“Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” George Bernard Shaw
REMIA comes from a dream I had back in February ‘98. REMIA stands for, Receive Embrace My I Am. It is also the word love in French which is aimer but reverse, REMIA.
Mission: To empower the young leaders to transform leadership of future generations by receiving and mastering leadership from the Inside Out…In essence, it is about Self-Mastery.
Receive Embrace My I AM!
REMIA is a leadership program that I founded and self-funded in 2004. The early participants were all past employees of mine who enjoyed being introspective and inquisitive about Self-Awareness. REMIA was designed for emerging leaders to get them in touch with their authentic Self, their soft power, and to connect them with their desires and gifts in order to chose a path that is aligned with who they truly are. Today’s society and media exude much pressure on our future generations to chase approval and power. As a consequence, many emerging leaders are denying what they really care to do. Moreover, many do not know if their pursuit of leadership roles matches what they care deeply about.
REMIA is about facilitating transformation and enhancing leadership skills. It is designed to instill a value-based mentality, to align leadership choices by embracing one’s Self and to create leaders who aspire to be authentic in their management and leadership. It is inviting greater self-awareness in one’s life.
I care to establish a personal connection with emerging leaders and to support them in their efforts. I have a strong intent to open the way for them so they can take pride in their leadership and the organizations that they will build. They are a group of leaders that is not well attended. Many have not been exposed to the wiser generation, have not been provided with guidance to define their values, have not been exposed to great organizations or great leadership role models. Many have also not been taught on how to effectively relate and connect to others. Most don’t know how to even connect to themselves.
There is a swirl of uncertainty for emerging leaders. They are yearning for a solid ground from which they can lead by example. Yet the examples they see most often in the media are not the most sterling. Furthermore, the current learning systems do not provide the means for emerging leaders to develop good management style where they are connected to their inner core.
REMIA Organizational Development
REMIA works to develop and cultivate the soft power of emerging leaders. Some programs are designed around lively discussions to foster trust and facilitate an open sharing of views, ideas, and fears. Other programs are more experiential and are created to bring awareness to the importance of listening with intent, retaining what is of essence, honoring the views of others, and speaking with an impeccable word. Some programs are structured around practices such as speaking with authenticity, observing without judgment, and noticing actions that are driven from the ego which most often transpire into manipulation, bold comments, abrupt management, and so forth. Some practices entice emerging leaders to be cognizant of the sources of their choices while making decisions.
The ultimate goal is to develop leaders who ascribe to purposeful leadership and who don’t associate compassion, respect and humility with weak leadership attributes.
Kabir Helminski, a friend and author of Living Presence, says: “Education as it is currently understood, particularly in the West, ignores the human soul, or essential Self. We are made to know ourselves; we are created for this self-awareness; we are fully equipped for it. What could be more important than to know ourselves? The education of the soul, or essential Self, is different from the education or the personality or the intellect. The education of the soul involves not only knowledge, but the realization of a presence that is our deeper nature and that includes attention, will, and self-transcendence…
“Humankind needs a spiritual philosophy that is equal to this explosion of technology and communication. We need a feeling for nobility and responsibility of being human, as we need an awareness of the unity of all life, or we will succumb to unconscious forces that will drag us down. Perhaps more than ever before, we need a way to activate and develop our latent humanity to balance the forces that challenge it.”
Testimonials
“You, Johanne, Call forth what is magnificent about people, within them. You have the ability to have them trust you and believe that they are magnificent. They become inspired and aspire to go out in the world with that belief. You are a change agent to make a difference.”
– Debra Martin, Coaches Training Institute (CTI)
“Johanne has a remarkable ability to inspire others to share with perfect honesty, overcome their own barriers, and find greater clarity for their purpose. Her dedication to her work comes from a sincere passion for guiding others in their quest for successful leadership and life skills. “
“I thoroughly enjoy the REMIA Circle with Johanne. I had been looking for an executive coach/advisor when I was introduced to the REMIA Circle. Johanne’s background experience, leadership and authenticity were a great fit. I have not only seen changes in my life since the first circle, but in many of the other members. I am looking forward to the upcoming year and becoming very clear of my focus in what I want to create in my life and the world as a whole.”
“I feel such tremendous support from our group and Johanne. It is such a comfort to have all of you.”
“For one of the first times in my life, I truly feel like I am handling the process of career transition with clarity and strength instead of letting the fear voices get the better of me! I know that some of this comes as we get older, but I attribute so much of this to the skills you have helped me to develop.”
“My monthly meetings with Johanne have been a grounding source amidst a very turbulent period of my life. As I have been navigating my way through a career transition along with trying to create balance in my personal life Johanne has provided valuable tools and insight in helping me achieve my goals. Being a part of her emerging leaders group has been a very positive experience and I look forward to the group continuing to grow and flourish!”
“I have reached a higher level in my professional life by working with Johanne and Remia. As a teacher I have more clarity and focus in my lesson planning which is also enabling my students to reap the rewards. Having renewed confidence and focus in my personal life as well keeps me looking forward to our next Remia gathering.”
“Johanne has a gift for helping people gain clarity based on *their own* priorities. I can count several very specific instances where Johanne’s role has helped me make very critical decisions in my career. She is undoubtedly the most important mentor I’ve had, and I am eternally grateful.”
“I’ve been attending Remia gatherings for more than a year now. Johanne has assembled a dynamic and diverse group of young professionals that meets monthly to discuss issues of leadership, communication, ethics, and much more. She adeptly facilitates discussions that often stem from personal and professional challenges faced by one or more members of the group. The emphasis is on the personal, but the context is professional – how individual development can, and will, improve the corporate world.
“I always leave the gatherings feeling inspired. But even after that feeling wears off, it’s the day-to-day practices of Remia that continue to make a difference.”