Leadership From the Center

Leadership From the Center June 2, 2015

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Some people believe leadership is about driving people to see how far they can go.

We sometimes assume leadership is on the cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of the envelope. We see leadership moving us in a straight line upward, outward, forward. We expect leaders to motivate us toward the frontier, boldly going where no one has gone before.

Our first reaction is often to jump into action, striving to make progress and get something done. We have a plan to put into action. We will do whatever it takes to make it work.

The leaders who inspire me do not focus on the far horizon or forcing things to happen. Their journey has a rhythm which takes us to the center before bringing what we find there into the world.

The leaders whose examples I want to follow breathe new life into their work by finding their center. They face the challenges and obstacles of knowing themselves well before they try to lead anyone else.

Leadership which inspires me pushes the boundaries on a journey to the center. The leaders I work to follow are geared toward meaningful truths as well as measurable objectives. Their decisions and actions come from places deeper than committee meetings and annual plans.

Their leadership is a reflection of who they are.

As they follow their path to the center, they find new ways to put their inner truth into practice. Like walking a labyrinth, their trip inward and time in the center inspire their fresh return to the world.

Our path toward centeredness with ourselves draws us to act more deeply as we lead ourselves and others.

When do you spend time at the center, getting to know yourself well?

How will you lead from the center today?

[Image by SF Brit]


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