As we know, becoming a leader takes a lot of hard work and commitment. To retain our relevance as a leader, it takes almost life-long efforts. We know that leadership takes more than technical skills or even being a great strategic thinker, although these are necessary. More fundamentally, leadership is a process of personal transformation. Great leaders across any domain are on a continuous journey of self-discovery and self-growth. This is essential to transform themselves and their organisations.
Unfortunately, many struggle to remain respected leaders. The reason is simple. For an increasing number of aspiring leaders, the focus is outward: on looking good and standing out. At the same time, they experience an inner restlessness, characterised by a growing sense of ‘something missing’ in their lives. It may not be clear, though what it is. The usual self-limiting belief is, “I do not have time for introspection and self-discovery.”
Affair of heart
It takes a while to understand, even for greatest leaders, that leadership is an affair of the heart, not the head. They are connected to the energy deep within, which is their source of leadership and contribution. Their values, their sense of authenticity, their dreams, their hunger for growth and their ability to overcome adversity and finally, their transformation — all come from this energy within.
Because leadership is externally manifested as results and measurable outcomes, the essence of leadership as an inward journey is often overlooked.
The four practices
The inward journey is personal and unique. However, this does not make it a mystery and unintelligible. It simply involves integrity, discipline, focus and hard work. Studies in the domain of leadership have identified four practices that make this inward journey possible.
Construct your life story : In order to make meaning out of the world we live in, each of us authors a life story over time and from it, we draw and make meaning. It provides us with our concept of who we think we are and how we fit into the world.
That is why story-telling as a leadership competence often involves the “who we are story” for leaders. Stories leaders tell about themselves are important vehicles by which they convey to others who they are and what their values and convictions are. Abraham Lincoln, for example, revealed his values and principles regularly in stories and speeches.
Know Yourself : Peter Drucker has extensively written on this subject and why it is imperative for leaders to become fully aware of who they are. In fact, in the last four columns , we made an attempt to analyse our identity, achievement, reputation and acceptance, all of which constitute a deep understanding of ourselves.
Such understanding is critical for both our mojo and leadership. Developing self-awareness requires both self-reflection and unadulterated feedback from people we work with. Candid feedback provides us with perspectives we can never fully acquire by ourselves. Unfortunately, most of us listen through our own lens of judgment and as a result, miss out on key improvement opportunities.
Confronting inauthenticity : There has been much talk about the subject of authenticity in recent times. Lack of it in leadership has led many corporations and institutions to disastrous consequences. For leaders, it is essential to realise that authenticity is a must, not an option. Inauthentic behaviours range from making phoney statements to being deceitful or outright malicious.
Authenticity begins with acknowledging our inauthenticity. As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Will Smith, the actor, once observed, “All too many people spend money they do not have, on things they do not want, to impress people they do not like.”
There are harmful consequences of being inauthentic, the most important of which is a negative impact on trust — the most important source of leadership influence.
Get in touch spirituality : This is about understanding why we exist and our purpose in life. This understanding is our spirituality and it is more than just inner feelings. It has to do with the integration and coherence of ourselves as experiencing and acting persons. It becomes the foundation on which we hammer out our values and ideals. It shapes our character, informs our choices, and crystallises our commitments.
The inward journey of leadership is our path to discovering our purpose. It requires discipline and courage.
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