Mindset matters with Aviva Leebow

[00:00:00] Aicila: This week on business as unusual, we dive into the world of leadership and mindset with a Vva Libo, , a Vistage chair who works with driven leaders. Aviva discusses the powerful impact of overcoming mindset barriers, the importance of community among leaders, and the magic that happens when leaders get vulnerable and collaborate.

Tune in to discover how you can transform your leadership approach and pave the way for amplified impact.

[00:00:27] Aicila: Welcome to the show, Aviva.

[00:00:29] Aviva: Well, thank you for having me.

[00:00:31] Aviva: I knew, you were going to talk about Vistage, but you also have another, focus about, , cultures and, and sharing. Would you be willing to describe that a little bit for my listeners?

[00:00:43] Aviva: Yeah. I mean, so overall my practice, whether it's through Vistage or it's any of the other work I do. My focus is working with driven leaders who have big dreams and goals for themselves. They want to do something greater than themselves. And, so my focus is helping them get [00:01:00] unstuck, past whatever limiting beliefs or mindset issues are holding them back or whatever issues with their leadership teams are holding the leadership teams back from heading towards those visions or goals. There's usually something there,

[00:01:12] Aicila: Hmm.

[00:01:13] Aviva: that's keeping them stuck from getting where they want to go.

[00:01:16] Aicila: Yeah, it's funny cause I, I, I'm a, I was a, I want to say reluctant adopter. It was a slow convert to understanding the, the mind, the ways in which mindset really affect. everything that you're capable of. And how powerful it can be to engage in really overcoming or relearning how to approach your work and your life.

[00:01:39] Aicila: So that's awesome. Is there something you wish more people knew about leadership or mindset or culture? I'm not sure which topic you want to focus on there. I'm

[00:01:52] Aviva: , so mindset's probably where I live most.

[00:01:55] Aicila: Okay.

[00:01:56] Aviva: what I would say is I think for almost all [00:02:00] leaders, it's lonely at the top. There's this world of imposter syndrome, where they think everybody else has it together, but just not them. so they're afraid to share that and open it up. And that's one of the magic in the peer groups that I lead is they start to share that and they realize they're not alone, that most other leaders have these fears. , and so when I said, mindset's where it's at, it really is where it's at because it's figuring out how to get past some of the things that hold us back as individuals. That keep us from making the decision we know we should make or what our guts telling us or asking the right questions and getting curious, getting vulnerable, , with others, or even in our businesses and how that looks and shows up. And all of that really ties to mindset and honestly, how you grew up a lot of times and the beliefs that maybe served you once in life, then no longer serving now.

[00:02:51] Aicila: Yeah, that's it. I think that's an important perspective to to grasp as well is that saying that This doesn't serve [00:03:00] me now Doesn't mean it has to be bad. It got you here like that Whatever it is that you did got you here Maybe you got your messy, but it got you here and you can say thank you for what you did And now I'm moving into this new perspective or approach

[00:03:15] Aviva: Yeah, I live in a world of gratitude and I talk to all of my clients regularly about gratitude because every aspect of your life at some point was a gift to you that, like you said, gets you where you are today. Um, usually in the moment, you don't necessarily understand it and it's really, really hard for you.

[00:03:32] Aviva: But when you look back, even the tough times or the things that maybe felt like failure or not the success you were looking for. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today, honestly, but for something where I don't feel like I was successful as I wanted to be at the time. Um, had I been, I never would have found this because I would have kept going down a route.

[00:03:50] Aviva: That wasn't my calling because it would have felt good to me or better to me than it did at the time.

[00:03:54] bau--she-they-_1_02-14-2025_103334: Yeah Do you, do you have a case study or a story that kind [00:04:00] of, that you can share that illustrates the impact of a mindset shift?

[00:04:04] aviva-leebow--she-her-_1_02-14-2025_123334: Yeah. Um, so there's so many, just honestly turning of a good one, um, or which one's probably gonna be most relevant or thoughtful. I think a lot of it is about. When I work with leaders, it's about them figuring out what's holding them back. , and oftentimes they haven't really spent the time to be strategic and dive into really where their purpose is, , the core of what they're trying to accomplish, their ego may be getting in the way of that, for example.

[00:04:36] aviva-leebow--she-her-_1_02-14-2025_123334: It may be holding them back from being really vulnerable and honest with themself about what it is they want to do. I watched many leaders and I'd be careful because of obviously confidentiality from the leaders I work with, but that. Are so focused on going after this one thing that they think is what the world wants them to, and they think they [00:05:00] should. And at the end of the day, it's not really where they want their legacy to be. It's not what they want to accomplish. And by uncovering those layers and having those discussions, sometimes it shifts what they're doing. It shifts their vision. It makes them think bigger, dream bigger.

[00:05:17] bau--she-they-_1_02-14-2025_103334: Yeah. Well, you can't create a world you can't imagine. So there's a little bit of, um, there's a little bit of practicality to that, if you will. All right. Speaking of that, actually, do you have a couple of tips? Like if I'm listening to this as a leader and I'm like stuck, is there a quick tip that you could offer that might give them some sense of what it is that happens when they end up working with you?

[00:05:45] bau--she-they-_1_02-14-2025_103334: Yeah.

[00:05:47] Aviva: a couple things just from a mindset standpoint, , like I mentioned, gratitude. It is about finding the gifts and the opportunities in the challenges that you face. Even just as small as changing language, [00:06:00] like when something's hard and you don't want to do it saying, I get to do it. Just that small reframe can shift your mindset in the moment that there's possibility and open mindedness in it. We dive in, it's through curiosity. I ask good questions. My favorite moments in any coaching session or any peer group meeting that I lead is when someone goes, ah, I can't believe I didn't think of that already. Most of the answers are inside the people I work with. They just don't stop and pause long enough. To really think of them are they're so in their head are so focused at where they're at. So when you get asked really good questions just to make you reflect and think and stop and pause, those aha moments come out.

[00:06:41] Aviva: And I think that's the biggest revelation that I watch, sitting in meetings or coaching sessions. And it's that inspiration and it comes from within. , and I think that's part of the mindset shift is believing that I am enough or actually have these ideas because most people don't realize how much, of the [00:07:00] answers they're looking for actually sits within them. And I'd love seeing that confidence build as they start to realize that they have it and they know what they need to do.

[00:07:08] Aicila: a, it's an amazing experience. Do you, would you be willing to share an example of a question you would ask or?

[00:07:15] Aviva: Um, so, you know, some of the questions that probably sound almost stupid in and of themselves outside of context, but what's holding you back?

[00:07:26] Aicila: Hmm

[00:07:27] Aviva: why you're stuck? A lot of them tie into specifically whatever the conversation is.

[00:07:31] Aicila: mm-hmm

[00:07:33] Aviva: but it's just, it's, In the moment, almost reframing, right? So if something feels very limiting to them, I don't have the resources to do this. There's no way I'm gonna do it. It might be time or it might be money. Asking a question as what if you did right? Like, if you don't have 20, 000 on something. What if you had a million dollars?

[00:07:55] Aviva: What would you do?

[00:07:56] Aicila: Mm,

[00:07:57] Aviva: As that limit gets released, [00:08:00] they start naming like a gazillion things that they could do, but they're like, why are you even asking me this? I don't have a million dollars. But as they're cycling through those, they're going deeper and deeper. And all of a sudden they go, Oh, I could do that.

[00:08:10] Aviva: And I could do that with 10, 000. I hadn't even thought of that because you're removing constraints. And. You know, when you're so stuck in the moment in a constraint, you can't even think about how you're going to remove it. You just stay stuck there. So by having somebody. Challenge you in different ways by creating new constraints or releasing constraints. It allows you to think of things you just, like I said, you wouldn't think of on your own because you're so in the, stuck in the moment of it.

[00:08:37] Aicila: Mm-hmm . And, and that really illustrates how it is sort of in them, and you're helping them to get past that barrier. They have to, to listening to their own knowledge and wisdom.

[00:08:48] Aviva: And what I love about the power of what I do, well, I'm a coach and I get to do that. Leading and facilitating peer groups. I get to see that so much more because while I might have a great question, we play off of each other, the collaboration [00:09:00] of multiple people in the room. So I ask something and make someone else think of something else.

[00:09:04] Aviva: And we go so much deeper than just, I get to even on my own as coach. So it often brings out so many new ideas and experiences for people when they're getting a room full of other peers.

[00:09:16] Aicila: Now there, there's the magic that happens, uh, when you, when you're. In that space with people and collaborating and, and even just sometimes connecting that, that I feel like when it works, it opens a door since, like you said, it's something that's in you, but it opens the door to something that's there that you may not have discovered otherwise.

[00:09:36] Aicila: And can, it can be quite invigorating.

[00:09:39] Aviva: And sometimes, you know, I say it's within you, and I love that piece, but it also may be something that you've just never experienced before. And by being in a room of peers, with different backgrounds and experiences, but similar challenges and similar opportunities, you may hear something someone else experienced slightly differently, that constraint removal system.

[00:09:56] Aviva: Right?

[00:09:57] Aicila: Yeah.

[00:09:58] Aviva: That opens up your [00:10:00] eyes and now makes you think of something you hadn't thought of just because it came from a slightly different suggestion or a slightly different industry or background or size. That perspective or that different question really can open up the For

[00:10:14] Aicila: What does success look like to you?

[00:10:17] Aviva: me, success is, amplified impact. , I love doing what I do today because I get to work with lots of leaders and lots of businesses. I get to affect them. I get to affect their families. I get to affect their employees, sometimes customer suppliers, you know, it, it goes at scale. And the more leaders I get to work with, or the more chairs like me that are coming to the community that I get to mentor, that they get to work with lots of leaders. So success to me, honestly, this may sound crazy, but it's changing the world just through the conversations that I have, because somewhere down the line, one of those individuals, whether it's someone I meet or talk with or someone that [00:11:00] they meet or talk with is going to do something world changing. I don't know who, I don't know when or what that story is. But that's my success. The story, I may not even know.

[00:11:10] Aicila: That's awesome. I love that story. This, my success is the story I may not even know. What advice would you give your 18 year old self? Ha ha ha!

[00:11:22] Aviva: so much, honestly.

[00:11:26] Aicila: I so relate! Sorry, I mean like, ha ha ha!

[00:11:30] Aviva: So, I mean, for me personally, 18, 19 was a really tough time in my life. It's honestly probably shaped me so much into the leader and who I am today. And think just having faith and patience, lot of the mindset work I do now, I really needed then I needed to know that I had a deeper purpose and that there was something so much greater that I was meant to serve. At that point in my life, I was under immense pressure and just felt, like the weight of the world was on me and that I had, you No real [00:12:00] purpose. , so I think just knowing that and knowing the impact that I have the ability to make, and that story would be uncovered, It would have been really helpful to have known that then,

[00:12:11] Aicila: Yeah. What's something you're excited about in your business? Mm

[00:12:18] Aviva: it goes back to that impact. What you asked, success looks like. Right now I'm actually doing something really fun, unique. I'm doing a lot more collaboration. So we as chairs talk about collaborating peers, right? And it's great. We just had chair world where I got to meet with 1000 other chairs from all over the world.

[00:12:32] Aviva: This stage is actually in 40 different countries. So I was meeting with chairs from Malta, UK, Australia, China, , and brainstorming and hearing. What they get to hear what what's going on in their parts of the world globally, as far as businesses and other things, but that collaboration. So another chair and I, Renee Klein, who, , you'll start to see a lot more even in my own, sharing videos and things that I do, are starting to collaborate a lot more, challenge each other to go deeper [00:13:00] and how we can help one another. And it's really, really exciting to me. Because as I talked about amplifying impact before, I think we're going to amplify it that much deeper because we can do so much more together than we could do on our own.

[00:13:11] Aviva: And so it's exciting because I think I'm about to take my practice and. My ability to live out my purpose and amplify it significantly just through partnership and collaboration.

[00:13:23] Aicila: I can't wait to see it. That's to be fantastic. For folks that are listening, how do they learn more, follow you, get in touch, learn about, like, hire, opt in to your services in some way?

[00:13:36] Aviva: Yeah. So first of all, this is, like I said, is global and worldwide. So I'm here in Atlanta, Georgia. But there are people all over who do what I do, who have a lot of the passion I have. So visage. com is a great way to learn about these peer groups and chairs like me. So don't forget that. I don't want people to feel like, Oh, she's nowhere near me.

[00:13:54] Aviva: I can't tap into this. , cause like I said, it's global, for me personally, you know, [00:14:00] you can find me and watch my personal show beyond the comfort zone. My company is Empower Leadership. So Empower Leadership, but you can find me on YouTube, on LinkedIn. And that's where you'll find most of my content inspiration that I try to put out daily and weekly, around mindset, leadership and different things that the people I work with in the world are thinking about what's on their minds.

[00:14:21] Aicila: Lovely. Yeah, and I will make sure all of that is in the show notes. Thank you so much for joining me and sharing your wisdom. Do you have anything else that you want to add before we sign off?

[00:14:31] Aviva: I think going back to what I said before about it being lonely a lot of times and that imposter syndrome, I just want people to know if you're feeling any of that, you're not alone. That's probably the biggest aha I get the first day someone joins a group is, oh my gosh, other people have the same challenges I have. I never realized that. So please know you're not alone. And go find somebody, whether it's a peer group or just getting to know some of your peers, get a little vulnerable, open up, you never know what's going to come from that because [00:15:00] great things happen when you collaborate and work with others.

[00:15:03] Aicila: Seconded. Thank you so much. And thank you everybody for listening.

[00:15:07] Aviva: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me today.

[00:15:09] Aicila: My genuine pleasure.

[00:15:12] Aicila: In this episode of Business as Unusual, we explored the transformative power of mindset with Aviva Lebo from Vistage. She emphasized how leaders can break free from limiting beliefs and unleash their true potential by embracing gratitude and shifting perspectives.

[00:15:27] Aicila: She also highlighted the magic of collaboration and peer support in overcoming the loneliness often felt at the top, discover more about how you can join a peer advisory group or explore Aviva's insights further by visiting Vistage. com or following her show, Beyond the Comfort Zone.  

[00:15:45] Yeti Stereo Microphone-5: Next week, tune in. I'm gonna talk about relationships as assets. Your whole network, not just your business relationships 

[00:15:53] Aicila: remember, in this ever evolving world of modern business, it's not about fitting in, it's about standing out. [00:16:00] See you next time. Stay curious, stay innovative, and always keep it unusual.