language

by Dana Theus | Jun 27, 2023

If you pay attention to your language it will provide you insight and power over your subconscious – “natural” – InPower stance. As you practice obtaining and maintaining InPower balance, your language – internal and external – will begin to shift and change, becoming a source of your power. But first you must learn to “hear” yourself from an InPower perspective and listen for your InPower and out-of-power voice. In another post we’ll talk about what you are saying, but for now, just learn to listen to how you are saying it. When you speak – to yourself or to others – your choice of words can quickly tap you into your current power stance. Here are some examples.

Language is important indicator of everyone’s InPower stance, but it may be especially important for women, based on a new study by Judith Baxter.

Middle Managers – The Critical (Weak) Link of Change Management

by Dana Theus | Jun 20, 2023

If you were in charge of your corporate culture and knew it needed fixing, would you fix it? Certainly anyone in charge of change management would want to say yes to this question, but as anyone who is actually in charge of corporate culture knows, it’s harder than it looks. I like to think of...

INSIGHT: Vision vs. Reality

by Dana Theus | May 27, 2023

How much energy do you spend trying to push back reality? Many of us deplete ourselves unconsciously by fighting reality with vision, and then we wonder why the heck we’re so tired. What insight can we draw from this cycle? I know I can fall into this pit, even with the most noble of goals: to...

Leadership and Power

by Dana Theus | May 26, 2023

What is power? It turns out that power means different things to different people, and really is only tangentially related to actual leadership, but in almost all cases power is related to the use of resources and the ability to change the world. The typical definitions of power that I have picked up in having this discussion online over the last few months are all related to “external” power and the manipulation of resources and circumstances outside ourselves. Yet two kinds of “internal” power are at least as important. Not all those in power are leaders, but all true leaders have power.

Moving From Managing To Leading: Building Your Authentic Leadership Style

by Dana Theus | May 23, 2023

Fun! I recently found this video I made for an online program I ran in 2012. And another one on the same topic (targeting women) in 2023. I still stand by everything I said in both of them! Hopefully there are some gems here for you! The higher you go, the harder it is to advance because you’re in...

When You’re In Power, Are Those Around You Threatened?

by Dana Theus | May 20, 2023

Sometimes when we begin to refine our understanding of power, and consciously work to bring more of our own power to the fore in our lives, it creates discomfort with – or for – those close to us, including colleagues, employees, friends and even spouses and children. If others have become used to you giving your power away, when you take it back this can surprise them, and sometimes even threaten them. This can be true when you are granted external power as well, and those around you are not used to the new level of responsibility you now shoulder. As I launch into the Take Back Your Power series of blog posts I think it’s important to acknowledge this dynamic and prepare for how to handle these situations.