It starts from deep within; from the core of the heart.
Travelling through the serene layers of our strength, our conviction and the roots of our true belief, into the turbulent dimensions of thoughts, talks and reason.
It is what we do at every breathing moment of our lives.
We lead.
We lead our curious consciousness, our experienced subconsciousness and our estranged unconsciousness.
We lead our familiar senses and our perceived existence to never-before experienced circumstances… new heights in the realms of reality.
Not surprisingly, we are inherently born leaders categorized in a myriad of sub levels of leadership.
We, the leaders.
Leadership has been theoretically expressed and defined in so many forms, mainly as a method of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.
But how does this really work?
Since the days of Plato and until recent years, many theories and studies were conducted to answer the “trait theory of leadership”. These theories branched out to include behavioural, style, situational, functional, psychological, transactional and transformational theories. All to define if leadership as a trait or as an acquired skill yields better results.
With this, I have to call upon one of the most inspirational and resonating quotes by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, saying:
“When you want to build a ship, do not begin by gathering wood, cutting boards, and distributing work, but awaken within the heart of man the desire for the vast and endless sea.” – Antoine de Saint Exupéry
Yes, we lead from within.
It’s not only a trait or an acquired skill. It is a choice that we make; a line we draw to connect two dots.
Day in day out we make crucial decisions that influence the circuits of our whole existence as well as everyone tied to it. Some of those decisions we make and for some we seek guidance from others.
Emotional intelligence and the super leader
You cannot give what you do not have.
A leader is ethical – establishing principles to eliminate the struggle of the right-conduct within the spheres of interaction. With true grit, the leader exercises a great deal of what I define as intelligent patience. This is the understanding of when to stand back to observe and when to step in to support. It is the capacity to absorb both positive and negative energy from the team, remodel it, finesse it and then to use the new compound to present an encompassing vision.
Honest courage is a subtle yet transparent demonstration of confidence and accountability. Most crucial errors in leadership is losing conviction & walking away from the group as it breaks the network of trust. It is at the front line that leaders can demonstrate honest courage, self-managing their negative emotions and continuously reigniting positivity from within the team, no matter the circumstances. This action enables them to have the flexibility to influence & be influenced through applying a yin yang of critical thinking and design thinking.
A leader inspires, empowers and enables positive change in the ever changing cycles of life. A leader has the ability to turn common goals into shared goals ensuring the commitment of every individual’s passion. With a positive approach of no right nor wrong answer, a leader builds confidence, aggregates diverse perspectives and sails an ocean of ideas.
The team achieves a master goal: openness.
Those who lead
The super leaders tame the EGO, purify their intentions, attest that we’re all but reflections of each other and embrace the never-ending cycle of learning.
There are leaders whom we feel forced to follow and take their words as glorified commands… and there are those who lead.
Those who lead us to discover the leader within us.
Those who lead us to explore our limitless potential.
Those who lead us to manifest the greatness that we intended.
Those who lead us to see others’ differences as strengths to our own weaknesses.
Those who lead us to refine our brain clusters to absorb, adapt and rethink the solutions.
Those who lead us to experience a life of conviction and inspiration.
“You cannot change darkness by telling darkness it is wrong, but only by being light” – Unkown