Date Published: 9-29-20
Change happens in business and in life. Today’s success is achieved by learning how to thrive and come alive – manifesting our deeper purpose and true potential – through transformation.
For that to happen we have to shift our mindsets to build and sustain our own capacity to transform. By replacing fear with love. Waste with value. By enriching our personal and professional lives with deeper meaning and expanded capacity.
This book invites you to step out of your comfort zone, tear down your internal blockers, and follow the Ten Steps of Transformation, for a greater impact in your life, organization and society.
Join The Heart Revolution
Interview with Karen Tobiasen
What was the hardest scene from your book to write?
To be honest, when I wrote this book, the content of it was just bursting out of me. It felt almost as if my fingers struggled to keep up with my thoughts. I had so much to share, and so much I wanted to ‘discuss’ with my readers that it just flowed out of me. So I think the hardest part was less in writing something, and much more in the editing rounds that followed the writing.
A key part of the writing process was giving the initial version to some beta readers to read and give feedback on. An overwhelming amount of feedback came in asking me to bring even more of myself out in the stories that I include in the chapters – stories from my real life experiences.
It was hard on two levels – first of all really bringing vulnerability into play and putting myself completely out there for the world to read about. And also bringing myself into focus.
That said, now as I read the final product again, I really do appreciate my beta readers for calling it out and encouraging me out of my comfort zone. I think it really gives the book another level of richness to also see how the concepts come to life in reality – both successfully, and sometimes not successfully!
Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
I wrote The Heart Revolution because I believe that we need one. A revolution that is.
The thing is, I have been working with transformations for more than 20 years and I have seen so many transformations fade or fail. The waste that that creates for our businesses and us as human beings is significant. And I really don’t like waste.
Research backs up my experience also suggesting that the vast majority of transformations fail. Companies have shorter and shorter life spans. At the same time, as people we are living longer and longer but we are largely disengaged and unhappy.
I believe there is another way – to approach business and transformation. A way that creates more value than waste. That disrupts and enriches our lives as part of it.
That is the revolution the book calls for. That each of us, and business alike choose to place just as much focus on working as much on the inner dimensions of ourselves and our businesses – our mindsets, beliefs, behaviors, and culture – as we do the tangible dimensions of structures, processes, systems, material artefacts.
That’s a call that requires us to deliberately move ourselves from a mindset of fear, to a loving mindset. And that’s something we can all do, no matter where we are in our organization, our life, the world.
Because the matter of the fact is that any business transformation requires a human transformation
If you write in more than one genre, how do you balance them?
So far I have only written one book – though with plans for more. I don’t see myself diverging from this genre though. I truly enjoy being able to distill my own learnings through experience, and learnings of those around me, into something valuable for others.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I really enjoyed the community and collaboration that the book, and the writing process facilitated. And also the personal growth I experienced as I worked my way through it.
I thought authoring would be a very lonely life – but I so longed for it not to be true. And from the very beginning I knew that I wanted to book to be one created by a community. I might be the one holding the pen - but sharing thoughts, ideas, and wisdom from so many more. It is a big team effort to give wings to a book and bring it to life – and the revolution, the movement born already through the process.
But to trace the influence back to its origin for me would be my father. Inspiration, I realized, can come from very close to home. Beyond the great thought leaders that have managed to get their word and wisdom out to the world, I am also reminded of those that did not get to share so widely. Wonderful souls like my father to whom I have also dedicated the book. My father was a man of many talents. He was bright and wise at the same time – and yet because of his stage and exams anxiety that he never got help to solve, he never fully lived out his potential. He had so much more to contribute to the world, as I grew up with him, I felt the power and potential of that every day – but because he had fear of failure he stayed inside his comfort zone - which is what many of us do – not living life fully.
But not on Sundays. On Sundays he would write poems and stories - really living his talent.
I was scared as first, that I would not be able to be as good a writer as him. And in that fear I almost never started. But with a burning desire to bring the message out to many, I didn’t want to let myself stand in the way of making that happen. That’s what I mean by personal growth.
And many, many others have helped make the book a reality – contributing in each their own ways. Although I am not listing everyone here (there are so many!), my gratitude for them is immense. It takes a village to raise a child, as they say. And it is a pleasure to raise a child with the community.
What book that you have read has most influenced your life?
I have to cheat here and mention two!
Ego, Hunger and Aggression by E.S. Perls, the father of Gestalt Psychotherapy, gave me one of my favourite metaphors for life when he talks about chewing food: Chew it well, and ask yourself, “Do you want this? Do you like it?” and if the answer is no, then you spit it out. Or, in the case of life, taste it – and stop just accepting it – whether it is an unfulfilling job or misguided ambition.
The second is by one of my favourite minds to enter: the Danish philosopher, Soeren Kirkegaard. From Either/Or (of which I even have two copies of!) I learned that I am the only one that has the freedom and power to give my own life meaning. That my life is not defined by the labels we traditionally put on ourselves or other people, such as doctor, father, mother, nurse, or even senior vice president.
Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
I originally started my career as a nurse, caring for terminally ill AIDS patients. Seeing how differently people would meet death – whether embracing it having truly lived or facing it begrudgingly with regret – gave me existential insight into the importance of living fully, both personally and professionally. And this is really a huge source to my burning desire to help people discover that life, transformation, business can be so enriching!
Can you tell us something about your book that is not in the summary?
I hope that readers will realize that we are all capable of living lives and transformations of great enrichment – wherever we are in our lives, organizations, and world.
That we can do it by standing in acceptance – acceptance that transformation is a journey that never ends, and acceptance that it always starts with ourselves. And beyond acceptance is empowering ourselves out of fear with a loving mindset that overcomes a widely shared belief that transformations can only be led by certain people – the especially powerful, high-ranked, brave, or bold. That’s not true.
We can all be brave and bold transformers, stepping into the role of CEO starting with our own lives.
Transformation is simple but not easy. And that is why I have outlined the Ten Steps of Transformation in my book, The Heart Revolution. It allows you to take one step at the time in building your capacity to transform. It starts from the very foundation, and progresses you step by step through the journey until you are able to lead your own transformation, and also business transformations from wherever you are.
About the Author
Karen is a business executive, transformer and facilitator with 20+ years of experience in People, Culture and Transformation Leadership roles from several multinationals across industries.
She hates waste in all forms and shapes – and loves impact. That’s why she has a burning desire to help individuals and organizations to transform, disrupting their lives as a way to enrichment.
Karen is a self-proclaimed collector of the lightbulb moments, where people do things they never imagined they could. And she says she comes fully alive when deeply engaged in asking, listening to and sensing people – both what they’re saying and not saying.
She is lifelong student and learner, holding a bachelor’s in Economics – specialized in Organizational Development, an Executive MBA and a Masters in Gestalt Psychotherapy. But originally started her career as a nurse, caring for terminally ill AIDS patients. Seeing how differently people would meet death – whether embracing it having truly lived or facing it begrudgingly with regret – gave Karen existential insight into the importance of living fully, both personally and professionally.
Whatever the label though, working with people, their well-being and transformation has been the red thread throughout Karen’s life. And she is here to help everyone who wants to disrupt and enrich their lives – transforming through love and laughter – whether as individuals or whole organizations.
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