Are there other conscious leaders out there?

What’s it like to be a conscious leader?

Whenever I’ve spoken to or run workshops with leaders who might think of themselves as a conscious leader, two things tend to happen:

1. They are invariably relieved to be speaking the same language as others around them, happy to be amongst people who care about the same things, and who want to lead in the same way.
2. They equally admit that they were wondering if they were the only one to see the world in this way. Were they an outlier? Just plain weird? Was there anybody else in their organisation / the world who felt the same way they did?

Conscious leadership for a changing world

As the years have marched on, our context – climate change, economic inequality, the effects of the pandemic, warmongering, populist and autocratic politics – spur us on to wake up evermore to the effects of our thinking and actions on the world around us. It is more likely that you will find yourself in the company of others, including those in leadership positions, who want to make a positive difference.

This is a good thing. Our mission here at ConsciousLeaders.earth is to bring together such leaders to learn from one another, solve organisational challenges together, and evolve the ways they think, act and do business. We believe that there is tremendous strength in our capacity to talk around the metaphorical campfires as part a community of conscious leaders which cares about shaping a positive future for the planet and all who live on it. There is equally enormous power in conducting business as a force for good. Business has great influence. The decisions and actions of leaders within business can make an impact on the lives of many that governments often simply can’t.

How would you know if you were a conscious leader?

How would you know if you were one of these conscious leaders? There are several clues that might guide you:

1. You no longer feel that achieving more and more things, or competing at the expense of others, or winning, or climbing further up the organisational pole simply because the glory reflects well on you, is enough. But you may wonder: if not this, then what? You may be experiencing a crisis of meaning as the things that used to mean something to you don’t seem to be as important anymore.
2. For others, you may feel a deep sense of your own values and a strong desire to contribute to the world. This may feed into an equally strong sense of purpose for your life, one that you would like to enact through your day-to-day role as a leader in your organisation.
3. It’s probably easy for you to appreciate the validity of a multitude of different ways of seeing things. Conscious leaders don’t think in black and white terms; instead, they tend to strive to unify all different views into one encompassing whole.
4. You aren’t all that enamoured with hierarchy, either. Rather, you’re more likely to create organisations with flat, self-managing structures and meetings where people’s voices are welcomed. People feel psychologically safe to say what they think, to bring their ideas, even to call out mistakes. As a result, you might find that innovation flourishes in your organisation.
5. While you’re doing business, you naturally think about the bigger picture. Who’s involved in the supply chain? How might they be affected by the decisions your company makes? What are the furthest reaches of the impact your company has on the system and stakeholders around it? And are you all acting responsibly towards the world around you?
6. Finally, you might feel an inner ‘tug’, an urge, to contribute to the good of the world at large; to be of service to something greater than yourself. To use your position to make a difference.

Are you ready to be a conscious leader?

These clues set you apart from other leaders, those who might be in it more for winning the game for themselves, rather than lifting the tide for everyone – even those beyond the reaches of their organisations. There is nothing wrong with any of these approaches, but you carry within you the capacity to make a difference to the many and to fulfil a desire within you to contribute, which at times may come close to an urge or longing.

There is much to learn and always new things to see as you explore the terrain as a conscious leader. If hanging out with people like you feels like an appealing idea, get in touch at info@consciousleaders.earth and we’d be happy to discuss how you can benefit from our community of like-minded and like-hearted leaders.