There has been ample talk of “Conscious Leadership” in many seminars that we have been attending, and we often find myself answering questions on what it is all about.
So when we were offered an opportunity to conduct an open program on “Conscious Leadership”, 2 weeks back, we went ahead.
“While we teach, we learn,”
-Seneca (Roman philosopher)
So, there was an exchange of knowledge and insights. While this piece might not be an attempt to say anything new, it surely is an honest attempt to share understanding and learnings.
Simplistically, Conscious leadership is developing the insight to ‘see’ yourself more clearly. It is the first step towards your bigger, more meaningful role in the world you live in.
Why is Conscious Leadership critical to a leader?
Well, it takes one from being just a leader to one with total awareness of the self and the purpose in life. One grows an understanding that you need to move to higher, broader horizons where it is more about creating an environment of mutual growth, trust, and an expansive upliftment. When you are a conscious leader, you have a clear idea of your vision.
What are the first few steps to take you towards Conscious Leadership?
One, begin with understanding your journey, identifying the factors that led to your growth and your expansion.
Ask yourself, how much willingness you have to step out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals and purpose fulfillment. This has to do with going deep within yourself and emerging as your most powerful, authentic self. This can inspire others to do the same too.
To move in this direction you also need to identify the factors that limit your growth – the patterns that come up every time to prevent you from stepping out of your comfort zone. These factors could range from procrastination to fear of failures to unnecessary hesitation in exploring new avenues towards success.
All this mainly involves taking ownership for yourself.
Two, follow that old dictum of ‘start where you are, with what you have…..’. Isolate the factors that hold you back – worry, anxiety, self-criticism, excessive futuristic fear and honestly recognize where you stand in the present.
Lok at the bigger picture in life and expand your vision to see all aspects of any challenging situation. Go beyond the mundane details of life that can slow you down.
This will help you chart out your path to success and growth.
Three, sit back calm and understand that your anxieties come from the fact that you are fearful of the ‘discomfort’ that success might entail! You can keep feeling “safe” in your little cocoon, but that limited, small sphere approach is not going to get you anywhere in the long run.
Rely on aids that will lead you to self-analysis and assist you in understanding the intricacies of your life. Work with Coaches; find effective therapy like music, nature and other positive people who are leading their life with responsibility and self-awareness. Trust me; you’ll be unbeatable!
Fourth, adopt a direction of believing in your genuineness and sticking to it! People who are comfortable in their skin and believe in themselves leave a greater impact on others. When you can fully accept yourself, you send a message to everyone that you accept others easily too.
When you follow your instinct and are unafraid to express your conviction, purpose and growth process to the world, you set an example for others to follow.
Fifth, learn to discern between just living life in reactionary mode and living life with a purpose, trying to create results. This means that conscious leadership implies making conscious choices, putting boundaries where things threaten to disturb/distract and slow you down and prioritize your actions. It means taking time out to think and make yourself more productive. Listening well and being open to feedback are also two factors involved.
Conscious Leadership and the path of self-awareness that it involves is therefore almost akin to developing the ‘soul’ within you. Personal vision becomes clearer. Infinite possibilities and opportunities emerge and become more visible. Fears are put away, and the desire to explore changes required to lead a more inspiring life takes over.
You can guide others better when you are more conscious of what lies within.