Leading from The Heart
By WhyNot Partnering
WE’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING AND COACHING PEOPLE WHO REALLY DO LEAD FROM THE HEART. WHEN YOU MEET THESE PEOPLE, THEY CONNECT WITH YOU ON A DEEPER AND DIFFERENT LEVEL.
In our experience, these leaders come from all backgrounds, sectors and levels in organisations, and we’ve had the pleasure of meeting many people who’ve made us feel this way… the CEO of a utilities company, a health and safety director of a manufacturing company, a site supervisor working on a construction project, a frontline worker stepping into the role of coach…etc.
What is it that binds them all together, that enables them to have a profound connection with everyone they meet and seemingly inspire all those around them?
After sitting down to think about each individual and what they had in common in terms of attributes and skills, we identified two fundamental shared aspects that have helped them transform into the leaders they are today.
Knowing their higher purpose
Leading from the heart of what matters is something all these people have in common. They’re clear as to what their Higher Purpose is and everything they think, do and communicate stems from this place.
This clarity of purpose permeates throughout everything they say and do, confirming that it’s something they truly believe. This, in turn, inspires trust and a loyal following across the board, which is essential to build the strong foundations of robust leadership.
Authenticity
Knowing who you are as a person is essential if you’re to live an authentic life, both in business and away from your desk. To lead from the heart requires openness and vulnerability, acknowledging your shortcomings and failings, while being comfortable in your own skin.
True leaders are those who have the courage to acknowledge what it is that makes us human, allowing them to lead from this place, to admit when they don’t know the answers, to ask others for help when they need to and, most importantly, to be open and honest with others about how they’re feeling.
All the best leaders we’ve come across over the years have also dedicated the time and energy to develop other necessary skills that have helped them rise to the challenges presented to them:
Knowing themselves: The first step towards becoming a leader of others is to be the leader of your own life. To lead yourself, you need to know your Higher Purpose and when you know this, you become your own leader. This creates the foundation for being authentic in how you communicate and act.
Understanding being human: Being authentic requires us to acknowledge what it is to be human. The real work is to recognise that we are all social animals that want to serve others, to be loved and feel a sense of belonging.
Leading with your heart often means going with your gut feeling and doing what is right. This is your limbic brain talking. Learning to listen to this very centre of our humanness is the start of understanding what it is to be human.
Relationships are the foundation: In business, the most enduringly successful organisations are led by those who actively focus time and effort on building relationships within their teams and to know that everyone is truly committed to what they are working on.
Importantly, relationships are as much about being with people as they are about working together. This may seem obvious, but how often do we perceive that our managers feel distant and remote? Relationships are built over coffee as much as they are in day-to-day business activity.
If your heart allows you to feel and be aware of the needs of others, then you can communicate with them on their level in ways that they understand and can relate to.
One of the most generative steps a leader can take is to constantly reinforce everyone’s connection to their Higher Purpose by talking about it, thus setting the environment for extraordinary events to occur. Consider Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela or Malala Yousafzai.
Spending time building relationships is never wasted and it’s the foundation for everything we do.
In conclusion
All these inspiring people know their Higher Purpose. They articulate it well and dedicate their lives bringing it into existence. What is equally as important is their love and care for every person they meet. The more we can build a caring relationship into our work, the more we are able to progress.
Caring is about understanding the profound effect our words and actions can have on the lives of others. It is a cornerstone of our humanness. Creating work that matters, engaging everyone in this process and caring for those around you is key to Leading from your Heart.
As Viktor Frankl said:
"Doing work that matters, loving without condition and growing from adversity"
We must end the artificial separation between these essential aspects of our being and show up as a whole person in all that we do. Leaders who Lead from the Heart know this.
