Empowering Women Through Self-Leadership: A Conversation with Charity McDonald

Hello and welcome, valued listeners, to another episode of Living in Your Power. I'm your host, Dr. Marleen Greenleaf, and today is a special one. We are wrapping up our March series on Women Who Rise: Strength, Leadership, and Empowerment. And I couldn't think of a better way to close this with a meaningful conversation With a woman who truly embodies this theme. Today, I'm joined by Charity McDonald, founder of the CRWN Institute, a keynote speaker, and a top leadership voice on LinkedIn. She's an award-winning consultant who helps high achievers step into their full value using her Crown Model of Self-Leadership framework. I have had the pleasure of witnessing her rise, and today she's here to share her journey and insights with you. So Charity, welcome to the podcast, and you are my first in-person interview I'm having. So this is exciting for me. I hope it's exciting for you too.

It is. Thank you so much for having me, Dr. Marleen. Wow. I'm excited to be here. I'm really appreciative of you inviting me to speak with you today. So I look forward to the conversation.

Yes, it is my pleasure. Okay. So let's go ahead and get started because we said we were going to keep it to a limited time. So we are going to dive right in. So would you start by sharing a little bit about your journey and what you do?

Absolutely. So the work I do is primarily career and life transition. So I support leaders at all levels, really. But, um, I would say the journey for myself, it actually started, I worked in higher education, did a lot of development work. So supporting different organizations, including the School of Management and Labor Relations. And, um, their programs that they had around executive professional education. It kind of gave me insight into the consulting space. And I actually had a stint as a recruiter and I found it wasn't necessarily, you know, a fit for me fully. So I did like helping people still. So I decided to volunteer. Um, I volunteered as a career coach. So I supported people that were long-term unemployed who had struggles Um, potential issues with age discrimination. So I was supporting long-term unemployed, uh, you know, professionals who were mostly people who were mid to senior professionals. So that was for 6 years. So from 2016 to about 2022, um, I volunteered while simultaneously working in healthcare and in other, uh, areas. And, you know, I decided That I wanted to actually help people through a business. So that's kind of what started Crown Institute, which is the name. So Crown Institute is about basically helping people to receive a raise, not just in their pay, but their peace and personal power. So I enjoy helping people. I've had the privilege of helping over 330 professionals post-pandemic. Um, to move into their next level, their careers. And where I am now is, um, I'm happy to be speaking with you and also dedicate more time, uh, to speaking opportunities and dealing with corporate events.

Oh, I love that. But is, is Crown an acronym or is it just Crown?

It actually is an acronym and you are only the second person asking me that with all the podcasts and, uh, interviews I've done. I believe you are the second person asking me this. And yes, it is an acronym that stands for Creating and Receiving Wealth Now. That's what it actually stands for.

Oh, wow. I love that. I love that. I absolutely love that. Yes. Girl. Okay.

I'm sorry.

I'm getting excited. Okay. Let's move on. But that's good. That's a very varied career that you've had, and I love how you married Your experience to move to where you are right now, because it's like you know you said you moved off to recruiting. You didn't like it, but yet still you saw the need to help people. So you're like, okay, I'm not going to do recruiting, but instead I'm going to add this extension where I can still continue to help people. So that for me is valuable that you're still grounded and you still want to help people using the tools and the knowledge that you have gained over. Um, your career. So kudos to you.

Thank you so much.

Okay. Okay. So you and I, we talked before about the power of self-leadership. And I'd love for you to share, what did that concept mean to you when you first heard it? And how has it evolved for you since?

So this is definitely a full circle moment, Dr. Mylene, because I think the first time I ever heard of self-leadership In the way, you know, that it's known, great, you know, for, uh, professionals was actually from you. So that was the first time I heard that particular word. I've heard similar words that are kind of related, but it's not quite the same. For me, I was like, wow, what is that? You know, and I just saw it as the ability to lead yourself, you know, your personal and professional endeavors. I also saw it as Like growing in your self-skills and your abilities to take radical responsibility for where you want to be in life. So that's how I took it. And I truly believe in the power of self-leadership. Um, since that time that you mentioned it, I was just like on a quest of, okay, I wanna learn more about this self-leadership and how do I develop that within myself? And also how can I use that to help my clients as well? So I'm very grateful for you sharing that with me and also It has evolved. I've actually created a framework that I use for my clients that encompasses the aspects of self-leadership using an acronym, you know, CROWN. That is the acronym for the framework. So it has really evolved. I've really had a lot of great opportunities to actually speak to self-leadership for other people to understand it who are not familiar with it. the term because it's not that popular of a term. We hear all kinds of other words that are very similar, like self-management or self-discipline, self-determination, um, self-mastery. Those might be more common, but self-leadership, I truly believe in the power of that. If you're not able to lead yourself, how are you able to lead other people? So I appreciate you sharing that with me.

No, absolutely. Because it's exactly as you said, it's not, it's, it's not a concept that people really understand and they incorporate into other Like you're saying, hey, you know, if you want to be an emphatic leader, that they think is self-leadership, but it's not because, you know, we understand that great leadership is built upon the foundation of self-leadership. Because as you said, if you don't know who you are as a person, how can you lead others? Because that's what leadership is. It's about leading others. You know, for me, self-leadership, like you said, is taking ownership for your life and consciously shaping your journey, which is what you're doing. And you're helping your clients also to understand this and to help them shape themselves. So, you know, I love self-leadership and I think it's such an important concept that we share and teach others, especially on their leadership journey, because like we discussed, it helps you direct your thoughts, your behaviors, and your actions, and also It, by doing so, it will help you achieve your desired goals. So it is something that we really need to, I don't wanna say hammer in, but we do, we do need to hammer into others, especially those who are thrown into leadership roles. It's like, okay, what about you? What do you know about yourself? How can you, who are you? And a lot of times I get the full blank stare, like, what do you mean? You know, I'm a leader. Okay, well, how are you? How are you a leader?

Yeah.

What do you know about yourself so that you can lead others? So it's truly a concept that we really need to enlighten people more about. So I am so excited to know that you've taken this concept and you have created a framework to help not just yourself, because, you know, you learned it and you used it for yourself, but you're using it also to help others, you know, especially your clients. So keep doing that and let's keep getting this message out about self-leadership because it's Important tool to help you to become a great leader. So thank you for doing that. Okay, so our next question. Now it says, now you speak so powerfully about taking ownership of your growth, you know, through self-leadership. Can you share with us a time you had to lead yourself through a difficult situation or decision? And what did that look like for you in action?

Yes, I love this question because I do have some recent examples where that happened. Um, with the power of LinkedIn, you know, I have different people reach out to me from so many different, you know, job fields and industries. And I was actually invited to host an event. So it was a sales and management hiring event that I was asked to not only host, but also present. And I decided that what I would do to show more value throughout the event is I would also offer laser coaching for those who were interested. I had my own table at the event, and it was an event, you know, that had other employers there. So I have to make sure things are organized and prepared. The thing about it is the time. So for me, sometimes in my natural state of being, I can be Um, less, I, I could be more focused on energy management instead of time management. And with this, I was very conscious of time. So there were certain things that needed to be done by certain times, and I was really needing to be maybe in 2 places at one time in this event. So trying to make that all come together and, um, it being a new opportunity for me, it really stretched me and forced me to be out of my comfort zone. Because I am a more introspective person. So really taking the lead on things and shifting the room, um, was something that I was gonna have to, you know, really step up, step, you know, step up my leadership literally because now it was on a team effort and it was on a wider scale, um, impacting, you know, uh, you know, a significant amount of people all at one time in an event. So I had to make some decisions. That were more so my own decision, and I knew it would impact everyone who was participating. So whether that was the hiring manager or the candidates, really having to make some decisions to make sure, hey, I want to maximize the time those who are attending can network a little more and apply some of the strategies that I very briefly shared. But I cut my, I made a last minute decision to cut my message short so that there would be more time. the networking exercise. So the purpose there really was I wanted the people to leave that experience with a new skill and with more confidence around communicating their value to people they may not know and understanding the power of networking, um, as opposed to me just speaking because I was the person, you know, brought in to run things. Um, I really wanted to, the focus to go back to the people. And some of the hiring managers had some great feedback as well. Usually they would have those hiring managers to exit, but in this case, because of time constraints during the time that I'm speaking, so due to the time constraints, I just made the decision to let them remain in the room so that they're also able to hear the candidate presentation so that I could support the candidates, but also the hiring managers got some value. As well. So that was a good experience, but it was kind of a little unnerving because I was moving around a lot, like way more than I anticipated.

Well, I love that because I see how you took the lead for yourself because I'm assuming that's like part of your holistic teaching also, where you added it to yourself, where you assess the situation and you're like, okay, how can I make this manageable for everyone and myself also? And you've made that decision to, hey, I'm going to take away some of the stuff that I want to do so I can bring more value to others and give those in your team the time that they need also to pour into others. So great insight. I love that. I absolutely love that. And I love the holistic process also of what you do. So thank you for sharing that with us. That was very helpful. Okay. So with this being Women's History Month, I know this is gonna be, it's the last day of Women's History Month, but I'd love to hear what does it mean to you personally and how do you see yourself contributing to that legacy of women's history?

That is a huge question. It's a huge question. And even when I saw the question, you know, I'm just like, wow, the legacy. So to put it shortly, I do believe the work that we do, you know, as service providers and those of us in the health professions, it is helping others to plant seeds to their legacies. And also with Women's History Month, that being such a crucial time, I know we're kind of winding down towards the end, but it's so imperative we understand the importance that women make in the world, you know, especially during these times. It's so important to remember our contributions as a whole. So I think even just being a griot to remind other people of the accomplishments that other women have done and sharing that information, you know, I had the pleasure of being a guest lecturer last year to discuss women's history, and I made the choice to focus on particularly women of color. who have made an impact in different areas. And I think to think of myself as being amongst that is kind of like, whoa, I don't know if I was putting myself in that. But I think legacy can come from just the work that is being done through leadership, doing through, through just helping people to know they can be empowered through the means of self-leadership. Also knowing that there are more sustainable ways to success. So one of the things that I'm hoping to do is to create A series of books that will help influence, you know, that guidance, right? So talking more about leadership and not just self-leadership, but also feminine leadership and those principles and, uh, team leadership and how all those things can tie in together in just our general conversations around leadership development. So that's how I hope to in some way contribute. And I love the idea of legacy because it's so huge. I feel like that's still something I'm still learning. And, uh, you know, I've been living for a while, but, you know, I'm still trying to learn what, what it is, you know, that I could do in terms of legacy is concerned.

I'm very young. I've been living for 62 years and I'm still, I still believe in building a legacy, not just for my, um, family, but for others also, because it's like you said, I, I, we not We know for a fact that women, the things that we do as women, not just as leaders, but women in general, it's not, we don't, we don't really hear about these things because, you know, we're overshadowed. And then, you know, I don't want to get into politics, but with this current situation that we're in, everything that we are building up, it's being taken away from us, especially like I said, the women. So we have to, even in some small way, To continue to uplift women and bring their stories to the forefront. It's like you said, it doesn't have to be, oh, this woman did such a great job and built this great foundation, a company and stuff. No, it's the little things we do where we start off by we're sharing information and learning to uplift each other. Collaboration. We need to bring this out to the forefront to show what we are doing and to get our message out there. You know that women. are powerful leaders. We are. And even though it's not out there the way it should be, we do know for a fact that we are an integral part of leadership. We're not getting the same pay, you know, like the men get still. We don't understand why, but nevertheless, we're still out there and we're making a huge impact. So we'll continue to build that legacy and age has nothing to do with it. There'll be a legacy. We can do this until God calls us home. So continue doing what you're doing. Thank you for that. Okay. So now let's end with this. What are you working on right now that feels deeply aligned with your purpose and growth?

That's a beautiful question. Um, and to your point, I definitely agree with you. There's definitely An age 2 legacy, but that is something I do think about more of what legacy I would like to leave behind in terms of leadership. So as I mentioned earlier, uh, books. Um, so that's something I'm looking into really making more impact as it relates to corporate compliance as well as, you know, opportunities to speak and share my voice so that way it could be Whether that is collaboration, like what I'm doing right now. So I'd like to connect more towards collaboration on a grander scale. So something in the future for sure that would bring the voices of different women leaders together. Um, I do actually have something in the works for October. So there is going to be an event that is geared towards, uh, women leaders, uh, those who are executives or interested in And I'll be basically partnering with 2 other wonderful ladies, and we'll definitely promote more information about that in the future. Um, also, you know, I think just in general, just me honoring my own legacy for myself, which is just prioritizing peace and being that example, right? Because a lot of times we think of leadership as it has to be this like massive thing of you're the executive of a top company, but it can also, leadership can also just be You making the decision to prioritize your peace in your day, you making the decision to manage your energy and really helping you to align a little bit better. Because I find for myself, when I try to do the traditional way of leadership with client interaction, it can be a bit cantankerous for me or a little tedious where it can help initially. So you're able to just get things done. I think for me, learning to lean into my natural strengths with our intuition and wanting to see just the best of other people. Um, seeing, being able to communicate that effectively to my clients and making sure they're able to reach their goals and not just, you know, gain skills, but skills that will help them throughout their lifetime. And, uh, yeah, to the, to the earlier point, I will say I do actually mention people who are significantly younger than me, um, when I talk about women's history, because we've had some young people do some amazing things, uh, to people who, you know, are no longer with us, who lived long lives. So I, I love the diversity of the leaders that I admire. I hope that somehow I can impart some wisdom so others can grow in their worthiness, right? And also Uh, just their wellness overall. To the earlier point, yes, I take a holistic approach and I want to continue. So thank you.

Absolutely. Thank you for being who you are, for being out there, you know, for empowering. I know we're not supposed to use that word, but that is what you're doing. You're empowering not just yourself, but you're empowering your leaders and the future generation. To see themselves for who they really are and to put them in that space and give them that opportunity to really grow and reach their potential. So I truly appreciate what you're doing and continue doing so. And once you get your program out, I try, I try my best, but you know, my schedule is just crazy. I try to be there, you know, for the things that you're doing. So feel free to share that information with me. I'll try to do my best to see how I can.

Thank you.

plug in and to just give you the support that you need. Because that, in essence, is what it's all about. It's about supporting each other as we build and grow. So Charity, I want to thank you so much for being here today and sharing your heart, your wisdom, and your light. I mean, you certainly poured so much into this short conversation, and I know our listeners Thank you. Will be walking away empowered today. So to everyone tuning in, I want you to remember, self-leadership starts with a decision to honor your voice and walk in alignment with who you truly are. And don't forget to connect with Charity on LinkedIn and to learn more about her at her CRWN Institute. So until next time, dear listeners, I want you to continue to live Boldly in your power. And if it gets tough, I want you to remember to just breathe. You still got the strength to rise. So continue to live in your power. Thank you, Charity.

Thank you. Yeah.