By Adrienne MacIain, Ph.D.

"You have more influence than you know. Every pivot is what you choose to make of it. You can do hard things"

          - Andrea Butcher

Have you ever found yourself at a pivot point?

Maybe you were headed in one direction when, bam!, you hit a wall. Maybe you got to a fork in the road and just weren't sure which way to go.

Or maybe you knew exactly which way was the right way for you, but from where you were standing, it looked like you were about to jump off a cliff, out into open space.

And so, you hesitated.

Andrea Butcher knows that feeling all too well. For a year, she held onto the manuscript of a book she had written based on the powerful leadership lessons she had gleaned from her first year hosting the popular Being [at Work] podcast.

She knew she wanted to publish it. She knew it could make a real impact on the lives and livelihoods of leaders at all levels. And yet, she hesitated.

"I thought it wasn't ready. I thought Iwasn't ready", Andrea admits.

But then she discovered Red Thread, a community publishing company that specializes in helping women bridge the gap between entrepreneur-who-writes and published author-preneur. That's when she knew it was time to take the leap and bring The Power in the Pivot: Leadership Lessons from Being [at Work] to Take You from Chaos to Clarity to the world.

"I wrote this book because I wish I had known earlier in my career the power of a bigger picture focus, the power in my relationships, and the power in staying in the hard moments", Andrea explains. "Life is a series of pivots, and it's easy to get sucked into the confusion and chaos of transition. But there is so much power in those pivot-moments, when we can lean into them instead of running away".

For example, Andrea´s pivotal moment of deciding to go ahead and publish her book led her to realize that not only was she ready to become a published author, she was ready to publish an entire series of books based on the amazing stories shared with her on the Being [at Work] podcast by leaders of all stripes.

"Being [at Work] is just starting its fourth year", Andrea celebrates, "and I already have ideas for additional editions!"

Whether or not there's a series of books inside of you, waiting to be released, you might be amazed at what you find when you embrace the power of the pivot.

"The purpose of The Power in the Pivot", Andrea explains, "is to provide confidence and clarity in leading through the pivots of your life. The book highlights three key themes that emerged from the stories of over 50 executives as they reflected on a pivotal moment in their career that taught them a lot about themselves and their leadership".

The book, which includes excerpts from some of the most salient stories from the first year of Being [at Work], acknowledges the confusion and chaos of transition while empowering leaders to gain clarity by focusing on the big picture, leveraging relationships, and staying in the hard moments.

"And by leaders, I don't just mean executives", Andrea clarifies, "I mean anyone who is willing to step up and take a position of leadership in any situation. We are all leaders! Who do you want to be through the challenging times in your life? You get to choose. It takes discipline to keep the focus on the bigger picture and the relationships and not get hooked by the stuff of life, so it's important to step back and remember that life isn't happening to you. Life is happening through you".

Andreas commitment to empowering leaders, however, goes far beyond this book, or even book series. As an executive coach and CEO of a successful leadership development company (HRD), she facilitates growth experiences for leaders at all levels, empowering them to recognize the influence they have in all aspects of their lives.

Learn more at: https://hrdleadership.com/