Interview with Cheryl Esposito, by Lisa R. Tucci
Cheryl Esposito founder of Alexsa Consulting and Center for World Leadership is internationally recognized for coaching leaders to increase effectiveness, successfully navigate transitions, and expand their realm of possibilities. For more than twenty years, she has coached CEOs and senior executives, helping them learn to lead themselves in order to lead others.
Her work facilitating leadership retreats, team development, strategic planning, and organizational change led her to what she believes is the critical success factor in any of these ventures: the consciousness of leaders—how they show up, how in synch with self they are, and how they are perceived by others.
Cheryl’s clients most often come to her intent on developing into being a better leader. They soon understand the path to this outcome is “knowing how to know oneself.”
“Honoring the person and their innate talent is key. My purpose is coaching leaders to build on their strengths and reach into their core of integrity. We work in a collaborative way to shape them and their work in the world.”
Clients include CEO’s and leaders across a wide range of backgrounds and fields of expertise; from Fortune 500 companies to start-up ventures. Her clients take their newly found self back into family life and out into their community as well as in their corporate community, whatever that may signify.
As a direct byproduct of her work, Cheryl founded THE CENTER FOR WORLD LEADERSHIP. It is the fruition of a long-held desire to take people to the next step of their personal development: contributing to the world. Today, there are many places to give one’s time, expertise and energy. But there are not so many places to come together with the intent of creating a new way of looking at the world.
Some of the people you would have the opportunity to work with and learn from at the Center for World Leadership include John P. Milton, Corporate Shaman, Betty Sue Flowers, Director of the LBJ Presidential Library and Co-author of Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations and Society and Richard Leider, founder and Chairman of the Inventure Group.
In 1995, Cheryl attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. For her, it was amazing to be part of conversations with women from all around the world, sharing their stories of challenge, achievement, joy and grief. In these one to one encounters, problems were solved, new ideas were birthed, plans for collaboration were made, and connections for a lifetime were created.
These were women from all worlds, from ‘first world’ to ‘fourth world’ countries. These were people who were there to be the catalyst of change; they were there to learn, share, collaborate and connect in order to make a difference in their world. In short, they were Big Thinkers. They knew that things could be different.
Today, many of the projects that began as conversations at that conference in 1995 have had significant positive impact on the quality of life and economic standing for many people in villages, cities, and cultures around the world. And it all began with a conversation.
Cheryl not only walks the walk, she has taken that conversation literally, and talks the talk with her terrific audio program, Leading Conversations. Each Friday (10am PST), if you tune into the VoiceAmerica Business Channel, you’ll hear Cheryl dialogue with leaders the world over; exploring their Big Ideas in business, government, the arts, economics and social change.
Some of the programs I’ve put on my iPod include:
Ancestors of the Future with Luisah Teish, a writer and extraordinary storyteller, internationally known for her performances of African, Caribbean, and African-American folklore and feminist myth. She is author of Jump Up: Good Times Throughout the Season with Celebrations from Around the World and Carnival of the Spirit. Teish connects us with the ancestors, bringing wisdom traditions and rituals to life.
Out of the Shadows, Conscious Leadership interview with best-selling author, Debbie Ford.
Leadership and the Caring Revolution with Riane Eisler, bestselling author of The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics
Are you a Leader: or a Generative Leader? Cheryl talks with Michael Ray, author of The Highest Goal: The Secret That Sustains You in Every Moment. He is Professor of Creativity and Innovation, and of Marketing at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. His books, Creativity In Business and The Path of the Everyday Hero, have influenced people in organizations all around the world.
So, go ahead. Think big…the world could be a better place because of a conversation that matters.