I’ve
been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a leader. No matter where
you look today, authentic leadership seems to be in short
supply.
There
are a lot of “bosses” out there, to be sure. But what I struggle to see, in
business, politics, and life, are true leaders who bring us together, inspire us
to achieve great things, and bring out the best in us.
While
there are a number of issues that have contributed to this leadership deficit, I
believe that one in particular stands above the rest: leaders have neglected
their souls.
Speaking
about leadership and business in spiritual terms is uncomfortable to discuss in
public. In business, we’re supposed to stick to the facts and leave discussion
of our inner feelings and motivations for private.
However,
this approach is both misguided and counterproductive. Leadership is about more
than telling people what to do; it’s about serving others and helping to people
to be the best they can be.
Dealing
with people’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations is a major component of running a
business as well as fundamentally spiritual experience, no matter how you look
at it.
I think
that leaders have been conditioned to ignore this aspect of life. As a result,
we feel lost, apathetic, and often even nihilistic about the role we play in
business, politics, and life in general.
The only
way to fix this is for leaders to start looking inward. When I refer to the soul
of leadership, I’m talking about the connection to something greater than one’s
self, be it mission, ideal, or creed.
Reject
the myth of strength
First
and foremost, leaders must stop falling victim to the myth of strength. All too
often, we think that we must be strong, resolute, and absolutely confident in
our decisions in order to be an effective leader.
The
truth, however, is that we’re all vulnerable, fallible, and
weak. Everyone stumbles, and it is in our admission of
vulnerability that we find strength.
The
myth of strength leads to arrogance, paranoia, and poor decisions. Leaders
spend so much time trying to prove that they’re in charge that they fail to
focus on others, be they employees, clients, constituents, or
family.
My
challenge to fellow leaders is to reject this behavior
and instead embrace vulnerability. It sounds counterintuitive,
but leading from a place of vulnerability inspires trust and respect among those
in your charge. Most importantly, it takes the focus off of the
self and repositions it on others, which is, of course, the core of
leadership.
Always
appeal to a higher power
Why do
we get up each morning to spend our precious time working? The easy answer is
money. Obviously, we all need money to support our lives and survive in modern
society.
However,
if you’re only motivated to do a job so that you can survive, it’s only a matter
of time before you burn out. As humans, it’s incredibly difficult to do
something “just because.”
We yearn
for something more, whether it’s the divine or something more tangible. Without
a higher call, work and life quickly becomes meaningless.
The
best leaders are those who can rally people around something
greater. Whether it’s Churchill defending society against the
atrocities of the Axis Powers in World War Two, or Steve Jobs inspiring people
to “put a dent in the universe,” leaders can achieve amazing
things by appealing to mankind’s call towards the
spiritual.
Never
neglect the spiritual side of life
The
ability to attract and inspire people comes from an unshakable
internal faith. Whether it’s faith in God, society, or the
ability of humankind, it is faith that makes people want to follow a
leader.
The
content of a leader’s character and soul permeates their very being and spreads
to those around them. That’s why leaders must look inside and
nurture that which drives them. A leader
who lacks passion, or is merely chasing a paycheck or position,
is doomed to fail.
We must
recognize that we as humans are spiritual beings, and want to
reach for something more in life. Leaders who have soul know
this and use it to great effect.
I’m a
firm believer that this spiritual side of business should stand
on equal footing with strategy, because why we do something is
just as important as how we do it.
Our
society needs authentic leadership now more than ever. The apathy, divisiveness,
and pettiness that seems to have taken hold must be vanquished if we are to
thrive as a people.
Hopefully, if
leaders remember to foster the spiritual side of life, we can
move forward, stronger than before.
SOURCE:
CHRIS MYER
FORBES
MEGAZINE
