Clifton Strengths Coach Kyle Johann-Baker has created a podcast called Love, Your Strengths so that we can work, live and learn from our Strengths and not our Weaknesses. Each episode is like a love letter to each piece of your unique strengths.

In this episode, I'm redefining my top Clifton Strength, Responsibility as a liberating force rather than a burden.

I highlight the importance of playfulness in navigating responsibilities, encouraging YOU to approach them with curiosity, creativity, and a sense of adventure.

By reframing responsibility as an opportunity for expansion and self-discovery, this episode invites listeners to consider how embracing responsibility can unlock their true potential and open doors to a more fulfilling life.

This blog post includes the episode links and full transcription. 

Listen to the episode below:

TRANSCRIPTION

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

responsibility, strengths, petra, possibility, creating, work, thinking, leadership, responsible, life, change, questions, plugged, ways, leaning, learned, coming, allowing, liberation, share

SPEAKERS

Kyle Johann-Baker, Petra Vega

Kyle Johann-Baker  00:13

precisely this past year driving or you may feel like you're thriving and create additional growth and tools to sustain your wealth. However, he finds you, we honor that and celebrate the strengths that lie with those that are completely yours and that nobody can take from the settlement and attach possibilities. If you need to consider inspiration that we're especially glad you're always remember you are here you are your strings the citizens love your strings. I'm so excited to have Petra Vega. Here today Petra is a Queer Black Puerto Rican from a tiny town in upstate New York after years of being told she should be seen and not heard at home and world decided to blame her. After learning about layered compression, that recovery outside of doing the inner and outer work, questioning, healing and disrupting as the founder of create more possibilities LLC. Petra helps marginalize nonprofit leaders in transforming the self doubt you getting in the way of them in a way that feels good for them being there as a liberatory leadership, emergent strategist, facilitator and radical social workers Petra entire question approach trauma and healing tools with playful possibilities of support from marginalized, so leading from a place of liberation, not perfection. After its top five strengths our responsibility later input and empathy, Petra Vega welcome to the podcast. I am so happy to have you here today and have this conversation together.

Petra Vega  02:29

I'm excited to be here. Thank you.

Kyle Johann-Baker  02:31

So I mean, I've read your bio, I'd love to know a little bit more about your bio.

Petra Vega  02:38

So I'm sharing earlier I live in New York City on Munsee Lenape and I live with my kitten who can you see on Instagram, I'm very inspired by her and my partner. It is very hot. beginning of July and it is

Kyle Johann-Baker  02:55

I love that idea of just being inspired by like your kitten. Or like my kitten like I have a dog and just like often inspired motivated by life approach that live. Just love that idea that blocking that. So, you know we love to talk about one strength in each episode. What strength would you like to talk about today? Responsibility. This is such a great treat to get to talk about today. As you know we'd love to ground ourselves. Start with a textbook definition of what responsibilities and then we'll continue to expand from that. So people who are exceptionally talented and the responsibility to take ownership of what they say they will do. They're committed to the state to stable values such as honesty and loyalty. You know, this definition it is a rounding place. This is a point zero that we're starting with. So Petra, tell me about what this string means to you and even how it shows up for you.

Petra Vega  04:08

Totally, I think I've been doing leadership development and capacity building my background is going to be organizing and so really supporting the development and leadership potential for a while but it wasn't until I started my business that I started to think about, like what is leadership needs? And so very interesting as I'm preparing for this contest, I was thinking about the ways like Oh, it's so clear that the way that I see leadership it's about is a process of being responsible for itself and responsive. Right and really embracing the responsibility that it comes to identifying as a leader or trying to grow as a leader. I think that's often the thing that gets us in so I really hope that part of the sharing will help us kind of shift the responsibility. Because I think the first part is how I define leadership and really being responsive to yourself first to try out. I think another piece is really around how I've learned to be really, really dedicated to my commitments, really, that I need to really be protective over my fingers. And even like as you're preparing for United credit. I remember you inviting me to come have a chat with you. And that was a point in my life and I was like I have this right because responsibilities report to me and I was like, if I'm going to share spaces, if I'm going to commit to get to know someone I want to make sure that I've been mindful. I think that's another route where that responsibility shows up for me is that I really am really not going to entertain or do things that I've really not committed to doing.

Kyle Johann-Baker  05:35

No, I I mean, you are jumping coal into this expansive approach to like responsibility, because I think some people will see responsibility simply as I say that I'm going to do something I am responsible and good for my word. But there's also this responsibility that you have to yourself, to your energy to your environment and people that are a part of it. Making sure that you're in a place where you show up for the person that you really want the person they are.

Petra Vega  06:13

Totally, totally and I think because particularly depending on whoever's listening and what that means. For him. Our identities, there's a burden that often impacts right, like I'm also the oldest, right? So there's a service sponsibility that I was socialized into my fifth way that I've been able to really shift that is like, what am I really committing to right versus what other people expected. And I think that's really important as well if you are trying to retain you're trying to do something different in your organization and your business is generally what have a relationship with people. There's a certain way in which you have to be responsible for what's your stuff, how you're coming into things. And then for me again, it's really about being responsive. So what's the input part of my screen? Because like, what are people giving to you? Right? How do you make sense?

Kyle Johann-Baker  07:03

Yeah, no, I love that. You've been thinking about just how are you going to show up today and how are you going to be present versus like, I was a sociology major in college. So I'm always thinking about like, what are the systems? What does society say that we need to do? How is it impacting us? And then there's also about like, how we are creating change, pushing forward towards creating more just society that allows people to really have their own power. Totally, totally. You know, I, I will, I'm going to assume and believe that there are so many different stories, examples that you can provide with this. But I'm curious about how this strengths shows up for you in your business in the work that you do, especially if you have a story that you think really exemplifies responsibility.

Petra Vega  07:58

Absolutely. And so I think one of the pieces that I found in the way that responsibility is satisfied, is really around volunteering for more responsibility, even if you don't have the experience that someone would say that you should be doing that responsibility. I found that so interesting in my research, and I thought about like, what are the ways that that shows up in the work that I do with other folks around like just something that I want to try there's a shift or whenever there's something that I feel called to do, but I don't have evidence of that be possible. That's why. What else is there? And part of that is really leading into this responsibility for me and thinking about a moment where I was working at a nonprofit organization that was a program manager there supervising between Around 15 people than thinking about how in the beginning of 2020 I started this job less than six months ago very greed and stuff happened where I had to become the interim director for almost a year there and thinking about like, this apparent like you did not hire me for this role, but these are the circumstances right and someone someone needs to step up and that's really like, let's figure it out. I'm very much like never failure, always a lesson. That's never a good strategy, practice and thinking about like, okay for me, what are the things that I would need in order for me to hold this as possibility? And it gets any responses to this new level of work? And like, what accountability do I need? And I'm thinking about, like, again, what responsibilities in the most layman's terms it's really about, like, what are you responsible for doing like what are your tasks and needing to think that through and I think often is weird, particularly for supervising or managing people? We're so focused on what our work is doing. But for me, it's always been around like, well, how are you developing someone else's growth? And so really, at that point, when I was competing to take on more, more different work that I was assigned to do that I have thought about, like okay, how to make sure other people successful so that I can even be more successful really having that collectivist attitude. And so you need to create a write up over like, What am I, what am I holding you accountable to right, so here are the things that I've learned from you as well and how that really, really set the bedrock in that role. That independent a global pandemic. Our generation has not been able to do that and still have people say, I've never felt this connected. And like, none of those things seem like they would work but for me, I'm really thinking about like, people really need to know what they're what they're being held to, and they have proper channels around like Instagram, for me really creating some kind of a structure around like, what am I building? allowed for that, right? So again, really leaning into the responsibility around like, just work, we have to show up, we have to do a thing. How do we do that in a way that can be dynamic, that can be a pain again, so that people are like, Oh, wow, I've had the world is in shambles, but I still so connected to the people.

Kyle Johann-Baker  10:54

I love and even as you're talking about that, I hear a lot of this bowls. You're holding different competing ideas, recognizing that like they're both consistent. And when it comes to responsibility. You're recognizing Yes, like I'm responsible for this. And how do I like to navigate these waters? Because I think that that's one of those things, especially with the pandemic, there was a lot of water we find need to be doing and being able to balance especially with like a high responsibility approach. It's not, there's not always.

Petra Vega  11:34

Absolutely. I think it's also kind of like when I'm thinking about what are the what are the myths and what's tied responsibility I think around this is not perfection because my name is so often in my work around. I think we I think we believe if we want to try out something It must be because we've perfected the way to do it. Well, for me, it's like it's just a leaning in. It's an experimentation like there's so much so much of the way that I see change and leadership is is being playful Right? Like what if like our workplaces were the absolute what experiments I would if our leadership was like, a metaphor for the playground like what we try to do that we'd like if we skinned our knees, it's okay, if there's whitening coming, right someone somebody's gonna be there for you. And also, how do you show up in a way that's like, yes, so let's get their needs but we're gonna be, it's gonna be okay.

Kyle Johann-Baker  12:21

I love that analogy. But like it'd be like they're like with this approach with the work that you do the way that you believe with responsibility like, there is pointman that's coming afterwards. And I think that's such a kind, caring, thoughtful way and permission to try and navigate waters that have been

Petra Vega  12:44

totally totally and so what I really hope that people can take away from this right is thinking about like, what are the conditions right because I want to be really real and depending on listening, Ripley's might not be displaying it might very well mean that like if I'm going to appear, I'm going to leave this responsibility thing. It needs to be right. I think really having someone that can provide a a way like how you're sharing around this old man, it's like that, that could very well be true. And also you're about something that says if you're about to, there's something's gonna need to shift the challenge probably. And if you if you've never seen that if you start looking for that evidence that was really important around like, the ways in which people have been teased before how can I create my own dividends are not just relying on like, what this system is telling me. My parents are telling me someone who really doesn't care about my growth development is telling me but I'm really like motivating my own evidence of like, this is a way that I get to talk about it.

Kyle Johann-Baker  13:46

I think what's neat is that you're really building how you I mean, there's a difference between what a textbook definition of what somebody an outsider doesn't have the responsibility, they may hear responsibility and think, like you said, perfection. They're responsible to do. Well, every time I can just pass it to them and everything will be great. No shame, no worry, but what do you do? This is why I work with people and have conversations about how to find your definition of what spring is because when it comes to your responsibility, your responsibility is it really creating possibility, creating more options and creating cultivating the space that allows us to do that and figure out how do we break out of these systems of oppression and figure out ways to do work that is more supportive of all of us, not just the dominant culture? Absolutely.

Petra Vega  14:45

Absolutely.

Kyle Johann-Baker  14:54

Have you ever wanted to influence what gets talked about on a podcast? Well, today is your chance. We are collecting questions wonderings and thoughts for what to cover on our podcast episodes. Whether your question is about how to use a strength, how to apply your strengths towards career development, or accounts that you're running into life and you wonder constraints help me out with this. Go to the show notes or the description of this podcast episode, and click the link to submit your questions for the podcast. It'll send me an email and I'll probably even reply African up more questions. Thanks for doing this. And we're so excited to cover these questions that you have and add to our community as we explore and love our strengths. You know, I'd be curious to hear, I mean, especially in this journey, because I'm sure it's been a journey with getting to this place, how have you invested in your strengths and like invested in responsibility so that it can grow it really felt like it's a strength for you?

Petra Vega  16:11

I think if you said I want to share it really kind of leans on me being an introvert that I am someone who really like I feel nourished and re energized by having space to myself, I give myself exquisite attention. And I think for folks who may be leaders or may really lean into this responsibility for that may be like, Oh, it's only front facing there's so many things when dealing with people there's so many things I'm doing in an extrovert kind of way. And so I want to share around just like the balancing or either there is work to do in front of the public and also like, private stuff, right? So for me, I'm really serious around my ritual. What are my practices where are the things I need to prepare? Like even for this interview, I'm very serious about my handle. I have an Octavia Butler, going. She has taught me all about change. And so reading science fiction, that I really believe in the ways that science fiction can allow us to be farther beyond our current reality that again, this this new track, feeding more possibilities and thinking about like, how am I being responsible with exposing myself to other ways of thinking other ways of being beyond my current state and also wanting to make sure that I am also witnessing my current reality like how am I experiencing my life and so I have said these remember spirit is having zero journaling, right? If you're someone who benefits from therapy or coaching like that's something that I want to make sure that I have right or like, some collective care and some of these via rodwin, getting written, getting ready for how I want to show up in the world. It's really like a daily practice, like Sunday's are very serious in terms of like, what do I need? Right? And that might be a little more important to myself, so that I have

Kyle Johann-Baker  17:53

the, I think those are such fun ways that you engage in the practice so that it allows like, it'd be really these are normal practices. These are holistic care approaches that allow you to show up and make it so that you have like, you have the guidance that you need to be responsible and I think, my favorites, I mean, okay, it doesn't have to be like I just really liked this and something that I don't do. This is what I love about these facilities. And the ways to do this, but how you talked about the science, reading science fiction as a way to like create more possibility to think about that because when I think of science fiction, like these are alternate realities and different worlds where there's so much possibility of what could be these things that sometimes feel eons away, but also at the same time, they're just like they're just right across the street. And days away is a possibility.

Petra Vega  18:56

And I think I remember that one of your strengths is Futuristic, so this is right up your alley, in terms of like, what's, what is there for tomorrow? And I think for so many of the people that I work with around social change and social justice that people are like, the world is going to end and I'm like, you will, right like It's like they don't end for us, but like what are we doing while we're here? And so that's really what I'm interested in thinking about like okay, what will be said about my life, right what will be said about like, how I related to other people will will be said about the impact that I'm leaving, and not that I need to be like Nelson Mandela, right, but color and people's lives will get better because the way I treated them that was basically Asami to myself. It's monumental to me.

Kyle Johann-Baker  19:38

Yeah. And I loved that line that you draw with futuristic and responsibility in these ways that it's I mean, for both of us, like they're centered in like creating, creating a future where you're really allowed to like be yourself or are like, not faced with the same oppression and creating systems that are really supportive of others because we all deserve to have a life where we are understood. Er, I'd like to see for like who we truly really

Petra Vega  20:13

that's why I really focusing my work around ledger pressing, like, what are the wizards getting in? Right? Because for me, I'm like, Freedom isn't freedom. And liberation isn't only just one tomorrow. Right? And so we really seeing the choice of like, oh, I can do something on a Sunday for me. Even if you're like I can do something for me for five minutes. Like that is a new reality. That's another possibility. If you live your whole life, under responsibility, meaning I'd rather write do what's expected of me when I see it as a burden. Michael Porter that way as your own freedom by the self definition, right, how you tie you started with us around like yours, the textbook version, what does it mean to do that, right? That's, that is another another opportunity for us to get our reality through tough definition.

Kyle Johann-Baker  21:03

Yes. Because I mean, like really IQ see that and the work that I do strengths is like we are finding liberation. We are not here to be held by the shackles of the way that like a man has defined what strengths are. What we're here to do is we're figuring out like, okay, but like what is this mean for you? And how can we make this work for you? You don't need to take everything that we are told. We are able to like latch on to and our like our soul, our lifeforce moment and teach you to be drawn towards it, and other people will be drawn towards us as our own energy our way we are inspiring as we are able to show up in our own energy and in our own springs.

Petra Vega  21:48

I love it and and I don't I don't know if people who are listening but again, it's we're on that side of this having so many so many the matrix images. They get around, like being like what's the outlet that we're plugged into again, I love a metaphor, right but really thinking about like, what are what are you Where are you getting your life works, right even that phrase that you I mean I'm gonna think about that frozen. Words connected to I love that,

Kyle Johann-Baker  22:16

though. I mean, it's part of that like that giving yourself that I love attention that you give yourself recognizing where like really trying to visualize where are you plugging into is Instagram stealing all of your time is that seeing what other people are doing in their lives and saying that's what I've been instead of focusing on? Like, what are you actually drawn towards what is going to help you really authentic to yourself and live your life rather than somebody else's? By having that wisdom attention to yourself. You can find some of those moments and guide yourself into that

Petra Vega  22:55

and tell the people

Kyle Johann-Baker  22:57

were telling the people, okay, so I'd love to know what are you looking forward to you in life and your business really like? What's coming up for you?

Petra Vega  23:11

Share by the business as I think about like, again, articulating what libera through leadership is as I continue to work with more people and continue to reflect on my own experience, what I've seen around what's working and what's working right now, I'm working on the interim one on one for a trip around there for three to seven days. And so really elaborating on this news around like, I think that we go into, you know, our workplace to the work that we're dealing with all of this, right, all this stuff that we're plugged into, and I think about this stuff is like what's the stuff that we were in order to survive, right and then work in workplaces and or how we're working in a particular kind of way, and I want to really help us what are the things that we are coming into it so that I really believe in ways that have resulted for the barista, that specifically about like, what are those skills but also important to our spirits needs so that we can start? Getting people to play with it and experience it.

Kyle Johann-Baker  24:23

have workshops and collaborate with organizations on this process. So I've written workshops in

Petra Vega  24:39

place after this point again around this play piece that intro works on their top talking about that'll probably either a workshop or webinars or something interested in kind of playing in there were possibilities and I would love to bring this to the organization working with folks around like what, where are we? What are what are we plugged into? What's her life where it's plugged into and how do we unplug and get plugged into the thing that we really like? That's really what I most enjoy is helping people. Think about what this is what I don't want to play attached to like, what do we want though? And then how do we get there? That's what I love. If you don't follow up

Kyle Johann-Baker  25:19

Petra, like online on the internet yet, you want to make sure you can get there the work and the liberation, the petro dollar option. So, like there's I know right like that doesn't always happen. Sometimes. It's like an untapped like, next level like I often read what Petra has to say. And there's so many great nuggets of wisdom and ways that you can continue to visualize and see why, why we work with Petra and why we find that liberation and how it's really this co creative processes working together and create more possibilities together.

Petra Vega  26:00

To bring you on tour I used to send ourselves festival this tagline of please do I mean that's

Kyle Johann-Baker  26:07

that's what I love about this stuff is that really exemplifies what you do best through our strengths and we get this other lens way to articulate what we do best and why people want to collaborate with us why people want to bring us into their organization or even just have a conversation, work one on one together because there's so much that happens. There's so much that I've learned in this short meeting time that we've had together recording this but there there's even more Think of what can happen as you actually work. I know I know. We're here for a year. That being said, like any final thoughts that you want to share with everybody as we close out our time together. Yeah,

Petra Vega  26:56

I think that I wanted to share this with the top but then I something else inspired something. But what I offer is an invitation that I usually have during my workshops, frankly chats. Is this invitation around the values yourself to be changed. I really think that there is as we are figuring out who we are thinking about what we want, that we want and try to find the human that can help us get there. That's peace around allow yourself to be really important. To me in terms of that co creation process. And so it's inviting you that there might be something that you're like wait a minute to get that back or just kind of that kind of ending this interstate with this change. Right. Like you said, there's a conversation, a book, a movie, something changes in this and I just want to bring our attention to it. So I hope we allow ourselves to change today.

Kyle Johann-Baker  27:46

You give me chills, that I'm definitely gonna I mean, I wrote in my little notebook here, but I want to put it somewhere a little more presence of allowing yourself to be changed because just that little reminder and allows us to step into be the person that are really seeking to and be open when when you don't know what wisdom or opportunity is gonna come over to us just really allowing, allowing for possibility. Okay, like is what we're doing.

Petra Vega  28:23

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being here.

Kyle Johann-Baker  28:26

Last question, just reiterating for folks. Where do you like to hang out online?

Petra Vega  28:34

say hi on Instagram. I am at a Create More Possibilities.

Kyle Johann-Baker  28:39

Check the bio, show notes for all the links to connect with Petra. So happy to have you here.