Hi Reader,

Last week, I moved my poll question up near the top. If you took my poll, thank you!

The poll question was "How often do you listen to the Midlife Fulfilled podcast?"

The three choices were:

1. Weekly
2. Occassionally
3. Never

With less than 100% participation, the results of this poll are the following. Approximately 14% listen weekly, and approximately 86% listen occasionally.

While I'm pleased that no one selected "never," I'm willing to consider that with more participation in the poll, there might be some representation in this choice.

In case you're wondering, responses to a poll question are anonymous. I have no insight into how you responded to this poll question (if you did).

If you didn't respond to this poll, fear not; I have more polls planned in the future. 😎

Thanks again if you responded to this poll question!

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This week on episode 229 I'm joined by Erich Kurschat.

I was introduced to Erich by a mutual friend who suggested we meet based on alignment with my focus on the Fulfillment Centric Leadership™ Framework (in case you haven't heard 😎) and Erich's deep experience in building a community of Human Resource professionals.

In this episode, you'll learn a little about the community Erich has created called HRHotSeat. This community has grown from an idea in Erich's head to more than 3500 members spread across dozens of chapters.

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Erich is a self-proclaimed introvert. In our conversation, he shares insights into effective ways that introverts can network, lead, and build relationships.

He explained how when he transitioned from a corporate HR role to a service provider, he needed to network to build relationships and secure clients.

I have joined Erich's HRHotSeat community and witnessed firsthand Erich's leadership in running each meeting, along with members in small group breakout sessions leading through authentic engagement.

Our conversation landed on the subject of leadership within a community.

It reminded me of how often we have opportunities to lead in situations where we don't have an official role or title that explicitly annoints us as a leader.

Erich often speaks about the anxiety of networking for introverts, as you can see in the photo below.

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When we lead in a community environment, there are three winners. Through your contributions:

1. Your peers in the community win.
2. The community at large wins.
3. You win through growth and fulfillment.

In this week's episode Erich unpacks his journey to building an authentic community that builds relationships and inspires individuals to embrace leadership without a role or title.

Let's do this...

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Where You Can Listen To This Week's Episode:

Listen on Apple​

Listen on Spotify​

Listen on Overcast​

Listen on our Website​

Watch on YouTube​

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How to Lead with Influence Inside Any Community

In episode 229 you'll meet Erich Kurschat, the founder of Harmony Insights, in a conversation about the power of influence in community, leadership, and self-awareness. With over 18 years of experience as an Everything DiSC® instructor and seasoned corporate HR professional, Erich shares his journey to building a thriving network of over 3,500 members in his HRHotSeat community.

Bernie and Erich's conversation explores the role of networking in fostering meaningful connections and collaboration in both personal and professional settings for anyone, including introverts like Erich.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Leadership and Influence: Erich expresses that anyone is capable of leading with greater influence, regardless of their official title or role. He emphasizes that self-awareness and proactive communication are vital for impactful leadership.

2️⃣ Embrace Networking as an Introvert: Erich emphasized the value of networking in ways that align with one’s own style, especially for introverts. Building a community that feels authentic to you can turn networking from a daunting task into a rewarding endeavor.

3️⃣ Value of Diverse Contributions: Diversity isn't just a buzzword; it’s a crucial element in any successful community. Bringing together varied perspectives and experiences fosters innovation, collaboration, and leads to more meaningful outcomes.

Main Takeaway: A significant theme in this episode is recognizing that effective leadership and fulfillment don't necessarily require a title or position of authority. It's about influence, authenticity, and the intentional creation of spaces where diverse perspectives can lead to innovation and collective growth.

Tune in to episode 229 to discover the simple reality of leading with influence in any community.

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The Coach's Corner Weekly insights and actionable tips from my lens as an executive coach—helping you lead, grow, and thrive in midlife and beyond.

Connecting the Dots on Leadership that Works

Next week, I'm speaking at the April HR Tampa dinner event. I'm presenting my Fulfillment Centric Leadership™ Framework (FCL).

In preparing for my presentation, I reflected on how I arrived at developing this framework.

Reflection is the best way to characterize how I developed FCL. It is a combination of life experiences, beginning with a story that occurred in 1990.

Considering the research I've conducted during the past three years which includes producing the Thriving in Midlife report with Udemy in Q4 of 2024, many dots have connected for me.

The numerous takeaways from my life experiences, bolstered by the evidence of the insights in the report, have driven me to develop this framework.

The visual representation of the FCL Framework below is a work in progress. The main characteristics are the three concurrent lanes that produce a continuous flow of fulfillment-centric leadership momentum, resulting in a workplace culture where employees thrive personally and professionally.

Click the image below to dive deeper into this. 👇🏼

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Questions to ponder from episode #229.

Erich discusses the difference between being a part of a community and building one. How do these roles differ, and what motivated him to transition from a joiner to a builder?

Why does Erich Kurschat believe that introverts often underestimate their ability to network professionally, and how did he overcome this in his career?

The concept of diverse contributions in a community setting is important to Erich. How does this diversity contribute to the effectiveness and success of a community?

Discuss Erich's perspective on leadership and influence. How can individuals lead with greater influence regardless of their titles?

How does the HR Hot Seat community exemplify the concepts discussed in this episode, and what role does Erich play in facilitating its success?

If any of these questions resonate with you, tune into episode 229.

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Products & Services I Use/Endorse

In this section, I'm promoting other people's products or services I either use or have used and endorse. The links to these products are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase from them.

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Video Humor of the Week!

Reader, let's laugh a little! We can all use a little more laughter in our lives.

This week's comedic break features Corey Rodrigues cracking up the audience about the virtues of dogs and cats...😎

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Stay fulfilled,
Bernie Borges
Host, Midlife Fulfilled Podcast | Fulfillment Architect

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