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This blog is one of a series of blogs that relates to a speaking presentation that I gave at the GAMA LAMP Conference March 11-14, 2018, in Nashville, TN: Becoming a Compassionate, Inspirational Leader and Manager.
Additional Titles In This Series Include;
- Is Your Vocation To Bring Spiritual Consciousness Into The Business World Of Insurance And Money?
- Are You A Passionate, Compassionate & Self-Compassionate Leader?
- Survey Questions & Answers In Advance Of Speaking
- Self-Compassion; The Missing Link To Achieving Your 2018 Goals
Becoming a Compassionate, Inspirational Leader and Managers includes understanding the difference between Unconsciousness and Consciousness.
Many of us are interested in bringing more Leadership And Management Consciousness into our lives and into the workplace. But how do we begin to do this? One place to start is by understanding Three Levels Of Leadership And Management Consciousness:
- Level One feels as though “life is happening to us,” as though we have no control over our lives. We may feel as though we are defined by external factors, and our value is determined by others. Many people are caught up in defining themselves by their job, the amount of money they earn or other achievements. Our amygdala would love it if we all hung out in this level, where we become aware that “something is missing” and that we not getting what we need from our lives, but we have no clear sense of how to fulfill our unmet needs. In fact, our amygdala makes us feel unworthy, so we may feel as though we don’t really DESERVE to have our unmet needs satisfied.
- Level Two is when we feel we have the ability and potential to create a path for ourselves, in which we are more in control of our happiness. We are able to define and clarify our unmet needs as well, and with that, we can understand our relationship to the larger world. And although we are humbled by the vast complexity of the world, we have more hope that we can not only feel fulfilled, but we can take ownership and responsibility for creating scenarios in which our needs can be met. The amygdala will still challenge us at this point, making us question our worthiness and our abilities to control our destiny, which can sometimes cause us to feel overwhelmed and weary. But because we have moved out of feeling as though “life is happening to us,” we are better able to stand up to the amygdala’s influence, and work through those feelings of unworthiness.
- Level Three is marked by surrendering ourselves to the infinite, bountiful nature of the universe. It is a sense of living within our true values, with faith, often in the form of God or a Higher Spiritual Power, as a key value. We recognize and accept the obstacles of the past, present and future, not as things that must be conquered, but as vehicles to greater self-awareness. So, if the amygdala comes knocking, bringing those messages of unworthiness, those feelings will not “stick” to us, but instead move through us, providing insight into ourselves as complete beings.
Chances are, in any level, people are likely to be at different Levels Of Leadership And Management Consciousness. Of course, it is tempting to try to determine and label where others may be, even just in your own mind. But think about it: it doesn’t really matter what level others are at, because it doesn’t mean that they’re always going to stay there (even though at times it may feel like they’re dragging you into the dark hole of negativity, or into a place where money and business are the core values).
Rather than get caught up in trying to determine where everyone else is at, it’s only important to understand the level where you are; what you have to offer; and what you would like to learn from the challenges ahead. We can use our life experiences to strengthen ourselves, and at the same time, to give us a greater purpose.
For example, we can discover within ourselves a vocation to bring the heart and soul into a very old, patriarchal, control based, power based, scarcity-based world of business and money. You and your advisors likely know exactly HOW & WHAT to do, but you all likely experience challenges with balance, complacency, delegation, fear, procrastination, qualification, rejection, stress, time and overwhelm, all of which crowd out action, confidence, commitment, consistency, energy, focus, inspiration, practices, production and vision.
The purpose of all these challenges is to help to understand where you are in the bigger picture. As you continue to work through these challenges and in turn add value through your work, this will cause the business and the business leaders to rise to an entirely new level.
Remember:
- Values drive positive emotions, positive beliefs and positive outcomes
- Unmet Needs drive negative emotions, negative beliefs and negative outcomes
- Inspiration is to influence, move or guide from within
- Motivation is influenced by fear and need
No matter what level of consciousness you and your coworkers are at, you can lead the way for others by using a consciousness-based approach to any business interaction you are involved in. In fact, a consciousness-based philosophy is the starting point from which all Leadership and Management should be taking place. That may sound like a tough sell to those caught up in a traditional business model, but remember, you don’t need to focus on the level of consciousness of others, in order to create a more compassionate and conscious working environment. You just need to feel the strength of your own leadership and management consciousness and let that carry you forward.
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International Values and Behavioral Analyst, Business Coach, Speaker and Author
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