Lynne Forbes-Zeller

1. After taking the Lahl and Egan Whole Person Awareness Assessment (WPAA)
describe your current relationship with each aspect of yourself.
a. Intellect
i. I have an excellent capacity for knowledge and understanding. I am
passionate about learning and enjoy intellectual growth and
opportunities to challenge my thinking.
b. Emotion
i. My emotional intelligence has grown, particularly over the last four
years because of applied learning, professional experiences
(challenges), and as a result of my knowledge more about my inner
self. I am more aware of how my emotions impact other people. I
have developed skills to help me regulate my emotions while
navigating through difficult situations. I am working on being more
vulnerable to help me connect on a deeper level.
c. Intuitive
i. Intuition is a strength. However, there are still occasions that I
pause when I feel unsure/insecure, and a big decision is riding on
my guidance. There have been situations when my instincts are
correct, and I don’t speak up or act due to fear of repercussions
from toxic people.
d. Spiritual
i. I feel very aligned with my spirituality and hope to deepen the
integration between my spirituality and my OD work.
2. When have you experienced yourself as powerful? What do you do to sustain your
power? What is the impact of your power on others?
I view power as influence. I am most powerful when I affect change to achieve a goal or
outcome that I or others desire. I have experienced myself as powerful when my
contributions can influence the actions or thoughts of others for positive results. To
sustain power, I must understand myself as a change instrument. I must know my
strengths and weaknesses and build trust in others. The accuracy with which I sustain
power is linked to how well I know and understand myself, my understanding of the
 Lynne Forbes-Zeller

organization and individuals I work with and being guided by compassion and empathy
towards others. The impact of my influence on others is positive. My work is meaningful;
it has a purpose and my focus to help others succeed drives my goodwill.
3. Who has been a key mentor in your life? What drew you to them? How have they
influenced you?
I have not had a career mentor. I have looked for a mentor, but I was unable to find
anyone that I respected and that took mentorship seriously. Having a mentor would be
terrific. The only individual I can identify that was like a mentor was my great aunt,
DeeDee. She was a close advisor and guide for the first fifteen years of my life. She
influenced my spirituality, personal style and interests, and my values.
Other than Jesus Christ, if I were to select a person that has a strong influence as a
professional guide, it is Brene Brown.
What drew me to Brene is her care and concern for others and her wisdom. What
inspired me to follow and learn from Brene is her vulnerability and authenticity, style of
communication, her heart for people and outspokenness about connection and
belonging, and finally her research. She has played an essential part in my journey. She
has given me a new language, modeled how to be courageous, to show up and be
authentic, to accept that not everyone will like or understand me, admit that I am a
fallible human being, and it is all ok. It is because of her teaching that I developed the
courage and understanding to risk having difficult conversations. She has been a guide
to help me experience other relationships on a deeper level and taught me how to help
others experience my and their true self.
4. What, if anything, do you fear about entering the MSOD program? Describe any
challenges that you think you may encounter.
I do not have any fears about entering the MSOD program. The MSOD program is part
of a continuum of steps in a career change. I am confident this is where I should be. I
anticipate the most significant challenge will be remembering and applying all that I
have learned.
5. Without being humble, describe what you value most about yourself.
 Lynne Forbes-Zeller

I am empathetic to the concerns and needs of others. I am also an encourager; I can

help others see different perspectives, and with work, their circumstances can change
for the better.
I also value that I chose to be trustworthy and live a life of integrity in both my personal
and professional interactions.
6. What personal or professional capacity have you been longing to develop?
On a personal level, continuing to work on having courage in challenging situations and
during challenging conversations. Knowing when to speak up. Helping other individuals
dare to speak up, to do the right thing, even when they fear reprisal.
On a professional level, I am very interested in coaching and leadership development.
After completing the MSOD program, I have three professional goals. I want to earn a
PCC credential through the International Coaching Federation. I seek to become a
Brain-Based Coach and finish The Foundations of NeuroLeadership certifications
through NLI. I have not done a thorough search for certifications related to
neuroperformance, interpersonal and social neuroscience. I would like to understand
the neuroscience of high-trust organizations. These areas of study are of great interest;
I would like to pursue expertise in these areas. Ultimately, I would like to acquire this
knowledge and develop these skills to help individuals face and successfully overcome
the challenges they face in their professional lives and their community.