Influence Effortlessly - Introduction

This is the first article in my new Influence Effortlessly series, which is for leaders and teams ready to explore what really creates trust, clarity, and collaboration in practice.

Most teams try to improve results by improving processes, tools, and systems. What is often missing is flow, not in the process but between people.

This series is about regaining flow by working with the human side of collaboration and focusing on presence, truth, and connection. We will explore what it means to influence in a way that feels easy, why soft skills are key, and how our presence becomes the driving force of high-performing teams.

Could your leadership be effortless?
I believe it can - when you build it on trust, presence, and flow.

In agile communities, we have long focused on flow, collaboration, and learning. These elements form a continuous cycle of Kaizen. A philosophy of continuous improvement for value delivery.

But Kaizen is just half the story. What's missing is Ningenryoku - 人間力. It means "Human Power." It expands the focus to the human element. By including the human element in continuous improvement, you create a culture where collaborations deepen, conflicts are addressed, and difficult conversations become possible.

This is what creates real flow.

When you combine this with agile practices, you create conditions where leadership becomes effortless—where teams operate with clarity, trust, and shared direction.

But how do you do this?
This series will show you how to design a system that continuously teaches your people the skills to grow their Ningenryoku — their Human Power.

The system I will share with you is simple but transformative. When something isn't flowing, whether in a meeting, a relationship, or a process, we pause. We bring awareness to the underlying cause, deal with it, and return to work.

It is a human-first "stop-the-line" system.

In this series, I will guide you through the core components of The Human Element® - so you can include it, work with it, and build it into your team's way of being. When it becomes part of your system, part of your DNA - leadership becomes effortless.

Who am I?

I'm Andrea. I spent ten years as a programmer, writing code, solving problems, and building systems. Then I went on to develop, lead and coach teams and leaders. I specialised in Agile ways of working and Business Agility, helping teams reach Kaizen -_the Japanese principle of continuous improvement.

After 20+ years in tech, my path led me into human potential development and personal transformation. I believe we grow our human power through a conscious approach to life and leadership.

My approach is based on the belief that true change is a holistic process that integrates the physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions of our being.

How I work

I see this as a layered journey. The deepest work—self-exploration and energy alignment—builds the foundation for self-leadership, which influences what we feel and how we behave and helps us expand how we lead teams and organisations. When we connect with all parts of ourselves, we lead with authenticity, intuition, and impact and show up with a wholehearted and conscious presence.

My journey has involved a series of transformative experiences that have led me from a conventional career path to an unconventional path rooted in a deeper calling to guide others. I base my work on individual and relational therapy, professional coaching, and leadership development through Radical Collaboration®, The Human Element®, and my own Conscious Living & Leadership Model as a thinking model for all these perspectives.

I assist organisations and leadership groups in cultivating wholehearted workplaces with a conscious and mindful approach.

A note on perspective
I use tools grounded in decades of research, like Radical Collaboration® and The Human Element®, because they express what I’ve long felt in my work with teams and leaders.

I trust what emerges in the moment between us — not just what’s been studied, but what’s sensed and experienced.

My perspectives are shaped by what I’ve seen, felt, and learned, and more importantly, what is happening in the moment. I remain open to any viewpoint that expands or evolves them—and me. I see myself on a path of developing my own Ningenryoku.