Category: Authentic Leadership

Are you faking it?

We want something that’s going to inspire – you know something on leadership that’s going to hit them, jolt them and make them sit up.  They don’t need any of this soft self or team building stuff – they can get that anywhere.  This is big and gutsy get-up big leader talk we’re after.

And you have been told! Or I should say I had been – so went the briefing for some work with a potential client.  It makes you think, well it did me.

So do people like me and the team at the Centre for Innovative Leadership need to refocus sometimes. Do we need maybe to tell more about being a big leader – some good theories on leader types – charismatic, command etc.  After all why pay for someone to have you learn about yourself.  As my client said – they can get that anywhere. 

I have been doing some work recently with the fantastic Mr Fox (sorry that just slipped out – that was a funny movie and strange how word associations can derail me – been on a train lately?), no I mean Vikram Murthy on leadership and problem solving. I give him credit for helping me to clarify the above situation for me. Thanks Vikram.

For some people emotional intelligence is one of those yeah yeah things, but actually it’s not. It’s real and provable. Just like the universe (I’ll look at this later and wonder, but I’ve only had juice tonight honestly).

Back to leadership:  that might be about team, about relationships, about change, about vision, about problem solving, about using energy and emotion and you can think of a few more things too I’m sure.  But there’s a good start, or is it?

It’s the end.  The end result of something much more complex from a journey of discovery – self awareness, then self management, then social awareness and then you’ll get to leadership.

So you’re the leader now: Are you starting with self?  Of do you reckon you can cut all that stuff out and start with the leader duties? Watch out! Especially if you’re the big and gutsy out-there leader. Is that real? Or are you faking it?  You might not realise it but the team will notice it.

Really Mr Fox, what is that suit all about – you’re a fox for god’s sake! Get real! The dogs can tell.


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Is it time to give up defining ourselves?

This blog has been sitting in draft for a few weeks but lately, I’ve been talking quite a bit to people about self – you know my brand, defining myself, my self esteem and so on.

My Dad (I am sure my biggest and possibly only blogging fan and did I just say my!) sent me some scans of a book by Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth) with a segment about ego:

“You are most powerful, most effective when you are completely yourself. But don’t try to be yourself. That’s another role…’How can I be myself?’ is in fact the wrong question. It implies you have to do something to be yourself…..[so] give up defining yourself – to yourself or others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem.”

As my Dad could, I see the relationship with our authenticity. Is it time to give up defining ourselves (for ourselves and others?).

Are we not what we are?  Or in practical speak, what we are will come through.  Which leads me to my next thought for the next blog – are you faking it?  See you soon.


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Happy on your holiday?

I know I’m not the first, in fact I might be the last, but I’m back at work.  I got that strange feeling again I get about 4 days away from going back to work that says “why do you work?! is that really necessary?”.

On the way out this evening from the office I ran into the cleaner “so it was a tough day?” he enquired “yeah but the first day always is but I reckon I’ll be back!”

So having got those thoughts out I’m back.  New and improved with sunburn behind my knees.  Yes, for the first time in over 4 years of running I burnt the back of my knees running the Waiheke Wharf2Wharf on Saturday.  Not quite sure why?? What fantastic views and equally fantastic hills.  It was a beautiful day, but certainly one of the more challenging events I’ve been in.

The break gave me a chance to read, run and rest.  It was great.  I’m re-reading Stephen Hawking’s A brief history of time which I find fascinating and certainly puts into perspective our lives.  Actually we’re pretty lucky just to be here (the odds were very long), not to mention living in a relatively safe, open, free country with the best outdoors imaginable. Those of you that came on the Authentic Leadership Course will know the value of what the outdoors can teach us about leadership so I’m determined to continue in that vein both personally and professionally this year.

So what happened to leadership over the break?  Well the prime minister went to Hawaii and left his deputy to look after us.  We didn’t mind, in fact we didn’t really notice did we? The PM obviously trusted his deputy to take the reins while he had a break with family (good call I say).  As for the deputy, well he seemed to not interfere with what we were doing – we just got on and did it.

Maybe as leaders we all need to go on holiday a bit more often.  What do you think?

Stephen

ps Should we help our fellow humans in Haiti out?  The tectonic plates showed their usual indifference to human needs and the resulting tragedy is really quite horrific. I’ll give a bit to Doctors without Borders I think.


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Where is your family?

Dad visited us on our Authentic Leadership Course today.  Why would he?  Well actually why wouldn’t he?  As authentic leaders are we as one with the world?  Who are the people we love and hold?  If we look a little deeper could it be that those people are the very same people that shaped our leadership from its earliest days?

As I walked with Dad and the participants today, a sense of pride for my Dad, myself and for the folk who were with us rose within me.  Here was a group of people, strangers to me and each other only five days ago, embracing my father with respect, kindness and genuine interest in what he had to offer.

Look around you – maybe that unique leadership story which is the key to your authenticity is closer than you think.

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