Heidi Frye Blog
Leaders transform when they “do the work”, plug into their core, and BE the best version of themselves. Here are a few written resources to help you on your Whole Leader journey.
Vulnerability ≠ Disclosure
Can you be a private person and still be a vulnerable leader? Absolutely. Vulnerability doesn't require sharing personal details or becoming overly emotional. Sometimes it's as simple as admitting a mistake, asking for help, or acknowledging that someone else was right. The key isn't necessarily becoming more personal. It's becoming more accessible.
Intuition: Who’s Really Talking
We often hear that we should trust our intuition. But what happens when fear, old beliefs, or familiar patterns masquerade as that inner knowing? Learning to recognize which voice we're listening to is an important part of self-awareness. And sometimes, the real work isn't learning to trust ourselves more. It's figuring out who or what we're trusting.
The Rest of the Story…
Two stories I shared earlier this summer had unexpected follow-ups. One involved an uncomfortable encounter with a neighbor. The other, a breakthrough in a mother-daughter relationship. Both reminded me that sometimes the thing that changes a relationship isn't the other person changing. It's seeing them differently.
What Is Acceptance? (Labels)
We talk a lot about acceptance, inclusion, belonging, and celebrating our differences. At the same time, we seem to have more labels than ever. Labels can help us feel seen and understood, but they can also become boxes. At what point does a label stop helping us understand someone and start telling us who we think they are?
Radical Allowance
I thought I was a pretty positive person. Then I tried to stop complaining for four weeks. 😳 What started as a simple experiment became something much more interesting: a lesson in where I spend my energy, what I can actually influence, and what I may simply need to allow.
Do You Trust What You Know?
Have you ever known something before you knew why you knew it? What we experience as intuition may actually be our brains recognizing patterns built through years of experience. But fear, bias, ego, and old programming can feel like intuition, too. Maybe the real work is knowing yourself well enough to tell the difference.
Surrender
For a long time, I thought surrender meant giving up. Defeat. Weakness. Throwing in the towel. But what if surrender isn't about giving up at all? What if it's about knowing when you've done your part and it's time to loosen your grip?
I Messed Up
I walked into an interaction carrying someone else's opinion, and without realizing it, I started looking for evidence to prove them right. It was a powerful reminder of how easily we can give away our own judgment and personal power. Sometimes the energy we bring into a room shapes what happens once we get there. Everyone deserves the chance to make their own first impression.
Whose Voice Is That?
Before we were old enough to question what we were hearing, we were already listening. The messages we absorb early in life can become beliefs, and eventually we may mistake those beliefs for our personality. But what if some of the things we believe about ourselves aren't actually who we are? What if they're simply stories we've been carrying for years?
What Do Tears Mean?
What do tears really mean? Weakness? A lack of composure? Or simply that something matters? Maybe we've been getting it all wrong. Vulnerability and emotion don't diminish leadership. Sometimes, they deepen it.
Excellence, Not Perfection!
What if the goal isn't perfection, but excellence? One is driven by fear. The other by purpose. That distinction changed how I think about doing my best. Excellence can still mean having incredibly high standards, without demanding flawlessness.
The Rhythm of Leadership
A conversation with the owners of a ballroom dance studio sparked an unexpected leadership lesson. The strongest organizations aren't built on structure alone. When discipline is paired with joy, people engage more deeply, perform at a higher level, and create cultures where both employees and customers thrive.
Seeing Something Anew
A simple question during a leadership Master Class led to an unforgettable moment of insight. What began as a discussion about communication styles uncovered something much deeper: the stories we tell ourselves, the ways we seek approval, and the transformative power of seeing ourselves anew.
Life Is a Classroom, Not a Courtroom
Do you treat life like a classroom—or a courtroom? The difference changes everything. When we stop judging our mistakes and start learning from them, we become more self-aware, resilient, and effective leaders.
When Leadership Means Following
A ballroom dance lesson turned into an unexpected leadership lesson. Sometimes the greatest strength isn't knowing how to lead—it's knowing when to trust, follow, learn, and let someone else guide the next step.
Her Feedback Was A Gift, But Not the Point
A chance encounter at a leadership conference became a powerful reminder that our greatest source of confidence isn't praise, recognition, or validation from others. The healthiest leaders learn to plug into something deeper—their values, purpose, and internal power source.
Finding and Revealing What’s Within
What if leadership is less about directing people and more about seeing what is already there? Inspired by a woodworking artist's creation, Heidi Frye explores the leadership skill of recognizing potential, uncovering strengths, and helping others become who they are capable of being.
Stepping Into Your Power Applies to Men Too
Two conversations in a client lobby reminded me of an important leadership truth: stepping into your power is not about aggression or ego. It's about awareness, clarity, and having the courage to act. In both cases, once these leaders recognized where they were giving away their power, the solution became obvious—and the impact was immediate.
Do You Know This Word?
During a podcast interview, Carlos Manzano introduced me to a leadership term that stopped me in my tracks: agency. While many men seem familiar with the concept, I discovered that many women—including me—were not. The insight sparked a deeper conversation about power, leadership, and why balancing agency and communal traits may be one of the keys to becoming a truly effective leader.
Well, That Was Awkward
A technical glitch replaced every subscriber's name with "Test First Name." While fixing the problem, I realized something surprising: I didn't actually miss the personalized greeting. What started as an email mistake became a lesson in authenticity, curiosity, and finding opportunity in unexpected places.