The Discipline of Leadership....

In this blog I'm going to start to explain the context behind the Discipline of Leadership.

So, firstly Leadership is about a state of mind, a way of being.
Secondly, it is about being Heart centred and people orientated.
Thirdly, it's about taking action that holds people with respect and in high positive regard.

In this day and age when technology is critically important, it is also a commodity - yes, a commodity!

What is important is how we deploy the technology in order to maximise our return on investment.

Lets us not forget that, it is the people who deploy the technology, so it goes hand in hand to say, if we are going to invest in technology we have a responsibility to invest in the people who deploy it. 

We must as Leaders invest in and grow the human capital within our Organisations be them, small or large businesses, whatever industry and whatever level of person.  We, as Leaders, have to nurture and grow our people no matter how high or low their position within the company.  We also have a responsibility to invest in our own growth and development too.

The basic principle of the Discipline of Leadership is that, it is, a people centred model that embraces paradox.

Firstly, we have to welcome creativity and innovation, including breakthrough thinking, whilst also having the structures and practises in place that enable our inventions and developments to become sustainable and have longevity.  Too much innovation and nothing actually becomes usable and too much process and structure and there is no room for creativity and innovation.

The second Discipline is to take the time to be still and present to our employees and the market so that we can be curious about what is happening in the system.  Whilst at the same time being aware of the natural cycles of life both in terms of people and business, this includes being tuned into the inter-relatedness and timing that effects the cycle of growth in people and business and how inter-related each of the cycles are both independently and collectively.

The third Discipline of Leadership is to balance the being and the doing of Leadership.  Who you are being and how you are showing up, all has a huge impact on the actions you take and the decisions you make. You have to have the capacity to respond when faced with conflict, diverse views and when challenged, after all, this is what creates deep understanding, more meaningful relationships and more creative solutions to issues.  We have to be able to separate personal from business in order not to be reactive and lash out at people.  We have to know ourselves and have done enough personal development work to be calm and present in the face of challenges.  All of this is in order to be present and to have the capacity to respond as well as to discern what the right action is.

The forth Discipline of Leadership is to know who you are and what you stand for.  To know what your purpose is and to feel like you are working and living 'on purpose'.  Once you know who you are and what your purpose is, not only do you trust yourself to take the right action, we also have the energy and passion to take risks, we give ourselves permission to play big and to be willing to challenge the 'status quo'.  For the sake of having a bigger impact in the world.  Whist at the same time inspiring and motivating those around you to do the same. 

We hold that the Four Disciplines of Leadership create a paradigm shift that creates exciting changes in the world, it inspires people and motivates them into action, whilst also taking time to care for and grow the individual for the sake of what we can collectively create together.

More to come on the Discipline of Leadership in Future Blogs, this is just a starter for 10.

How does your Leadership measure up?
Where is your growing Leadership edge?
Are you having the impact you know you can?
Are you playing to win and taking risks?

Thanks for reading and giving me the inspiration to keep writing. Rx