Did you know that when employees feel their leaders don’t genuinely care about their well-being—beyond performance metrics—organizations experience a 30% drop in productivity and 25% higher turnover?
The cost isn’t just financial. It’s cultural. Teams become disengaged. Burnout becomes the norm. And long-term sustainability is put at risk.
At Exceptional Leadership Solutions, we believe the solution isn’t more oversight or strategy decks. It’s a transformation from within.
Because when leaders become exceptional—self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and committed to empowering others—everything changes: performance, retention, and the culture people are proud to be part of.
Discover the transformative power of expert-led coaching and training. Whether you're looking to enhance your leadership skills, increase team productivity, or drive organizational growth, our tailored programs are designed to meet your specific needs.
Dr. hc Carmen Paredes, founder of Exceptional Leadership Solutions, helps leaders develop an Invincible Mindset to overcome challenges and lead with confidence. IAOTP Top Corporate Leader of the Year, and a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, 2X TEDx speaker, and best-selling author, she blends executive expertise with actionable strategies to elevate leadership, endurance and long term success of teams in high performing workplaces.
Carmen has been featured in 4 published books including the best-selling book: FEMPower
The Podcast where we dive deep into Leadership Transformation
I’m Dr. hc Carmen Paredes, the visionary behind
Exceptional Leadership Solutions and my mission is to elevate leaders and transform workplaces into high-performing environments where employees feel motivated to consistently deliver their best. Through intuitive and intentional leadership techniques, I help leaders overcome inefficiencies in team dynamics, driving measurable outcomes like increased engagement, productivity, and profitability
.
With over two decades of executive leadership experience, I’m passionate about sharing proven leadership principles and actionable strategies that have delivered exceptional results across industries and around the world.
As a Latina leader, I take pride in breaking barriers and paving the way for others. I’ve been honored as IAOTP’s Top Corporate Leader of the Year, received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, and taken the stage as a
2X TEDx speaker, United Nations speaker, and award-winning keynote speaker. I'm also a
multiple times best-selling author and honorary doctorate honoree, with a diverse background that includes an Engineering degree, an MBA, and a coaching certification accredited by the National Board of Certified Counselors.
I believe that great leadership starts from within
—and I’m here to help leaders master that inner game to create lasting impact.
Carmen’s leadership workshop was a game-changer for our team. She doesn’t just teach leadership—she transforms
how you lead. The WITHIN framework gave us practical tools to boost morale, productivity, and communication. We walked away feeling empowered, aligned, and ready to lead with purpose.
Working with Carmen has been nothing short of transformational. Her coaching helped me unlock strengths I didn’t even know I had. She’s part strategist, part soul guide, and fully committed to your growth. I now lead with more presence, confidence, and intention.
Carmen brings such a powerful mix of insight, empathy, and strategy. Her workshop didn’t just check a box—it sparked meaningful change in our leadership culture. I highly recommend her for any organization ready to elevate their people and performance.
I’m embarrassed to admit I was a procrastinator. Yes, even with all my success, I procrastinated a lot.
I found I procrastinated to feel the accelerating emotions that came to me when I had no time to get something important done. It was as if I was subconsciously trying to create a situation similar to the hunger games.
Not everyone procrastinates for the same reason. My oldest, for example, procrastinates because he perceives it as incredibly painful to actually do something that he doesn’t prefer to do.
With over 20 years of leadership experience, I have realized that the different reasons people procrastinate are directly related to their core childhood wounds.
As I started to look into myself and seek to understand my soul, I realized that my childhood wounds made a person that challenges and protects to feel safe, aka Enneagram type 8.
Even though my teams and I always had the utmost productivity of all teams around, I found that sometimes I would push myself into procrastination to challenge the world and prove that I can do it at the last minute… and as a leader, sometimes I procrastinated to protect my team from tasks that were controversial.
I learned this language with the Enneagram System, and applying this framework with my teams gave me an unfair perspective.
All of a sudden, I could see through my team. I could tell what projects, what asks, what situations would trigger them into procrastination too… and that changed everything!!!
Procrastination is a complex behavioral pattern where an individual delays starting or completing tasks, often resulting in stress, anxiety, and potentially underperformance. It affects most people in one way or another.
"Procrastination isn't just about being lazy; it's a silent rebellion against our aspirations, a choice to delay our own success."
- Carmen Paredes
This insight has transformed how I address procrastination within myself and my teams, shifting from frustration to understanding and strategic action.
When I work with companies and leaders, hidden procrastination is one of the things that come up, and I help them address it as it’s the number one killer of productivity and motivation.
Today, I want to share 5 surprising signs that you might be a procrastinator:
Prioritizing low-value tasks: Often filling your day with low-priority tasks instead of tackling significant, impactful ones.
Persistent avoidance: Leaving an item on your to-do list for a long time, even though it’s important.
Waiting for the perfect moment: Consistently waiting to be in the "right mood," or waiting for the "right time" to tackle a task.
Misjudging time: Regularly underestimating or overestimating the time it takes to complete tasks.
End-of-day dissatisfaction: Frequently ending your day feeling like you didn’t accomplish anything meaningful.
There are various types of procrastination, each associated with different triggers and motivations. For example, some procrastinate due to fear of failure, while others might procrastinate due to fear of success. Understanding your specific procrastination type can provide insights into the underlying reasons.
Procrastination Examples:
Emotional avoidance: Avoiding tasks that cause emotional discomfort, like calling a disgruntled client.
Perfectionism: Not starting a task until you can do it perfectly.
Overwhelm: Feeling so overwhelmed by the scope of a project that you can’t find a starting point.
I invite you to look deep and reflect if you see any of these signs within you or your team.
Do any of these signs resonate with you or someone you know? How do you plan to overcome these challenges? Share your thoughts below!
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savings?
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goals?
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best?
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preserving my wealth?
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financial consultants?
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