Why Be a Conscious Leader?
Conscious leaders build connected, engaging company cultures that experience lower employee turnover, better returns, and higher customer satisfaction.
Less stress, more money and happier clients. Sounds good, right?
So, what qualities do conscious leaders have that other leaders don’t? Let’s get into it.
What is Conscious Leadership?
Conscious leadership means bringing your whole self and total awareness to your leadership position.
It requires authenticity and vulnerability. You need to show up as you truly are!
Conscious leaders focus on the “we” rather than the “me” and realize that their role is to create a culture of trust, care, and expansive influence.
Anyone can become a conscious leader, and chances are that you already have many of the necessary traits. While there are countless qualities that we could talk about, I’m going to highlight 5 traits that I think best embody this style of leadership. Let’s go through them and see what stands out to you.
1. High Level of Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is about being “in-tune” with yourself in relation to others. It plays a critical role in:
1. How we understand ourselves
2 .How we relate to others
3. How we connect to the world around us
Self-aware leaders manage their emotions and are more intentional in their behavior and actions. This creates positive interactions and outcomes with team members, partners, clients, and prospects.
2. Level-Headedness
Leaders who are calm, balanced and not overly reactive are trusted more than ones who are unpredictable or combative. A level-headed leader’s calming presence can diffuse the situation when conflict arises and they cause people to feel heard and safe.
3. Constant Self-Improvement
Conscious leadership can seem intimidating when you first encounter it. This is because it forces us to look hard and deep at the areas of our life where we might not be showing up as our best selves. By letting go of the need to be right and being open to feedback, conscious leaders continue to grow, change and develop and become increasingly more impactful in their role.
4. Intentional
Conscious leaders are incredibly intentional individuals. They weigh not only the impact of decisions but also the intent behind them. As a result, they foster a company culture where employees feel deeply valued and cared for.
5. Compassionate
Compassion is a key character trait for conscious leaders and it pays off. Research shows us that employees who experience compassion at work are more psychologically connected to their co-workers, which results in a stronger bond, more loyalty to the organization and a deeper commitment to their work. Compassion shows up in the way leaders speak, tackle challenges, and encourage others to grow.
Are You Ready to Lead Consciously?
It’s easy to see how conscious leaders are able to attract, inspire and retain the most qualified and aligned employees. Who wouldn’t want to work for a leader who demonstrated these traits?
I’m curious, which of these qualities do you feel are your strongest? What’s an area of improvement for you?
One of the wonderful things about being human is that we are all on a journey of growth and discovery. It’s OK if you struggle to be a level-headed and compassionate leader!
You CAN change, grow and improve.
As a coach, I help my clients develop their leadership skills and executive presence. If you would like to explore working with me, click here to schedule a free, 30-minute chemistry call. I’m looking forward to meeting you!
VANESSA ROSENBLUM
PRO R.E.A. STAFFING & HIRE LAB FOUNDER
Continue the conversation with her here.
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