Life is hard but it doesn’t have to be.
At the core we all have a true self. Because we learned shame early in life we covered up our beautiful true nature with what we often call our “personality”. Our personality is just a bunch of patterns we have created to cover up our inner shame and thus our true nature, our beautiful self. We become attached to a false idea of how we should appear to others and how we should appear to ourselves. We also become attached to ideas of how others should be. This is not reality. It is only our idea of how reality should be. When we become attached to our idea of reality rather than seeing reality in the beautiful present moment, we suffer.
Becoming a wise leader is about serving others and living a fulfilling and happy life.
This journey as a psychologist in seeing hundreds and hundreds of people over the last 20 years has brought me a significant and deep understanding of human beings and human nature. The tools and lessons I have learned have been hard won by my mistakes and failures but they are rich and effective.
I have consulted with and counseled many leaders over the years. Leadership is not only about gaining the tools to lead others it is about character. It is about becoming the person you would want to follow. There is a significant amount of letting go and a deep understanding of attachment if one is to become a wise leader.
The lessons I have learned.
I remember as a little girl helping my grandmother wash communion glasses in our little Methodist church. The lessons I learned from her, those of faith and serving others have been enduring. The journey from that time to now has included 25 years of Buddhist and eastern thought. Early on I learned that studying this wisdom is not necessarily a religion but a modern day psychology that informs and enhances one’s spiritual life. I am a senior student of Buddhism having studied at Spirit Rock Meditation Center for over 20 years with Jack Kornfield and for the last two years I have been doing retreats and studying at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. Primary teacher there is Ajahn Amaro. Being mindful, letting go of attachment, embracing vulnerability and living in the moment are guideposts on the way to a grounded, equanimous life for me and I want to share them with you.
Things I love.
I love to sleep late but often wake early. I get an idea late at night and then stay up late reading or writing about it.
I love what I do and I would do it even if people didn’t pay me for it.
I love adventure and change where I live often. I have lived in Houston, Seattle, Austin, Florida, Cape Cod, Plymouth, Gig Harbor, Vashon Island just to name a few. Next stops hopefully, Scotland, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Europe.
Even though I am an ENFP on the MBTI, I shy away from lots of social activity preferring instead a few friends and family.
Art and Poetry:
I love to paint peoples faces. I usually either draw or paint in watercolor.
People look at me strangely when I talk about poetry. It is a real passion for me. I love poets like William Stafford, James Wright, Mary Oliver and David Whyte.
Studying Buddhism and meditation changed my life.
I love sweet things like salted caramels, chocolate, Texas Fudge Cake. Consequently, I am always trying to lose a few pound
I am so grateful for my family.
My two daughters, my grandchildren are all true and caring human beings. We love dogs in our family and consider them kindred spirits and sentient beings. Namo, Bella, Stella, Noel 1 and 2, Muffin, Chance, Einstein, Abercrombie, Jesse, Pitty-Pat 1 and 2 have traveled through our lives and left a place in our hearts. Now, I am besotted with my dog (Besame Mucho) Bessie, a sweet, 12lb, Havanese
My Bio Judith F Kennedy, PhD
Judy has been a licensed psychologist and business consultant for over twenty years working with individuals and leaders to build satisfying, effective lives and relationships as well as successful businesses. She has a passion for helping people develop stronger relationships with themselves and important people in their lives, helping leaders develop themselves and also their teams. She works with many dual career and professional couples in creating strong lasting, happy relationships.
She has given countless workshops for leaders, executives and couples and is a sought after speaker for conferences and seminars.She is a consultant to business owners and executives and is a trusted advisor to many top leaders. She has worked with many well known family businesses.
She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston. Her masters work concentrated in Behavioral Sciences, Marriage and Family studies. A Psychologist for over twenty years, she specializes in leadership and relationship.
She held senior leadership positions in the oil industry, in the advertising industry and in a national consulting firm and has been an award winning teacher. This business experience coupled with a PhD in psychology, gives her a unique perspective into the psychological dynamics of being human and leading others.
She has studied at renowned organizations and with world class leaders and teachers such as the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT, Creativity and structural dynamics with Robert Fritz, as well as Steven Stosny, Harville Hendrix, Terry Real, David Schnarch and many others in the relationship therapy field. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Washington State Psychological Association, and The National Register of Health.
Clients have included: national accounting firms, major advertising agencies, international engineering firms, national insurance companies, health management organizations, biotech, management consulting firms, major food companies, law enforcement agencies and many others.
With a key focus on leadership effectiveness, her work has been instrumental in the development of key senior executives and executive teams including the following:
Organization consultation:
- Executive coaching to senior executives Executive assessment and selection for hiring and promotion.
- Dialogue sessions for senior management teams based on the MIT model in creating Learning Organizations.
- Leadership development, succession planning and implementation.
Relationship strategies:
- Alignment of the CEO with the management team
- Organizational behavior and client perception
- Employee engagement and organizational dynamics
- High level personal counseling with senior executives