Creating Conscious Leadership
The quote “Change Your Thoughts: Change Your Life” is credited to Lao-Tzu, from The Tao Te Ching. Dr. Wayne Dyer authored and published a book based on this saying. Most likely, you have heard this sometime in your life. I know I have multiple times. Sounds simple, but the question is, how often do we put it into practice in any part of life: personal or professional? There really is a simple method of doing this once the intent to practice is in place.
It is called T-FAR.™ “Your thoughts create your feelings, your feelings create your actions, and your actions create your results.”(KickStart Your Edge LLC). A few simple steps can transform how effective you are as a leader and how you organize and lead your own life. Let’s look at leader effectiveness.
I am a firm believer that a leader’s effectiveness is directly connected to how well they help others develop their own skills and leadership through identifying and leveraging the diverse talent amongst the team. This is what I call conscious leadership and it is inclusive leadership. But professional development support, opportunities and inclusion do not necessarily happen for everyone.
A Before example of how T-FAR™ creates unintentional exclusion is as follows:
Thoughts – I will put together a team of the usual tried and true member(s). I know I can count on him/her/them.
Feelings – Certainty, Comfortable (wanting certainty and comfort is human nature.)
Actions – Excludes other team members unintentionally (not necessarily any malice intended but intent does not necessarily equal impact).
Results – The task is completed most likely without glitches and/or too much effort on the leader’s part.
The impact of this approach may provide a successful outcome. However, if the effectiveness of being a leader is to help encourage and develop and leverage the talent and skills of all members of a team, some will be left out. Some may fall through the cracks.
An Afterwards way to change your thoughts, feelings, actions, and results that supports inclusive leadership could look like this:
Thoughts -I want to discover what other perspectives and possibly innovative ideas we will get if I include new team members (this automatically challenges the habit of a status-quo bias for choosing the same people).
Feelings – Curious, Excitement, Uncertainty (looking for potential and perspectives can be inspiring and stepping into uncertainty takes courage to address fears and concerns).
Actions – Recognition of a bias for using the same people (status-quo) and challenging that action by including new members on the team (may take more work from the leader to mentor and support, hence a better alignment with leadership effectiveness).
Results – Conscious, Inclusive Leadership (and more than likely more effective and productive team members).
Exercise:
Practice the above two Before and Afterwards scenarios using your own situations for leadership opportunities – the old way of doing it and a new way of doing it. Insert your own thoughts as they play out for you, your own feelings, the actions you usually take and the actions you could take in a new way of doing things. Imagine the results.
It just might feel good and create even better outcomes.
T-FAR™a trademark of KickStart Your Edge, LLC
