EO Path of Leadership (PoL) offers members who have served in local or regional leadership positions an opportunity to grow their leadership skills as a leader of leaders while serving the organization as a whole. Not sure which position is right for you? Try this fast, fun questionnaire to discover your ideal leadership role in EO.

We asked Kate Holden (EO Winnipeg), who serves EO as Leadership Director for EO Canada and Regional Chair-elect, about the value of her PoL journey. Here’s what she shared:

What inspired you to pursue EO Path of Leadership?

After joining EO, I very quickly realized: You are either in — or out. I don’t do anything halfway. I even developed the hashtag, #onelevelextra, on this intentional lifestyle.

I realized I was going to lean in and take advantage of every opportunity. I was—and am—all in! #onelevelextra in fact.

I started my Path of Leadership journey as my chapter’s MyEO chair, a role that eventually evolved into a regional capacity serving as the MyEO expert for Canada. Following that, I took on the Member Products Director (MPD) role for Canada for two years. I’m currently in my second year as Regional and Area Leadership Director as I move into the Regional Chair-elect role for a two-year term in 2024.

Simultaneously, at the chapter level, I moved to learning chair and a two-year term as president while I was on the Regional Council. Some say I did it backward — being on the Regional Council before I was a chapter president. However, I found it highly beneficial to take on congruent roles at the chapter and regional levels. I found the vision and alignment of the organization ultimately to drive myself and my chapter to a higher level of engagement.

The connections and experiences we can ultimately have in this organization are limitless. It has propelled me on a journey I will be forever grateful for.

The value PoL provides

I have gained so much value from my PoL experiences both personally and professionally. I am better because of it in so many ways, including:

1. Being more intentional with my time.
2. Increased self-awareness and reflection on my own behavior and how I show up. While I can’t always control events or circumstances, how I show up is the one thing that I can control, so I exercise that option wisely.
3. Leading with curiosity — not judgment.
4. Being more present with my family and making shared moments count. My intention is to elevate every moment and every connection.
5. Recognizing and offloading mundane tasks that don’t contribute to my higher purpose.
6. Realizing that how I show up — my aura and energy — matters. When I can stay in flow and show up as my best self, it increases my effectiveness.
7. Working toward solutions that will create a positive, better outcome. When people get stuck, it’s our responsibility as leaders to get them unstuck. It starts with awareness and asking: What perspective can I shift? What response in my environment can I alter? How can we make this environment better?
8. Learning to break my own patterns in decision-making by digging into the why behind my thoughts and actions so I can lead with openness and self-awareness.
9. I continue to grow exponentially with my commitment to learning, elevating myself, and building capacity.
10. Leaning into situations, fear and being uncomfortable. I found my inner strength and power by doing things I thought I couldn’t do. They stretch us to new norms, goals and mindset shifts that ultimately change who we are becoming.
11. I’m comfortable being unapologetically me! 

Lessons learned by leading leaders

I’ve realized that reality-based leadership facilitates great thinking through self-reflection. I encourage leaders to operate in a way that is elevated, empowering, transparent, accountable, and focused on ultimate desired outcomes. Incorporate the lessons but leave unproductiveness, drama and distractions behind.

I’ve learned to deal with conflict through the art of leaning in, understanding and listening.

EO teaches the gift of collaboration. When ego is set aside, and everyone is listening and being heard, we can arrive at an outcome no one has even thought of yet. And while we still have some work to do to grow EO into the dynamic, diverse, inclusive organization that we strive to achieve every day, I have no doubt that we’re going to get there.

Fulfill your entrepreneurial potential

Being in PoL has challenged my belief systems, patterns and cultivated a great understanding of connections and circumstances at all times. I look for questioning and collaboration to fuel outcomes. I think deeper, connect differently, and am more self-reflective than ever. PoL has inspired me to see limitless possibilities and elevated me with boundless ideas and opportunities.

My PoL journey has re-shaped and caused me to re-imagine my journey as an entrepreneur. It elevated me to a whole other level I never thought I would reach. 

Being around top-tier leaders who all understand the value of expanding capacity and abundance mindset, growth and resilience is a game-changer. It challenges your mindset in different ways beyond anything I would have experienced. 

Through PoL, you find the people who walk with you in your journey and elevate you to be your higher self.

Why not be among the top 3%?

EO PoL is the ultimate way to give back. How could I not give back to an organization that has provided me with a step into a different view, new connections, and the best learning the world has to offer?

Why not step in and up to be with top-tier leaders in an organization that is already filled with the best? That’s the top 3% —and that’s where I want to be.

Applications for Regional Council Members, Standing Committee Members and Portfolio Team Members are due 1 December 2023. Applications for Experts are due 15 January 2024. (View position descriptions.) 

Contributed to EO by Kate Holden, founder of The Pourium, a fast-growing retail/e-commerce wine business. For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.