Category: leadership

Feeling stuck: time for leadership!

You may experience feeling stuck at home with the same old experiences, a relationship that is not going anywhere, a job that is not rewarding, a city that is no longer meeting your needs. It has not felt right for some time but you have not been able to shift it in the direction you want to go. I have felt like this about my job going through cycles, investing in other things to realize that I am still limited by the job, trying something else in this work environment to hit the wall, even considering new openings to realize that the place is just not in line with my values. At the same time, and while doing many other things to the point where the job is only a sideshow, I am still wasting energy in an environment that is not aligned with who I am.

At times like this, it may be useful to declare our intentions clearly to the world and to ourselves that we are ready for a change, seeking assistance from wherever it may come to move to the next phase in our life. It may come from various corners and at a time we do not control, but assume that it is on its way! The starting point lies with clarity in our minds as to what we want to change and what we are willing to let go. Something needs to die before something else comes in. We may not wish to throw out the baby with the bath water… and want to retain some aspects of what is up for change. We need to be specific with the essence of the change we are seeking to birth.

Do you recognize your situation? Are you able to say clearly what it is that you wish to experience to replace the feeling stuck place? What are you willing to let go? Write it down and revisit the statement daily, like a mantra. Be aware that your statement needs to be clear, as you may get what you write down to later realize that it was not exactly what you aspired to. Refine the feeling, the essence of what it would feel like if you had what you want and stay open to the many different ways this could be delivered to you. For instance, I want to make a direct contribution in the world, and let go of invisibility. There are so many ways this can come to you. It is not specific enough. Enquire: why? what does that mean? For instance: I want to feel rewarded by what I do (in my own eyes) and not only in support of others. Make sure to engage a conversation with the universe to ensure you express yourself clearly and openly. Leadership requires a conversation. It is not a solo experience, even if you feel alone!

Taking off

Human beings have always been fascinated by the idea of flying, inventing creatures with wings that can get closer to the sun, eventually developing machines that fly. I actually started to learn how to fly a plane before I had my driver’s license. There is such a sense of freedom being in the air and looking down at our earthly home. The change of perspective is breathtaking. It opens up new ways of looking at things and expands our mind.

Taking off is also a way of escaping our reality. Emotionally, we tend to jump off the cliff of our blockages when the weight of our burden is too heavy. Taking flight is always about freeing ourselves from the pull of gravity on our human condition. As we remember our true nature, though, we realize that this freedom is temporary.

Yet, taking flight can also be a state of mind. Creativity allows us to free ourselves from the burden of reality and the world of forms. Creativity takes you to boundlessness and allows you to experience beyond the constraints of time and space. This is a state of grace in today’s world, to be able to resort to your own creativity to stretch reality beyond the complexity and volatility of this world, in search of what is yet to emerge. Listening in and leading the way with creativity is the path to a new dream beyond the blockage of thoughts and emotions plaguing our human condition. I encourage you to lead with creativity to bring about a new type of leadership, reflecting a greater coherence in our own evolution.

Should you wish to develop your creative leadership skills, I invite you to connect on //www.leadership-alive.com

Inner calm and leadership

I moved into a brand new office space about a year ago. I have been struck at people’s reaction whenever I have meetings in this office. So often, I hear the very same phrases: “oh it feels so nice in your office; it is calm and peaceful here; I love coming to your office.” I wondered what it was in this office that had such an impact on people. Our work environment is highly stressful, with a pervasive state of uncertainty when it comes to people’s future in the organization. I have developed an ability to maintain a sense of calm in the midst of the surrounding chaos. People seem able to feel this calmness just coming to my office, as if it was activating their own sense of calm.

We all need to be able to reconnect with our sense of calmness to function in this world, and I have come to realize that in today’s chaotic world, people are looking at those of us who can connect to this inner calm to cope themselves, and lead the way for others to weather the storm. People are increasingly caught up in either emotions throwing them off when disturbing news come their way, or unrelenting thoughts about what might happen next. Both emotions and thoughts activate each other in a vicious circle that get them confused and helpless in the face of external challenges, even if this does not (yet) affect them directly.

It should be helpful to remember that you do not need to fully understand what is happening around you, nor to anticipate what will happen to you in future. You only need to locate the stillness within, at the center of your heart, to find composure in most situations. You only need to find peace with what is happening, let it come without resistance, and let it pass. Leaders have an innate clarity about that process and the place within, which can help others recognize their own.

Celebrate your talents

In leadership coaching, I am often enquiring from people whether they can identify their zone of genius. I usually come across a clear barrier whereby individuals are reluctant to consider that they may be harboring a “zone of genius” within them. This tends to sound “too much” for most. They laugh at the very words. Indeed, it seems difficult to most of us to recognize that we are great in many ways. However, the question is: where are you making your best contribution in life? The challenge is that when we are unaware and not making use of our gifts, we are feeling unfulfilled and we disconnect from our very purpose in life.

We all are born with special talents, which allow us to make a contribution to our family, friends, surroundings, even to our country and world. It is nonetheless common that these talents are not immediately obvious to us. They are buried and we are not necessarily amenable to exploring them. We may even feel that they are not worthy of note, or worse, we wish we did not have them! We tend to be more drawn to the talents of others, which may actually be a mirror image of our own (still buried). Bottom line, we usually overlook our gifts, be it to make people feel welcome, to delight the whole neighborhood by our gardening, or pioneer new ideas at work and elsewhere. Often we hear it in conversations as people point out to these gifts, but we are dismissive.

You need to discover and acknowledge your special gift, as it is your best way to express yourself in this life and to find meaning in your existence. If you feel challenged naming your gift, ask around you what people think your most overlooked talent is. This may change your life…and, in turn, help others discover their zones of genius. Tell a friend how his or her ability to listen is a true gift, or a colleague how his or her ideas always illuminate your horizon, or your child how he or she has a way of making you feel special. When we can all focus on our special talents, and realize our value and contribution, this will make a better world.