Leah Dean - Founder and CEO Conduit International Ltd. & Author, Assemble The Tribe

Leah Dean

Leah Dean is the Founder and CEO of Conduit International Ltd. (trading as leah jm dean) a leadership and professional development firm that offers coaching, experiences, and consulting services aimed to help women and shift their mindset about the power of support and gain confidence and clarity to lead, thrive, and level up in their personal and professional lives. 

She regularly hosts events and workshops that bring women from around the world together to learn to develop personal, professional and tribe-building skills. Leah believes that when we find our tribes, we can do great things. She is the founder of Designed for Impact and Young Original Unstoppable - a conference and event series for women and girls respectively; as well as Pay It Forward Bermuda - a movement created to inspire Bermuda residents to spread kindness. 

As former HR and Shared Services Executive Leah has led teams around the world and worked with boards and leaders to build high performing teams and organizations. Leah has served on various public and not for profit boards in Bermuda and is a member of the National Speaker’s Association and WeSpeak. Leah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Insurance and a Master’s degree in Risk Management from St. John’s University. Leah is married to Terrance Dean and they have two hilarious kids - Tristan and Taylor.

I’m so excited for you to connect with Leah, check out her work and new book, and follow along as she continues to connect people and inspire positive change.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

I am Leah JM Dean. I am an Entrepreneur, Tribe Formation Expert, HR & Leadership Strategist, Writer, Conversationalist, Confidence & Mindset Coach. My vision is to create a more connected world and inspire positive change. 

My mission is to help others, especially women and girls, unlock the formula for building stronger personal and professional networks, I call them Tribes. My work aims to help us shift our mindsets and navigate our personal and professional relationships differently. From the divisiveness of tribalism and cliques to the connection that a tribe mindset can bring. 

What am I working on? Just last week I released my FIRST book Assemble The Tribe! My focus in the near future is sharing the message of the book with as many women, girls, and supporters of women and girls as possible.What does sharing mean, it could be speaking, coaching, or hosting an event. I am so excited about the book and its potential to reshape the way we think about our relationships, especially now given everything that is happening in the world.

How did you get started?

This is a loaded question! I believe that I am divinely gifted to connect people. From the time I was a child, I was always organizing things and pulling people together. For over 20 years prior to starting my own company, I worked in the field of human resources all the way up to Executive and then Board levels. At its core, Human Resources and Leadership is about bringing people together for impact. So in many ways, my work today, which focuses on helping women shift their mindset about the power of support and level up in their personal and professional lives, is a natural extension of who I am, the work that I have chosen, and how I was raised.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

I am excited about the inspiration for this work. You see, I never intended to work with women and girls OR write a book. I loved my field and the work that I was doing in the Corporate world - you can build tribes anywhere. However, one night I woke up with a start and just felt impressed to go to my computer. After resisting for about 30 minutes or so, I sat down, and an hour later I had the outline for Assemble the Tribe. In that way, I feel the book was divinely inspired and I feel really humbled and excited that I now am able to share the message in the book and in my work more broadly.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

I do feel like I am living in my purpose. My purpose is to use the very best of who I am to build tribes that change the world. Every single day when I get up, I set an intention to have a tribe mindset. How can I be more open, show up differently in my relationships? Over 71% of all women have experienced rejection, 50% of that number under the age of 18, 25% under the age of 13. If I can help to reshape the relationship story for women, my daughter, and the next generation, to help them find their tribes at work, at home, and in their communities, I will have made a difference. That is the lesson and the intentions that I hope to bring to each and every day.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

So many things bring me joy. My family, my tribe, my work, a good pair of shoes, writing in a journal, or going for a long walk. My blueprint for true joy comes from my fierce belief that we are created by God as unique individuals - masterpieces that have gifts we are meant to share with the world. So no matter what happens I can be joyful in hope, knowing that everything that happens to me either shapes my character or becomes a tool I can use to help people. That brings me joy.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

Every morning, well 90% of the time, I get up between 5:30 and 6:00am. I walk down the hall to my study nook with a cup of tea and I spend 30 - 45 minutes in quiet time and devotion. For me, that includes reading the bible, prayer, writing words of gratitude, speaking affirmations, and sending an encouraging message to someone in my tribe. It is these moments of spiritual grounding, encouragement, and gratitude that lay the foundation for me to focus on all of the parts of who I am - my physical and mental health, professional and relational self.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

My younger self would both stunned and not surprised. She would be stunned because every day I get up with a desire to work with women and girls. For many years, I was one to just hang out with the guys so I think she would be a little surprised that this is part of my passion. However, I don’t think she would be surprised by the fact that I am working to bring people together. She did it back then and so would have expected it of me today.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation? 

Ahhh, there are so many, it’s hard to choose! I will share the one that is front and center in my work right now. Every day is another day to Believe + Belong = Be Different. I leverage this tribe building formula to unleash my unique value, find and experience belonging, and choose how I will show up in the world. I find that when I follow this simple formula, I have so much more capacity to find and enjoy my relationships and follow my dreams.

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is to create a world where no one has to feel alone and that as women, we can start to shift the atmosphere at a time when the world needs us most. It’s time to Assemble the Tribe!

To learn more about Leah visit her website www.leahjmdean.com and www.assemblethetribe.com and on Instagram @leahjmdean Facebook @leahjmdean Twitter @leahjmdean YouTube @leahjmdean and LinkedIN @Leahjmdean

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