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Business Articles
Leadership from
the Inside Out
When we are without fear our most natural self emerges. We simply
remember ourselves. We may feel a sense of flow, or a sense of moving
toward and outcome with positive support and synchronicity. When
we find ourselves stuck, triggered, charged, or attached to something,
it means we have forgotten ourselves in some way. What can we do
then?
The first step is to check in with our inner wisdom or intelligences,
and to try and sense what part of us we have forgotten to engage.
Have we forgotten to notice that we are connected and grounded to,
and supported by the earth? Have we forgotten that no matter what
happens, we are just learning and we are safe? Have we forgotten
we are loved and that the universe is a friendly place to which
we are intimately connected? Have we forgotten that when we tell
the truth everyone benefits in the most important ways, even if
there is a human price to pay? Have we forgotten our priorities,
or what is most important to us in life?
Anthropologist
Angeles Arrien* offers us a list of questions that her research
shows are common among all human beings for determining when we
have lost our balance. A few of these universal questions are: When
did you stop dancing, and when did you stop singing? When did you
stop sharing stories, and when did you stop respecting silence?
We can ask ourselves: "When did we stop walking the talk of our
passion, or asking ourselves what is most important to us in life?"
We may find that our fears have caused us to forget that we are
safe, loved, protected, and called upon to give voice to our purpose
- finding a ground for our path.
As leaders, we are successful not because we are in the center of
our organizational charts, but because we are centered and connected
within ourselves. In order to navigate the chaos and ambiguity of
the new marketplace, we are best served and able to serve when we
are centered, grounded and aligned. This balance has to do with
our relationship to ourselves and others. A dynamic balance is helpful
in all situations.
Within a system of balance, there are three levels to all relationship:
Uniqueness, Connection and Unity.
Uniqueness is the aspect of relationship that acknowledges
we are all unique in our gifts and preferences, our inclinations
and development needs. To the extent that leaders are in touch with
their own inner knowledge, they are able to be sensitive to cultivating
the contributions of others.
Connection is the aspect of relationship that recognizes
that in each situation we are in a particular connection, both with
ourselves and others. Each situation brings different opportunities
that may trigger us, through fear, to disconnect to a part of our
knowing. In my connection with myself, for example, if I perceive
someone is after my job, I may disconnect from my belief that "I
am always guided in life to what is best for my growth and development."
I may close down my heart or inflate my ego to compensate for my
perception. In another example of the importance of noticing and
even defining connection, is that in one situation you may be my
customer, in another we are colleagues, and in yet another, I am
your customer. Each of these relationships carries with them different
agreements, which if made explicit, can strengthen the connection.
Unity is the aspect of relationship that notices that we
are always all connected to a reality that is larger than ourselves.
When we personally forget that we are connected to the Universe
or Spirit, our egos take over and assure us that we are in control.
Usually, the ego then sets up expectations, finds us wanting, and
urges us to effort ever harder for a prize of approval we can never
achieve. The goal of the ego is to keep us working without noticing
our dissatisfaction, but letting us know that we are almost there.
Sometimes we forget our unity when we take action in the world.
When that happens, the consequences of forgetting our interdependence
is apparent all around us. When we forget we are all human beings
inhabiting the same planet, like individual drops of water from
the same ocean, or that we are part of a Spirit/Universe larger
than we can imagine, we spoil our own environment and move toward
a dimmer future for our children.
When we, as leaders, interact with our environment and the others
who inhabit it, we change. We shape our environment, and influence
and shape each other's lives. As a result, our uniqueness, while
sustaining at its core, varies in expression over time. For this
reason, self-knowledge, the ability to self-reflect, and the commitment
to continually understand ourselves, is essential to leadership.
From this place, leaders have the capacity to architect organizational
cultures that promote the balance of inner relationship with external
customers and stakeholders.
For the person or the organization, defining connection is an on-going
process. An organization requires self-reflection just as individuals
do. Each organization is unique, forms distinct connections and
is in unity with a global marketplace.
For a company to lead in its industry, the following questions may
assist in creating a workplace that is both inspired and productive:
QUESTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-REFLECTION©
1. What keeps us grounded and productive? What do we need in our
environment, from our colleagues and support resources to assure
that we are grounded and productive?
2. What keeps us creative and alive? What do we need to feel most
engaged in our work?
3. What do we do best based on our history, knowledge, skills and
experience? What have we been known for, what is our reputation
and how do we translate that into our core competency as a company?
4. What words and symbols best express the spirit of our company
and the reputation we are most proud of?
5. How do we strategically select the most appropriate path for
our future, given our uniqueness as well as all the opportunities
and possibilities available to us?
6. How can we build a way of seeing that attracts those who want
to share in our mission - whether partner, customer, supplier or
community?
7. What choices do we make regarding our responsibilities to the
larger global community and our planet?
Each of our choices affects the balance and alignment of the corporate
or personal body. Only by being centered, aware and mindful can
we make the most informed choices - ones that will optimize our
interaction with others, our creativity and our success.
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