Transcending Leadership
“The work we do is a reflection of who we are. If we’re sloppy at it, it’s because we’re sloppy inside. If we’re late at it, it’s because we’re late inside. If we’re bored by it, it’s because we’re bored inside, with ourselves, not with the work. The most menial work can be a piece of art when done by an artist. So the job here is not outside of ourselves, but inside of ourselves. How we do our work becomes a mirror of how we are inside.”
– Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited
Self-awareness is a critical skill for leaders to be able to be the person they want to be. Yet it is a core part of our being that is often overlooked in the perceived need to accelerate forwards and complete an endless list of tasks. Being task driven is not good leadership. The role you have is about:
👉🏼 How you show up.
👉🏼 How you engage.
👉🏼 How you respond.
The problem is that unless you have clarity about what ‘good’ looks like for you, you will struggle to role model and expect good across your company. To shape mindsets, behaviours and outcomes in your organisation, you need to be able to shape the culture with intent, and that starts with you. That responsibility is one of the most influential roles that you can take on. YOU affect everything around you.
❌ So stop just turning up
✅ Start being present with intent
Hitting Pause
That is exactly what David Savage and we supported a group of leaders to do during a day aimed at making time for self-development, to increase empowerment and energy, to reduce overwhelm, and to find a way to live their values to be the leader they want to be.
Unpicking what good looks like is a vital first step before exploring the discrepancy and our beliefs that drive our day-to-day behavoiurs. We need to understand the impact of the challenges leaders experience on our emotional responses and our ability to perform in order to identify what we need to do differently.
Compassionate and authentic leadership are terms that sometimes seem over-used and are simply nominalisations unless we examine what they mean for us. We need to understand the key aspects of authenticity and compassion, and the different stages, to work out where we are most comfortable and how to deal with the aspects we are not so good at. Simply ignoring the gaps is not an option for good leaders.
Knowing our strengths and areas for development provides us with the insight to become more effective leaders. But it also allows us to feel better about what we do and how we do it. In other words, it makes our role more enjoyable and fulfilling.
The group of individuals who joined us were able to create their own leadership development plans, identifying their commitment to improve their experience and that of their teams, including:
- “I’m going to be more transparent about what I’m doing and why.”
- “I’m going to focus on developing better relationships.”
- “I’m going to engage with difficult situations and conversations.”
- “I’m going to be authentic and aim to improve a little every day; I’m not perfect.”
- “I’m going to let go and trust others to do their job.”
❔When is the last time you really hit pause?
❔When did you have an opportunity to sit with leaders from other organisations to consciously develop how you show up?
❔Are you ready to fulfil your potential to make the biggest positive impact on the people around you?
❔Embark on your own journey to being able to be your authentic self, and to lead with integrity and confidence. Get in touch to find out more.
This is what the participants made of their opportunity to hit pause:
A couple of quotes sum it up well…
“Spending a day in a tipi was definitely a first for me but hopefully won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the opportunity to explore what leadership actually is, as opposed to simply managing staff and processes. Both Lisa and yourself have a refreshing approach to leadership coaching, uncovering one’s core values and the hinterland surrounding them. It is now up to me to put the learning into practice.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Transcending Leadership event, everything from the sitting inside the tipi to the eye-opening exercises we participated in. Personally I’ve uncovered true values that I haven’t been able to articulate before and that I’m excited to leverage, not only in my workplace, but in my everyday life. It was inspiring to hear contributions from other leaders and to share experiences in the pursuit of living true to our authentic selves. Thank you David and Lisa for this milestone in my development as a leader!”
Make the most of your leadership advantage.
Add real value by knowing how to shape your role to be most meaningful, enjoyable and engaging, ultimately improving employee experience and driving up performance.
It doesn’t have to be such a lonely job.
