LeadershipDaily: December 2020 |
Posted: March 22, 2020 |
As a leader, do you lead consciously or unconsciously? Many of us have the good fortune to work with leaders who are exemplary and make leadership appear effortless. We wonder what it is that makes them such great leaders. It may be that they lead consciously. As leaders, we can lead consciously or unconsciously. Unconscious leadership is when we behave in ways that just seem like the right thing to do or are behaviours we've used in the past that have helped us get by. Conscious leadership is when we select from a personal toolkit of leader behaviours that we know - not by 'gut feeling' - are the right choices for any particular situation. Unconscious leadership can get us into difficulty. Sometimes our decisions or actions simply don't work well. We end up paying the price by having to struggle with situations that don't go well with the added burden of the stress that accompanies these struggles. This data was generated with the help of https://essayfreelancewriters.com! Conscious leadership, on the other hand, is when we have a broad repertoire of leader behaviours that we consciously choose in order to respond to whatever situation we are facing. Conscious leadership means we act in an informed way based on a set of personal skills that can help us through many of the situations we may find ourselves in. One of the ways to know if we are conscious or unconscious leaders is by asking this question: Do I know why I lead in the way that I lead and make the leadership choices that I make? If https://essayfreelancewriters.com/blog/leadership-essay/ can answer yes and provide a sound rationale for your actions, you're likely a highly conscious leader. If you have difficulty answering this question and you tend to lead spontaneously or rely more on 'gut feeling', then you're likely an unconscious leader. How do you build conscious leadership? It's not that difficult. It just requires some reflection on your leader behaviours. On a regular basis, look back on situations you've dealt with. Why did I choose to respond in that way? How would I handle that differently if I were to do it again? What might I say differently next time? What was the impact on those I was dealing with? Was this the impact I hoped for? What have I learned about myself as a leader? Do my actions align with my values and beliefs? How might a leader I really admire have handled this? What do I need to learn that would help me be more successful another time? Perhaps the most important people to those who have tasted success are those who knew us before we were successful in the eyes of others. They are not enamored by our new stature. They know us for who we really are and our relationship is not based on fame or accolades. In fact, they are the very people who see through the fluff to what is truly real. Like God, they are not enamored by the new persona but look for the authentic us. Men and women who have come into significant wealth know this truth. It is the friends they had before they were wealthy that they know to be true friends and not looking for some favor. The same is true with those in ministry who come into significant favor. Those who isolate themselves from accountable relationships often pay a heavy price. Those who foster authentic relationship with those who are not impressed by their success guard their hearts. If anyone needs to understand and be aware of their shadow sides, it is those who have tasted success. In success we are tempted to believe that we are better than we really are - to minimize our weaknesses and exaggerate our strengths. Arrogance is thinking too highly of ourselves. Humility is understanding who we are, Who the source of our gifts and success is and that every good thing we are and have accomplished comes from the generous hand of the Father. My very ability to write this blog is simply the gift of a heavenly Father who gave me the gift of putting words on paper to encourage and challenge others. Because success blinds us of our shadow side, one of the keys to guarding our hearts is paying more attention to our shadow side as we experience success. It reminds us of our spiritual frailty; of our need for God’s grace on a daily basis and that we are merely cracked pots whom God uses in his redemption plan for our world. Our shadow side, that part of us that still needs to be sanctified by Christ is a daily reminder that we are no different than any of God’s other children. It humbles us and causes us to fall before the cross daily for a needed dose of grace and forgiveness. It helps us guard our heart. One of the deadly results of success is the temptation to think that others should be serving us rather than our serving them. It is the conversation that Jesus needed to have with two of his disciples when he pointed out that the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve - and so with His disciples. As the leader of a large organization I am acutely aware of privileges that I enjoy. I have greater autonomy over my priorities and schedule, authority to make decisions that impact others, the ability to build a team that covers for my weaknesses and allows me to live in my sweet spot most of the time and recognition for ministry efforts that others may not normally receive. These are privileges of position. They are also temptations to believe that I am special and entitled when compared to others. Nothing could be farther from the truth! The posture of Jesus and His disciples is the posture of a servant who came to serve rather than to be served. It is the posture of Jesus in Philippians 2 where He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. The posture of a servant guards our hearts and keeps us grounded in the Christian call to serve others as Christ served and serves us. It helps us resist the insidious move toward pride and privilege and helps us remember the source of our success - the gracious hand of God and those who make up our team and organization.
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