Welcome to the PIES Practice
Four ways to interrupt overthinking and move forward.
Permission. Imperfection. Eyes on Self. Service, Support, and Community.
Why I Created PIES
After decades of leading teams and years of coaching new leaders, experienced executives, and people seeking greater purpose and meaning, I've come to believe that knowing and accepting yourself is the foundation of effective team and organizational leadership.
But self-leadership isn't just for people with leadership titles. It's for anyone navigating life's challenges, choices, and changes.
That led me to a question:
How do we lead ourselves through life's challenges, choices, and changes?
Through decades of leadership, coaching, training, and facilitation at conferences and on-site workshops, I've observed four common self-leadership hesitations and missteps that can hold us back personally and undermine our effectiveness as team and organizational leaders:
Waiting for permission
Demanding perfection
Focusing on everyone else
Trying to lead alone
These patterns can keep us stuck, second-guessing ourselves, and waiting for circumstances or other people to change.
That's why I created the PIES Practice, a four-part self-leadership framework designed to encourage self-awareness, self-acceptance, meaningful reflection, and purposeful action.
The PIES Reflection Card Deck brings these principles to life through 60 cards that invite you to pause, look inward, and take your next step.
The Four Parts of PIES
P: Permission to Be Great Is Granted
The hesitation: Waiting for permission.
You may be waiting for someone to recognize your abilities, validate your choices, or tell you that you're ready.
How it shows up: Self-doubt, second-guessing, shrinking yourself, or postponing decisions and opportunities.
The PIES Practice: Recognize your strengths, honor your values and dreams, and give yourself permission to take up space.
Reflection: What permission do I need to give myself?
I: Imperfection Is Encouraged
The misstep: Demanding perfection.
When getting everything right becomes the expectation, even small decisions can feel overwhelming.
How it shows up: Overthinking, procrastination, fear of mistakes, excessive preparation, or reluctance to take risks.
The PIES Practice: Accept that mistakes, uncertainty, and vulnerability are part of being human. Aim for excellence, not perfection. Learn, adjust, and keep moving.
Reflection: What imperfect action is good enough?
E: Eyes on Self
The misstep: Focusing on everyone else.
It's easy to become consumed by other people's behaviors, choices, expectations, and opinions while overlooking our own.
How it shows up: Reactivity, frustration, resentment, blaming, or trying to manage things outside your control.
The PIES Practice: Pause and examine your own thoughts, feelings, reactions, choices, and behaviors. Focus on what is yours to own, influence, or change.
Reflection: What is mine to own, influence, or let go?
S: Service, Support and Community
The misstep: Trying to do everything alone.
Independence is valuable, but believing you must carry everything yourself can leave you exhausted and disconnected.
How it shows up: Over-functioning, reluctance to ask for help, neglecting relationships, or feeling isolated.
The PIES Practice: Practice healthy interdependence. Serve others, ask for and accept support, build relationships, and contribute to your community.
Reflection: Who could I serve, ask for support, or connect with?
The Four Parts of PIES
P: Permission to Be Great Is Granted
The hesitation: Waiting for permission.
You may be waiting for someone to recognize your abilities, validate your choices, or tell you that you're ready.
How it shows up: Self-doubt, second-guessing, shrinking yourself, or postponing decisions and opportunities.
The PIES Practice: Recognize your strengths, honor your values and dreams, and give yourself permission to take up space.
Reflection: What permission do I need to give myself?
I: Imperfection Is Encouraged
The misstep: Demanding perfection.
When getting everything right becomes the expectation, even small decisions can feel overwhelming.
How it shows up: Overthinking, procrastination, fear of mistakes, excessive preparation, or reluctance to take risks.
The PIES Practice: Accept that mistakes, uncertainty, and vulnerability are part of being human. Aim for excellence, not perfection. Learn, adjust, and keep moving.
Reflection: What imperfect action is good enough?
E: Eyes on Self
The misstep: Focusing on everyone else.
It's easy to become consumed by other people's behaviors, choices, expectations, and opinions while overlooking our own.
How it shows up: Reactivity, frustration, resentment, blaming, or trying to manage things outside your control.
The PIES Practice: Pause and examine your own thoughts, feelings, reactions, choices, and behaviors. Focus on what is yours to own, influence, or change.
Reflection: What is mine to own, influence, or let go?
S: Service, Support and Community
The misstep: Trying to do everything alone.
Independence is valuable, but believing you must carry everything yourself can leave you exhausted and disconnected.
How it shows up: Over-functioning, reluctance to ask for help, neglecting relationships, or feeling isolated.
The PIES Practice: Practice healthy interdependence. Serve others, ask for and accept support, build relationships, and contribute to your community.
Reflection: Who could I serve, ask for support, or connect with?
Meet the PIES Reflection Card Deck
60 cards. Four PIES principles. Countless opportunities to reflect, connect, and grow.
The PIES Reflection Card Deck brings the four principles to life through a practical, hands-on experience.
Each card offers an idea to consider and a reflection prompt to help you examine your thoughts, explore possibilities, and identify meaningful action.
The deck includes 15 cards for each PIES principle:
P: Permission to Be Great Is Granted
I: Imperfection Is Encouraged
E: Eyes on Self
S: Service, Support and Community
Anyone can use the PIES cards, anytime, for personal reflection, meaningful conversations, or a fresh perspective.
Use them on your own or with a coach, mentor, sponsor, leader, friend, or group.
All it takes is a willingness to pause, get curious, and consider another possibility.
Anatomy of a PIES Card
Each PIES card includes five elements designed to encourage reflection and purposeful action.
PIES Suit: Identifies which of the four PIES principles the card represents.
Key Themes: Highlights concepts and areas of focus associated with that principle.
Card Title: Introduces the specific topic, idea, or activity.
Insight or Exercise: Offers a perspective, reflection, or practical exercise to consider.
Reflection Prompt: Invites you to explore your experiences, notice patterns, and consider your next step.
Choose a card randomly or select one from the PIES suit that speaks to what you need most in the moment.
Below are some examples of the PIES card deck
These are just eight of the 60 reflection cards in the PIES deck. Each “suit” invites you to explore a different perspective, deepen your self-awareness, and put your insights into practic
Ways to Use the PIES Cards
There's no single right way to practice PIES. The cards are designed to be flexible and useful in everyday life.
Personal Reflection
Pull a card to begin your day, explore a challenge, or check in with yourself.
Journaling
Use a card's reflection prompt to explore thoughts, feelings, assumptions, and possibilities.
Coaching and Mentoring
Use the cards to open conversations, challenge fixed thinking, explore choices, and identify next steps.
Workshops and Team Development
Bring the cards into leadership development, team discussions, retreats, or professional training to encourage self-awareness, dialogue, and connection.
Creative and Strategy Sessions
Use a card to interrupt overthinking, consider another perspective, or move from discussion to action.
Whether you're navigating a personal transition, leading a team, supporting a client, or having a meaningful conversation with a friend, PIES offers a place to begin.
Bring Joan Kling and PIES Into Your Life or Organization
The PIES Practice offers practical tools for strengthening self-awareness, building confidence, navigating challenges, and creating meaningful connections.
Whether you're investing in your own growth or supporting the development of others, PIES can be incorporated into individual coaching, mentoring, leadership development, team building, conferences, retreats, and workplace training.
Bring PIES to Your Next Event
Joan Kling is a self-leadership coach, trainer, facilitator, and speaker with decades of leadership experience. Her interactive presentations and workshops combine practical strategies, personal reflection, and engaging conversations that participants can apply in their personal and professional lives.
Interested in bringing the PIES Practice to your team, organization, or event?
Let's explore the possibilities.
Get Your PIES Reflection Cards
Ready to begin your own PIES Practice?
The complete deck includes 60 reflection cards, with 15 cards dedicated to each of the four PIES principles.
Use them for personal reflection, share them with friends, or incorporate them into coaching, mentoring, workshops, and group conversations.
Interested in purchasing a deck or ordering multiple decks for your organization?
Join the PIES Card Deck Interest List to receive information about availability, pricing, and ordering.
The PIES Reflection Card Deck
A collection of 60 reflection cards designed to encourage self-awareness, meaningful conversations, personal growth, and purposeful action.
Interested in purchasing a deck? Join the interest list for ordering information and availability updates.
Get PIES Updates & Card Deck Availability
Explore the PIES Practice
Join me as I explore all 60 PIES reflection cards through short videos, practical insights, and personal reflections.
Follow along as I share new videos three times a week, or explore the cards at your own pace.
Ways to Use the PIES Cards
There's no single right way to practice PIES. The cards are designed to be flexible and useful in everyday life.
Personal Reflection
Pull a card to begin your day, explore a challenge, or check in with yourself.
Journaling
Use a card's reflection prompt to explore thoughts, feelings, assumptions, and possibilities.
Coaching and Mentoring
Use the cards to open conversations, challenge fixed thinking, explore choices, and identify next steps.
Workshops and Team Development
Bring the cards into leadership development, team discussions, retreats, or professional training to encourage self-awareness, dialogue, and connection.
Creative and Strategy Sessions
Use a card to interrupt overthinking, consider another perspective, or move from discussion to action.
Whether you're navigating a personal transition, leading a team, supporting a client, or having a meaningful conversation with a friend, PIES offers a place to begin.
Bring Joan Kling and PIES Into Your Life or Organization
The PIES Practice offers practical tools for strengthening self-awareness, building confidence, navigating challenges, and creating meaningful connections.
Whether you're investing in your own growth or supporting the development of others, PIES can be incorporated into individual coaching, mentoring, leadership development, team building, conferences, retreats, and workplace training.
Bring PIES to Your Next Event
Joan Kling is a self-leadership coach, trainer, facilitator, and speaker with decades of leadership experience. Her interactive presentations and workshops combine practical strategies, personal reflection, and engaging conversations that participants can apply in their personal and professional lives.
Interested in bringing the PIES Practice to your team, organization, or event?
Let's explore the possibilities.
The PIES Reflection Card Deck
A collection of 60 reflection cards designed to encourage self-awareness, meaningful conversations, personal growth, and purposeful action.
Interested in purchasing a deck? Join the interest list for ordering information and availability updates.
Get PIES Updates & Card Deck Availability
Explore the PIES Practice
Join me as I explore all 60 PIES reflection cards through short videos, practical insights, and personal reflections.
Follow along as I share new videos three times a week, or explore the cards at your own pace.
Get Your PIES Reflection Cards
Ready to begin your own PIES Practice?
The complete deck includes 60 reflection cards, with 15 cards dedicated to each of the four PIES principles.
Use them for personal reflection, share them with friends, or incorporate them into coaching, mentoring, workshops, and group conversations.
Interested in purchasing a deck or ordering multiple decks for your organization?
Join the PIES Card Deck Interest List to receive information about availability, pricing, and ordering.